"How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language"
The common belief is adults have a much harder time learning a language. I remember hearing the metaphor when I was younger that a young person’s brain is like a wet sponge, able to soak up nearly anything and everything such as a language. The metaphor took on a slightly more depressing trajectory, because the older you get the dryer the sponge becomes. Eventually, the sponge is so dry it’s not able to absorb nearly the amount it had in the past. Translation: the older you get, the more impossible it is for you to learn a language.
As a result, I was very pleased to read the New York Times article “How Immersion Helps to Learn a Language” by Sindya N. Bhanoo. In essence, it keeps hope alive for us folks who are aging everyday (i.e. everyone!). It is indeed possible for young adults and adults to process a language the same way a native speaker does. Of course, the key component necessary for achieving native-speaker processing and proficiency is practice. A common theme therefore seems to keep emerging, formal classroom settings teaching grammar help to learn a language but immersion is the most efficient way to learn a language.
ME+IMMERSION in the World= BEST way to Learn a Language!!!
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