It is possible to learn a foreign language quickly. It is possible to learn a foreign language easily. You can achieve fluency quickly and easily in your chosen language.

Really ?

These are some of the assorted myths and fantasies commonly associated with foreign language learning. The provision of language teaching courses is a huge industry, employing large numbers of people and so there is a great deal of money to be made. As the global economy becomes progressively linked, many people want to improve their language skills not only for pleasure but for business. Companies increasingly require a multi-lingual work-force to compete effectively and so have a requirement for language instruction.

Companies and individuals want fast results and want to be able to learn foreign language skills quickly. Bearing this in mind no-one has a particular interest in advertising a course with the dubious selling point that language learning is hard, that it will take a long time and that you will never achieve fluency without effort.

The first fantasy is that language learning is quick. No. No. No. It is not quick. Here is an example from a website selling Spanish courses Learn Spanish in just 4 weeks. Well, what are you learning in four weeks? You certainly can’t learn a language in this time period which is why people study language for three or four years in university. If you are going to enrol on a four week language course promising quick results, it is worth checking very carefully exactly what you are going to be learning.

Another fantasy is that language learning is easy. There is no such thing as easy foreign language learning as an adult. It is hard work and requires discipline, motivation, time and effort. It is very rewarding but it is not easy to learn a foreign language well, and would be better described as one of the harder things you can set out to do. It is not impossible either, but one of the factors important for success is to be able to set reasonable goals based on realistic expectations.

The only time when language learning becomes easy is when you decide to learn only a small part of the language. Learning key words and phrases which can be used in isolation such as hello, goodbye is not difficult and is quick and easy to achieve.

Another fantasy is that you can become fluent quickly and easily, but what does fluency really mean? Most people who learn another language will never come close to having the range of expression or vocabulary that they have in their native tongue. This doesn’t mean that they can not express themselves fluently but it does indicate the difference between being fluent and being a native speaker. How will you decide when you are fluent ? The answer is different for different people.