How to Reassure Students Who Think They're Bad at Languages
Many learners think they need talent to be good at a language. However, contrary to popular belief, talent isn't key to fluency at all! So next time a student tells you they're not "good at languages," here are three things you can say to reassure them.
1. A language is a skill, not a talent.
First, we can remind students that languages are just a skill. We can do this by comparing languages to something the student is already good at. For example:
Being fluent in a language is like being able to cook. You might need talent to become a famous chef, but anyone can learn how to make simple meals without burning down their house!
Similarly, everyone has the ability to speak a foreign language. If your student wants to speak like their favorite British actor, they might need some talent, but anybody can become fluent enough to have conversations, travel around the world, and do business.
So let's help students realize that languages are a skill, just like using a computer, cooking, driving, etc. Talent helps, but isn't necessary.
2. Science says you don’t need talent.
Researchers who study language learning have found that key factors in learning a language are:
- input (how much exposure to the language a learner gets and whether the language they're exposed to is authentic and at the right level)
- output (whether the learner has chances to speak or write in the language and whether they reflect on their output and make improvements)
- interaction (whether the learner has chances to interact with English speakers in real-time)
- feedback (whether the learner gets feedback on their output)
Depending on how specific we want to be, we can also include things like "noticing" (i.e. paying attention to patterns in the language). But "talent" is never on the list. In other words – with or without talent – everyone needs the same key ingredients to successfully learn a language.
3. But you’re good at grammar!
There are so many aspects to learning a language: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics just to list a few. Your student can't possibly be bad at all of them!
So when a student complains that they don't have a talent for languages, we can counter with, "But you're good at X!" (X being an aspect of language that they are decent at).
If we're working with beginners – who may not have clear strengths and weaknesses yet – we can compliment more general things like their study habits. For example:
- They are persistent and take lessons every day.
- They are not afraid of making mistakes.
- They ask good questions.
Whatever it is, there's got to be something the student is doing right. We just have to remind them to focus on their strengths instead of getting overwhelmed by their weaknesses.
👋 That’s It For Now!
We hope this gives you some ideas for what to say to students who think they need talent to become good at English. Happy tutoring!
