A Question of Talent
“Languages come easy for you.”
“I’m not good at picking up foreign languages.”
The question of talent or ap- titude inevitably crops up in discussions regarding foreign language acquisition. I speak
Italian and German and am often asked
how I went about learning these lan-
guages. But even before I can answer, the
individual posing the question usually
quickly follows with one or both of the
above statements, uttered in a confident,
matter-of-fact manner. Wondering how
and when such a conclusion has been
reached, I respond with, “And how do
you know that?” Is there an easy, clear-
cut division between those who have and
those who don’t have an aptitude for other
languages? And on what would that abil-
ity be based?
Interestingly, those who have put
themselves in the “untalented with for-
eign languages” category or who, for
some reason, feel that’s where they be-
long don’t usually have any difficulty
expressing themselves in their native
tongue. In that regard, their language
acquisition skills seem to be on par with
those in the so-called “talented” camp,
because learning a language doesn’t call
for any special skills. Being human is the
only basic requirement.
A widespread view as to how language
is acquired considers just this—that the
human mind is already programmed
with the capacity to assimilate and mas-
ter such expression. Some academics
favor the theory that the various linguis-
tic functions are already compartmen-
talized in the brain, while others view
the mind more as a tool endowed with
the capacity to master language. (See
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Foreign Language:
Talent versus
Perspiration
by Karen Haid
Learning a language doesn’t call for
any special skills. Being human is
the only basic requirement.
