Have you ever tried to learn a foreign language in school?
If so, you'd probably agree that learning a language in school doesn't usually work out.
Even if it worked for you, you likely have some friends, family members, or former classmates who took language classes for several years, only to come out of the process having minimal ability to speak the language.
Why does this happen? Why, when knowing another language is an increasingly important part of modern life, has everyone seemed to tacitly accept that schools rarely produce capable foreign language speakers?
And better yet, how can we make it better? How can we make the process of learning a language in a classroom smoother and more efficient, so that every student has a chance to obtain functional language skills?
These are big questions, and it will be impossible to answer them conclusively here, in this short article.
However, I'd like to analyze the problem from 3 main angles, and propose some ideas that I believe can help move language education forward, toward a brighter future.
Specifically, we'll take a look at:
The Student's Perspective
Let's start from the perspective of the student.
The traditional model of the classroom places the student in a passive, subservient role. If the teacher is the "sun" in this proverbial solar system, then the students are most certainly meant to be planets stuck in her orbit, accepting the "light" of her knowledge without question.
Despite the relatively recent advent of alternative, learner-centered methods, this teacher-centered method is still the one that predominates around the globe. If you're reading this article, it goes without question that most (if not all) language classes you've taken have been structured this way.
There's a problem with teacher-centered language education, though. The kind of problem that Galileo Galilei saw the answer to almost 400 years ago when he said:
“You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.”
Let's explore this a bit further:
Language Learning is the Student's Responsibility
If you're a student, then this is what you must realize and accept: that you are the person who bears sole responsibility for your language learning success.
Yes, you. You and no one else—not even your teacher or tutor.
Why do you bear this responsibility?
Because language learning is a skill. Even if you have outside help, it is your job to absorb the language, experiment with the language, make mistakes, get feedback, and try it all over again.
And this is something that you'll have to do infinitely many times over the arc of your language learning journey.
And here's the thing about that journey: very few of the thousands of hours you spend learning and using a language will ever take place in a classroom, or in front of a friendly tutor. Instead, you'll spend most of them at home, learning on your own, or out in the world with native speakers, practicing, using, and living the language.
My Experiences with English and French
I remember when I came to this realization, and discovered I was the one who held the reins of my language learning success.
I had been learning English and French in school for years, and had found little success with either one.
Back then I was 12 years old, and never found anything taught in my English class to be particularly enjoyable. Even when I learned at home, I found it difficult to make progress while studying dry textbooks.
Then, one day, my parents decided to hire a tutor to come to my home and work with me one-on-one.
This tutor didn't teach me English. Not in the traditional sense. Rather, she showed me all of the interesting things I could explore through the medium of English, and encouraged me to dive into them to my heart's content.
With my tutor's guidance, I dove into all manner of English-language books, movies, magazines, and more. I then became more interested in the language, and more confident in my skills, and her feedback helped me get even better.
My story with French was a similar one, with a few notable differences.
Like English, French was a language I had studied for several years, with unremarkable results. Unlike English, though, I had no French tutor to show me interesting French movies or books.
One day, however, I was channel surfing at home and happened upon France 2, one of France's national TV channels.
As an Italian myself, I was a bit surprised at this, but even more shocking was the fact that this channel constantly showed French movies and TV shows, all subtitled in French!
Suddenly, I had found the interesting content I had never had access to in French class. It wasn't long before I spent hours upon hours every night watching and dissecting everything I heard and saw in French. And soon after that, my skills in French started to skyrocket, just as they did in English!
For both of these stories, the common thread is that my language skills only ever grew when I took control of the situation—when I read French books (affiliate), practiced quoting American movies, and searched for and learned any interesting vocabulary and phrases I found in each.
In other words, I learned when I was having fun, and learning exactly what I wanted to learn.
If you're a student in a language class, here's my recommendation: if you really want to learn this language, then spend 80% of your learning time (or 4x your class time) exploring the language on your own. Use your classroom time as a "side dish" to your learning, rather than the "main course".
