You don't need talent to learn a language

(I recorded a video in Polish about the same topic. It's one of my favorite videos of all time! Especially the ending. ;-))

Wow, that's talent! Or is it? Photo by Chrissy Wainwright.

Many people believe that you're either born with a talent for learning languages or you're not.

What's more, most people believe they lack this talent only because they were unsuccessful at learning a language in school. They may believe they are already hopeless - so, why even try?

Luckily, this is completely untrue! You don't need innate talent to learn a language!

Read more to find out why.

Humans learn languages

Humans are designed to learn languages. It is one of our basic functions.

Only a handful of people have been documented as never learning a single language (ex. Genie or Victor of Aveyron) - and those are all extreme cases in which the person grew up without normal human contact.

If you are reading this, you have already learned at least one language and you can do it again. :-)

I have no talent for languages...

... but I've been pretty successful at learning Polish!

I've met two or three people who are truly gifted at learning languages - and I know I'm not one of them.

First of all, some people can learn languages without trying very hard. I have devoted a lot of time to learning Polish over the last four years. In 2008, I spent at least two hours a day on Polish for the entire year. If you do anything for two hours a day, you will get good at it.

This isn't talent, it's hard work!

Of course, not everyone has two hours a day for language learning. But even if you spend only 20 minutes a day, you will eventually learn the language!

Second of all, I spent six years studying Spanish in school and didn't learn anything! Later, when I spent four years studying Russian at university, I got to an intermediate level, but didn't achieve great success.

If I really had a talent for language learning, wouldn't I have learned Spanish and Russian easily?

Anyone can learn any language!

Last week, I wrote about how learning a language is more like athletic training than learning a traditional school subject, like mathematics.

Barring physical disability, no one can say, "I just don't have a talent for running." The ability to run isn't a question of talent -- it's a basic function of being human: everyone can do it.

If you want to get better at it, you have to train regularly. Reading articles about running won't make you a better runner -- you just have to do it.

Over time, you can run faster and longer distances. You don't have to learn the physics of the human body to improve -- it just happens automatically through training.

Obviously, language learning and running aren't exactly the same. But all the things I just said about running can be applied to language learning as well.

If not talent, then what?

I believe the three ingredients to successful language learning are: time, motivation and an effective method.

It is these three things that make the difference between a successful language learner and an unsuccessful one. I will write more about this next week! Stay tuned!