5 questions for a language learner in later life

Valentina lives in Germany. In the past she mostly used English when travelling. But now she needs it more and more when dealing with her clients – who are usually non-native speakers.

1. How do you feel about learning English?
   I used to be a bit scared about speaking English. The differences between pronunciation and spelling were so confusing. Now I’m not scared of the language anymore and I really want to improve.

2. What’s the hardest thing about learning English?
   Having some structure so that I do something on a regular basis. Every Monday after my English class, I tell myself “This week I’ll do it!” and then it’s Monday again. So I’m not very happy with myself.

3. How do you overcome this?
   I know I need to spend 10 minutes a day doing some exercises plus read and watch films in English. So that’s my New Year’s resolution.

4. What are your goals?
   To be able to speak without first thinking about how to structure the sentence. And to use more synonyms so that I’m not always repeating the same words.

5. What’s your advice for older people who want to learn a language?
   Grit your teeth and get on with it!

See more about learning a language in later life here, here and here.

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© Christina Wielgolawski