So take initiative and watch movies, read books (affiliate), and binge-watch TV shows and YouTube videos, all in your target language. If you do that, and stay curious, your skills will improve massively.
And when the time comes to have a conversation with your teacher or tutor, take charge there too, if you can. This is not always possible with a classroom teacher, but with a tutor, you'll usually have the ability to choose the topic of conversation, or even the types of activities you do together.
If you have this flexibility, then make sure you use it to practice your language skills using the topics and contexts that most interest you.
And if you want to talk about something cool, but you don't know the word for it, then ask! Collect the vocabulary and phrases that mean something to you, and learning will come naturally.
The Teacher's Perspective
Okay, now let's take a look at things from the point of view of the teacher.
Remember the "teacher-centered approach" from the last section? That just won't do anymore.
Why?
Because every student is different. What inspires and drives one student to learn will not be what inspires and drives another.
This is what I've found in my ten years working as a language coach. Though each student comes to me for assistance in learning a language, each one has different goals, dreams, desires, and motivations.
If I tried to teach using a rigid structure, and lead students according to the way I think they should learn, I would get nowhere. Maybe a few would succeed, but most would likely give up.
So I never tell people how they should learn, or even what they should learn.
I use a different strategy, instead:
Listen Attentively
What I do (and what I recommend you do, too) is sit down and listen attentively.
As a teacher or tutor, it's easy to feel like you're the expert, and you "know better" than your students do.
But as I said before, language learning is a journey that students must explore themselves, through their own likes, dislikes, and interests.
Though you, as a teacher, may be considered an expert on the language you teach, you most certainly are not an expert on the internal mind of any particular student; you cannot assume you know what inspires and motivates them better than they do.
So you need to listen. A lot. Especially after asking questions.
Ask questions about learning style, hobbies, topics of interest, family life, work, cultural background. Pretty much anything goes, so long as the answers you get help you connect the student more deeply with the language you're learning.
Ask and listen. Ask and listen. Again and again.
The more you listen and learn about your student, the better, smoother, and more rewarding your common learning path will get.
Be Flexible
The knowledge you gain from listening will also help you follow my next recommendation, which is to be flexible.
I mentioned earlier that being rigid in my teaching methods would never have gotten me far in my coaching business.
Sure, I teach students certain learning methods just like you might teach specific classes, or tutor using specific lessons, but I always make sure that those methods bend to the needs of the student, and not the other way around.
This bending, this flexibility is only possible because I listen to my students, and I learn what they're all about.
When I know my students, and remain attentive to their needs, I can trim, adjust, and tweak my method to them. I can add things that will work for them, and subtract things that will not.
In the end, I am able to transform the methods I teach so that they fit the student like a tailored suit, rather than baggy, off-the-rack pajamas.
You can do this, too. When you listen to your students, use what you learn to make your classes, lessons, and methods more adaptable to their needs and desires. Don't be afraid to shake things up, if it means creating a more engaging, more enjoyable learning experience for the ones you teach.
The Student-Teacher Dynamic
If you've read this far, you might think that, since I've criticized the traditional, teacher-based model of learning, that I automatically advocate for the alternative, student-centered approach.
This isn't quite true. If the teacher-centered model suggests that the teacher is active and the student is passive, then the student-centered approach suggests the opposite: that the student is active and the teacher is passive.
In truth, I don't believe either the student or the teacher should be passive; instead, they should both be active, lively participants in the learning process.
Back to our solar system metaphor from earlier, it's not necessary for there to be only one sun, which the planets all revolve around.
Reality tells us that there is, in fact, a better model to suit our new metaphor: a binary star system, wherein two stars orbit a common center.
This is how it should be in language learning. In the classroom, the teacher and student both have "light" and "warmth" to bring, in terms of their knowledge, identities, and experiences.
So students, converse with your teachers. Teachers, converse with your students. Each of you must ask questions of the other, listen, and give feedback so that together, you can find ways to make learning more enjoyable, more efficient, and more transformative for you both.
