Reflections on Successfully Learning a Second Language

It has now been over two years since I departed from Vietnam. As I am at the beginning stages of learning another language, I wanted to reflect my modest successes of learning Vietnamese. Prior to learning Vietnamese, I had attempted to learn Spanish with significant effort but little success. I believe the lessons I have learned apply to anyone attempting the daunting task of becoming multilingual. The above video captures my 10-month mark of Vietnamese studies, a capstone of sorts prior to leaving. While parts of the video are scripted, I still think it showcases well what we are all after in our efforts to speak new languages: to authentically connect with new people and access the rich experiences our world has to offer. My aim is to encourage you towards this goal.

 

Before unpacking how to learn a language successfully, I think it is instructive to reflect on how not to learn a language. I encounter many people in the U.S. and expats abroad who have the goal of learning a new language, but are still spending their time taking courses at a university. It is quite possible, and even likely, that you could pass many courses and get good test grades while failing to make progress as an effective communicator in your desired language. I’ve met many people who have done 4+ years of a given language in school but still don’t have a great grasp on the language. This is because learning at a university is like learning in captivity. Universities provide a sterile learning environment that aren’t aimed at our goals. They are focused on having you check enough boxes to get a degree, even if you are not seeking one. Not only are they not an efficient way to learn a language, they aren’t very fun either.

Fun is an oft overlooked piece of the puzzle. There is guaranteed to be some toil in trying to learn new vocabulary and pronounce sounds that we are unfamiliar with, but joy will push us forward in our language journey. When learning Vietnamese, I experienced a kind of snowball effect, with positive experiences pushing me forward to learn more and more. After learning a bit, I would go to the street and try out my new skills. People were excited that I was attempting to communicate with them in their mother tongue. This snowball effect catapulted me forward and made learning the tough language seem effortless. I am aware that this phenomenon is more likely to occur with in warm weather and developing countries. Americans generally don’t express tremendous gratitude toward immigrants learning English. But whatever language you learn, make sure that joy is part of the process.

The key to having these positive experiences that propel you forward is positioning yourself in places where they can happen. This illustrates language acquisition’s intimate connection with travel. You absolutely must be in a place where your desired language is spoken, even if only periodically. Without Immersion, you run the risk of putting in tremendous effort with little results to show. I know that many people will respond that they are not in a place in life where they can travel. But I cannot understate the importance of immersion. It is free learning and reinforcement of the language with no effort. If people are constantly speaking around you, it cements what you have learned and accelerates progress tenfold. Not only are you missing out on progress, but what I consider to be a transcendent experience. Speaking a language in a land that is not your own gradually transitions you from observer to a participant in your experience. While you are physically in the same place as the tourists, you are actually in quite a different place as them as well. All your experiences are enhanced and many new possibilities become available to you. This is as best as I can describe this spectacular experience. If you are seriously considering learning a language, you may need to reprioritize where you will go in near future.

Part of progressing towards unlocking these new experiences is embracing the culture. Culture and language are interwoven and cannot be understood individually. For example, one can say “hôm này em sao?,” which translates to “how are you today?” But if you greet someone in Vietnam by saying this they will give you a look of confusion because this is not a greeting they use. More common is the greeting “ăn cơm chưa?” which means did you eat rice/lunch yet. But people are not looking for a yes or no response. They say this because it was not so long ago that hunger was a more significant issue, so they are concerned with if you are well fed or not. This is a bit confusing without understanding the culture first. But making efforts toward cultural embrace will help you reach the transcendence that can accompany language learning.

 

 

The last notable reflection I have to share is the nonlinearity of progress. This stands in stark contrast to university learning, where one unit by unit through levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. After the initial learning of basic vocabulary and introductions, real progress seems to slow to a halt. This actually happens over and over again as one trudges towards fluency. This is why I mentioned seeking joyful experiences in language acquisition. It is important to celebrate the small victories when you can’t see your progress. Your brain is probably incorporating the new language but we small continuous progress usually doesn’t register. And when you hit these lulls, I recommend you to seek some variety. Shuffle through various methods of passive learning such as listening and watching. Also shuffle through more active methods of learning, like learning, writing and reading. Never give up. Each dollop of progress you acquire opens doors to a richer life.

 

These conclude my current musings on language acquisition. If you are in Vietnam, then I highly recommend you check out VLS. My experience there was the highlight of my stint living in Vietnam. All the tips I mentioned previously are baked into their program. But more importantly, I hope I encouraged you in your language pursuits.