A Language Learner

Posted: lunes, 22 de abril de 2013 by DarkWolfSnow in
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What is a language learner?


I have been an English Language learner since I was 5 years old. It a never-ending process that will remain for all my life. Being taught to learn a second language can be more natural for others and at the same time it can be harder for the ones which have not had a wide input in L2. Despite this fact we all are language learners. Each one is different. This is linked to the different theories that have been studied during these last decades. There are internal and external factors that will affect the way you learn a language. It does not matter the age, sex, Mother language you speak; these factors are visible in every single way for L2 learners. Some of them are the input, social factors (external) and cognitive, sociocultural and linguistic approaches (Van Patten,2010).

I will define what a language learner is according to my experience as a student at my school and my experience in the practice of the Modern Languages major. I think that a language learner is the person who is becoming a L2 speaker, writter and a participant of a second language input whereas you can be part of the language itself. If you are a language learner, the first thing you have to keep in mind is the reason why you are learning languages, and those reason have a strong relationship with the type of motivation you have to do so. I consider that if there is no type of motivation, there would not be any type of real learning process. Despite the fact not everyone is willing to learn a new language, somehow the would be a sort of motivation to achieve this goal in each one of us.

When I was at school I have to confess I did not find motivation when I had my first L2 input. I found it when I realized I actually could understand English as a whole concept of language because I made a link with my external reality. There was something beyond the grammar tasks, there was the life. A life that taught me that English would be there, with foreign speakers, written tasks, travelling, music, tv shows and books. I realized I became a L2 learner when I found the source of my motivation. Afterwards, I built my way to L2 learning when I decided to study modern languages. I was conscious of this decision as well as I discovered a new part of myself as a learner. I am not learning just for me, I will be learning to teach to others. That kind of emotions were a new type of motivation, because it has to be with interlanguage and how we express to others. If I feel that knowing a second language I can help others, that would be very pleasant for me.

In conclusion, being a language learner is a unique experience and the best way to achieve what you desire is to find your own way of motivation. In that way, the proccess of learning will be easier for everyone.
REFERENCES

 VanPatten, Bill; Benati, Alessandro G. (2010). Key Terms in Second Language Acquisition. London: Continuum.