Conclusion
For a long time, language education has been largely out of balance. Teachers push rigid, structured methods on to students, while disinterested students give up their agency, believing they have no say in what or how they learn.
Years of independent language learning and language coaching have taught me that for balance to be restored in the classroom, both teacher and student must take an active role, albeit in different ways.
Students must realize that they are the ultimate owners of their language skills. Whether or not they succeed has little to do with their teachers or tutors, and more to do with how often they seek to engage with the target language and culture on their own terms. When the time comes to use their target languages actively, they must speak up and direct the conversation, when they can.
Teachers, on the other hand, must realize that learning is never one-size-fits-all. Each student is different in different ways, and it is through knowing these differences that the teacher can design a suitable, flexible learning experience for each individual learner. This requires a deep knowledge of the student that can only come from conversing with the student, and listening attentively to what they say.
If, in this way, students and teachers can both become active, engaged participants in the learning process, then we might one day be able to flip the script and discuss how rare it is that someone doesn't graduate school knowing a foreign language, rather than the opposite situation we're living through today.
PUBLICATION NOTICE: Greetings! Since retiring from the UN in 2007 I have been working to strengthen international communication by writing and lecturing. Now I am pleased to announce the publication of my second book on multilingual communication, Essays on Conference Interpreting, starting from a hopeful vision of digital humanism in our future as envisaged by Nikola Tesla, offering a perspective on multilingualism as a prism that widens humankind’s prospects rather than artificially narrowing their focus. This book condenses important lessons learned at key points during a 30-year career as an intergovernmental conference interpreter and trainer, seeking to define what constitutes good interpreting and how to develop the skills and, abilities that are conducive to it, as well as fostering practices and technologies that help to maintain high professional standards. It highlights the importance of English as a global lingua franca and as a relay language used in multilingual events and institutions. The book places interpreting in its historical context as a time-honored discipline and discusses the effect of modern technology on translating and interpreting, identifying areas where it is most useful (electronic communications media, broadcasting) while stressing that professional education and training of linguists are more important than reliance on technological shortcuts. It is a valuable resource to all those working or training in interpreting and related forms of cross-cultural communication.
AVIS DE PUBLICATION : Salutations ! Depuis ma retraite de l’ONU en 2007, je travaille au renforcement de la communication internationale par l’écriture, la formation et les conférences. J’ai maintenant le plaisir d’annoncer la publication de mon deuxième livre sur la communication multilingue, Essays on Conference Interpreting, partant d’une vision humaniste du numérique dans notre avenir, tel qu’envisagé par Nikola Tesla, offrant une perspective sur le multilinguisme comme un prisme qui élargit les perspectives de l’humanité plutôt que de restreindre artificiellement leur champ d’action. Ce livre condense les leçons importantes apprises à des moments clés au cours d’une carrière de 30 ans en tant qu’interprète de conférence intergouvernemental et formateur, cherchant à définir ce qui constitue une bonne interprétation et comment développer les compétences et les capacités qui y sont propices, ainsi que favoriser des pratiques et des technologies qui aident à maintenir des normes professionnelles élevées. Il souligne l’importance de l’anglais comme lingua franca mondiale et comme langue relais utilisée dans les événements et les institutions multilingues. Le livre replace l’interprétation dans son contexte historique en tant que discipline séculaire et discute de l’effet de la technologie moderne sur la traduction et l’interprétation, identifiant les domaines où elle est la plus utile (médias de communication électronique, radiodiffusion) tout en soulignant que l’éducation et la formation professionnelles des linguistes sont plus importants que le recours à des raccourcis technologiques. C’est une ressource précieuse pour tous ceux qui travaillent ou se forment à l’interprétation et aux formes connexes de communication interculturelle.
