Why some people never become fluent in a foreign language

hello everyone welcome back to my YouTube channel  in today's video we're going to talk about the  

most common excuses people use for not being  able to become fluent in a foreign language  

and I'm pretty sure you use some of those excuses  in the past as well okay let's move to our excuse  

number one I'm too old to learn a new language  many people believe that age is a significant  

factor in language learning but research has shown  that it is not a determining Factor while children  

may have an easier time picking up a new language  adults can still become fluent with practice and  

dedication in fact Studies have shown that adults  may have certain advantages over children such as  

prior knowledge of grammar and the ability to  apply analytical thinking skills I actually  

decided to ask my students from the speaking Club  what they think about it because I have a lot of  

students from different countries at different  stages of life and I would really love to read  

this one response for you guys I believe that  it's a big No-No I'm too old it's usually a  

bad excuse to say that it's too late to learn a  new language or to start something new the fear  

of learning a new language could possibly come  from Pride or arrogance because most of us don't  

like to make mistakes and here you have it I  feel like one of the most common reasons why  

so many people always say that I'm too old I'm  not a kid anymore to learn a new language is that  

they're just afraid to make mistakes this fear  of making mistakes should never stop you from  

doing anything you love including learning English  before we move on to our second excuse I want to  

tell you guys a little bit about PDF elements PDF  element by wondershare is a fast affordable and  

easy way to edit convert and sign PDF documents  across all your electronic devices and now guys  

I'm gonna grab my computer and show you how I use  PDF elements to add text and change my PDF file  

this is the document I used for one of my English  classes I especially love PDF element when I read  

in English and especially when I read articles in  English newspaper articles I like this squiggly  

line and click on squiggly let's see you're  reading this paragraph right and you don't  

know the word remarkable so you can just do this  and add this little squiggly line another feature  

that I absolutely love is called text call out so  basically again it's perfect for learning English  

you click on the word remarkable and then you have  this little box basically I use it to write the  

definition of each word so remarkable the meaning  can be amazing or unique right remarkable flavors  

if you're interested in using PDF element 2 you  can give them a try by clicking the link in the  

description excuse number two is I don't have  enough time time is is a precious resource but  

it's important to prioritize language learning if  you want to become fluent you don't need to spend  

hours every day studying but consistent practice  over time is Key consider incorporating language  

learning into your daily routine such as listening  to podcasts or practicing vocabulary during your  

commute one of the reasons why my Spanish is  not improving right now is that I don't have  

enough time but in reality I can always find  time for the things that are important to me  

and to be completely honest the reason the main  reason why my Spanish is not improving right now  

is because it's not my priority unfortunately but  I really do want to make it my priority and study  

the language every day and what helps me usually  is establishing a routine and telling myself okay  

Veronica every day at 3 pm you have to study  Spanish excuse number three is I'm not good at  

languages many people believe that they're not  naturally gifted at learning languages but the  

truth is that language learning is a skill that  can be developed with practice you may need to  

try different methods and strategies to find what  works best for you for example some people may  

prefer a more structured approach with textbooks  and grammar drills well I don't think it's the  

best approach but for some people it works While  others may prefer a more immersive approach with  

authentic materials and conversation practice  which works a lot better and I have a video about  

it right here I do believe that this authentic  approach when you try to focus on the input works  

the best and again guys on my channel I have a  lot of videos where I talked about why grammar  

drills doing grammar drills might be so boring  for some people and what to do to change it what  

to do to make English learning a fun activity and  plus I think that a lot of people who work a lot  

who study English a lot may even get offended when  you just say oh you know you're just talented you  

have a natural gift it makes you feel pretty bad  at the same time when people try to pick at your  

smallest mistakes you lose motivation because you  feel like you can't do it you can't do anything  

because you constantly make mistakes which is  not true excuse number four is I don't live in a  

country where the language is spoken while living  in a country where the language is spoken can be  

helpful it's not necessary to be confluent  with online resources and language exchange  

programs you can still immerse yourself in the  language you could consider joining language  

learning communities for example my speaking club  or finding language exchange Partners to practice  

speaking with I've been living in Mexico for a  year now and it's embarrassing to admit that I  

barely speak the language I don't live in an  English-speaking country but I speak English  

something for you guys to think about for sure  excuse number five is I don't have anyone to  

practice with while having someone to practice  with can be helpful it's not necessary to become  

fluent you can practice speaking with native  speakers online or through language exchange  

programs or even practice speaking to yourself  or recording yourself speaking if you're curious  

about how I improve my English without talking to  anyone make sure to watch this video I am from a  

small Russian town and when I was in high school  I could only practice English with non-native  

speakers however I have to admit that my teachers  were absolutely incredible yes maybe sometimes  

they made certain mistakes in English but still  they were competent teachers and they made me fall  

in love with the language excuse number six is  I'm too shy to speak the language many people feel  

self-conscious about speaking a new language but  it's important to remember that making mistakes  

is a natural part of the learning process don't  be afraid to speak up and make mistakes as they  

will help you improve consider finding a language  learning community or language exchange partner  

who can provide a supportive environment for you  to practice speaking and build your confidence in  

a supportive environment is key if your console is  surrounded with people who criticize your English  

you will not improve if you're surrounded with  people who support you and who cheer you on you  

will improve you can also practice speaking in  low stake situations such as ordering food at a  

restaurant or asking for directions to gradually  build your confidence and that is exactly what I  

do with Spanish I always try to speak Spanish  when I talk to Uber drivers or when I order  

food so those are some of the most common excuses  people use for not becoming fluent in a foreign  

language if you find yourself using any of these  excuses try to refrain your mindset and approach  

language learning with a growth mindset but at  the same time don't be too too harsh on yourself  

coming up with excuses is absolutely normal and  we all do that however you always have to remind  

yourself what's your goal what's your goal in  English learning if your goal is becoming more  

advanced more fluent in English then yes you  should try to refrain from using all of those  

excuses and start actively learning the language  thank you guys so much for watching as a reminder  

you can click the link below and try PDF element  for yourself to edit convert and do whatever you  

want with your PDF files if you enjoyed this video  don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe  

to my channel for more language learning tips  and resources and I'll see you in my next video