Learning a New Language Is a Lot Like Learning How to Drive

Driving is a skill I have yet to master. The path to being a good driver can be easy, but since I don’t get much practice, everything about the activity feels quite unfamiliar every time. It doesn’t help that I don’t have much interest in the activity because of the horrible traffic here — traffic is so awful most of the time that it’s often quicker to just walk to the local grocer than to drive.

Learning a new language is like learning to drive. You need adequate practice in order to master it; with driving, you need to take the car out and go to different places and really build up on experience. Meanwhile, with learning a language, you need to read in the language often and you need to speak it as frequently as you can in order to feel very familiar with it, which is why, if you wish to learn a new language, it really will help if you go to a good language school to build up on experience.

The best language schools emphasize the importance of practice; they claim there should be no restriction to using the language being learned. Take, for example, learning English; they advise speaking the language in a variety of situations to develop adaptability of use. This is why their language learning program often includes field trips to places that require the language to be spoken, transcribing local film snippets or local songs into English, and even putting effort into special projects like plays. The really cool thing about developing adaptability of use is this: Not only is that goal achieved, but learners grow their interest and get to have fun as well, and as we all know, fun learning is effective learning.

Testing is another vital aspect to learning, they say. Essentially, it’s a different form of practice but it really drives learners to study because the outcome of the test is proof of how much they understood the principles of the language.

So, if you’re learning new language and you want to master it completely, get a solid foundation by studying in a good language school or institution. You will get good instructors, lessons, materials and experiences for faster mastery. The best language schools offer everything from basic courses to advanced programs. They also have examination preparation for special language tests like Cambridge English, Pearson and IELTS.

Anyway, I think I will have to go to a driving school again. At least an instructor from a driving school will just let me continue practicing even if I don’t drive smoothly and he’ll be more focused on teaching me. My dad and cousin are too critical and jittery; they only make me drive worse than I normally do.