VERÖFFENTLICHUNGSHINWEIS: Grüße! Seit meinem Ausscheiden aus der UNO im Jahr 2007 arbeite ich daran, die internationale Kommunikation durch Schreiben und Lehren zu stärken. Nun freue ich mich, die Veröffentlichung meines zweiten Buches über mehrsprachige Kommunikation, Essays on Conference Interpreting, ankündigen zu können, ausgehend von einer hoffnungsvollen Vision des digitalen Humanismus in unserer Zukunft, wie sie von Nikola Tesla ins Auge gefasst wurde und eine Perspektive auf Mehrsprachigkeit als Prisma bietet, das die Perspektiven der Menschheit erweitert human anstatt ihren Fokus künstlich einzuengen. Dieses Buch fasst wichtige Erkenntnisse aus den wichtigsten Punkten einer 30-jährigen Karriere als Dolmetscher und Ausbilder für zwischenstaatliche Konferenzen zusammen und versucht zu definieren, was gutes Dolmetschen ausmacht und wie man die dafür förderlichen Fähigkeiten und Fähigkeiten entwickelt und Praktiken fördert. und Technologien, die helfen, hohe professionelle Standards aufrechtzuerhalten. Es unterstreicht die Bedeutung des Englischen als globale Verkehrssprache und als Relaissprache, die in mehrsprachigen Veranstaltungen und Institutionen verwendet wird. Das Buch stellt das Dolmetschen in seinen historischen Kontext als altehrwürdige Disziplin und diskutiert die Auswirkungen moderner Technologie auf das Übersetzen und Dolmetschen, indem es Bereiche identifiziert, in denen es am nützlichsten ist (elektronische Kommunikationsmedien, Rundfunk) und betont, dass die professionelle Aus- und Weiterbildung von Linguisten wichtiger als das Vertrauen auf technologische Abkürzungen. Es ist eine wertvolle Ressource für alle, die im Dolmetschen und verwandten Formen der interkulturellen Kommunikation arbeiten oder sich ausbilden.
AVISO DE PUBLICACIÓN: ¡Saludos! Desde que me retiré de la ONU en 2007, he estado trabajando para fortalecer la comunicación internacional escribiendo y dando conferencias. Ahora me complace anunciar la publicación de mi segundo libro sobre comunicación multilingüe, Essays on Conference Interpreting (Ensayos sobre interpretación de conferencias), partiendo de una visión esperanzadora del humanismo digital en nuestro futuro, tal como lo concibió Nikola Tesla, ofreciendo una perspectiva sobre el multilingüismo como un prisma que amplía las perspectivas de la humanidad en lugar de limitar artificialmente su enfoque. Este libro condensa lecciones importantes aprendidas en puntos clave durante una carrera de 30 años como intérprete de conferencias intergubernamentales y formador, buscando definir qué constituye una buena interpretación y cómo desarrollar las destrezas y habilidades que la favorecen, así como las prácticas y tecnologías que ayudan a mantener altos estándares profesionales. Destaca la importancia del inglés como lengua franca global y como lengua de transmisión utilizada en eventos e instituciones multilingües. El libro sitúa la interpretación en su contexto histórico como una disciplina consagrada y analiza el efecto de la tecnología moderna en la traducción y la interpretación, identificando las áreas donde es más útil (medios de comunicación electrónica, radiodifusión) al tiempo que destaca que la educación profesional y la formación de lingüistas son más importantes que depender de atajos tecnológicos. Es un recurso valioso para todos aquellos que trabajan o se están capacitando en interpretación y formas relacionadas de comunicación intercultural.
AVVISO DI PUBBLICAZIONE: Saluti! Da quando mi sono ritirato dalle Nazioni Unite nel 2007 ho lavorato per rafforzare la comunicazione internazionale scrivendo e tenendo conferenze. Ora sono lieto di annunciare la pubblicazione del mio secondo libro sulla comunicazione multilingue, Essays on Conference Interpreting, partendo da una visione speranzosa dell’umanesimo digitale nel nostro futuro come previsto da Nikola Tesla, offrendo una prospettiva sul multilinguismo come prisma che amplia le prospettive dell’umanità piuttosto che restringere artificialmente la loro attenzione. Questo libro condensa importanti lezioni apprese nei punti chiave di una carriera trentennale come interprete e formatore di conferenza intergovernativa, cercando di definire cosa costituisce una buona interpretazione e come sviluppare le competenze e le abilità che vi sono favorevoli, oltre a promuovere pratiche e tecnologie che aiutano a mantenere elevati standard professionali. Sottolinea l’importanza dell’inglese come lingua franca globale e come lingua di trasmissione utilizzata in eventi e istituzioni multilingue. Il libro colloca l’interpretazione nel suo contesto storico come disciplina consacrata dal tempo e discute l’effetto della tecnologia moderna sulla traduzione e sull’interpretazione, identificando le aree in cui è più utile (mezzi di comunicazione elettronici, radiodiffusione) e sottolineando che l’istruzione e la formazione professionale dei linguisti sono più importante della dipendenza da scorciatoie tecnologiche. È una risorsa preziosa per tutti coloro che lavorano o si formano nell’interpretazione e nelle relative forme di comunicazione interculturale.
AVISO DE PUBLICAÇÃO: Saudações! Desde que me aposentei da ONU em 2007, tenho trabalhado para fortalecer a comunicação internacional escrevendo e dando palestras. Agora, tenho o prazer de anunciar a publicação do meu segundo livro sobre comunicação multilíngue, Ensaios sobre interpretação de conferências, partindo de uma visão esperançosa do humanismo digital em nosso futuro, como previsto por Nikola Tesla, oferecendo uma perspectiva sobre o multilinguismo como um prisma que amplia as perspectivas da humanidade em vez de estreitar artificialmente seu foco. Este livro condensa importantes lições aprendidas em pontos-chave durante uma carreira de 30 anos como intérprete de conferências intergovernamentais e instrutor, buscando definir o que constitui uma boa interpretação e como desenvolver as habilidades que conduzem a ela, bem como práticas e tecnologias que ajudam a manter altos padrões profissionais. Ele destaca a importância do inglês como uma língua franca global e como uma língua de retransmissão usada em eventos e instituições multilíngues. O livro coloca a interpretação em seu contexto histórico como uma disciplina consagrada pelo tempo e discute o efeito da tecnologia moderna na tradução e interpretação, identificando áreas onde ela é mais útil (meios de comunicação eletrônica, radiodifusão), enquanto enfatiza que a educação profissional e o treinamento de lingüistas são mais importante do que confiar em atalhos tecnológicos. É um recurso valioso para todos aqueles que trabalham ou treinam em interpretação e formas relacionadas de comunicação intercultural.
УВЕДОМЛЕНИЕ ОБ ИЗДАНИИ: Приветствую! После ухода из ООН в 2007 году я работал над укреплением международного общения, писая и читая лекции. Теперь я рад объявить о публикации моей второй книги по многоязычному общению, «Очерки о переводе на конференциях», начиная с обнадеживающего видения цифрового гуманизма в нашем будущем, как его предвидел Никола Тесла, предлагая взгляд на многоязычие как на призму, расширяющую перспективы человечества, вместо того, чтобы искусственно сужать их фокус. В этой книге собраны важные уроки, извлеченные из ключевых моментов в течение 30-летней карьеры переводчика на межправительственной конференции и инструктора, с целью определить, что составляет хороший устный перевод и как развивать навыки и способности, которые способствуют этому, а также стимулирующие практики и технологии, помогающие поддерживать высокие профессиональные стандарты. Он подчеркивает важность английского языка как глобального лингва-франка и языка-ретранслятора, используемого на многоязычных мероприятиях и учреждениях. В книге устный перевод рассматривается в историческом контексте как дисциплина, освященная веками, и обсуждается влияние современных технологий на письменный и устный перевод, выявляются области, в которых он наиболее полезен (электронные средства связи, радиовещание), при этом подчеркивается, что профессиональное образование и подготовка лингвистов важнее, чем полагаться на технологические сокращения. Это ценный ресурс для всех, кто работает или тренируется в области интерпретации и связанных с ней форм межкультурного общения.
I cannot agree more. Learning a new language through interesting content would really make us learn a language faster and better.