it still comes down to the three keys that I referr to so often.

Hi there, Steve Kaufmann here.

Today I want to talk about the role of talent in language learning.

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So if any of you out there have learned even one or more languages

to a fairly decent level, you have undoubtedly had people tell you,

you have a talent for languages.

And the people who say this to you are typically people who

don't speak other languages.

Someone who already speaks two or three languages is unlikely to say

that because they know that learning another language takes a lot of effort.

So the typical person who says you have a talent for language either hasn't put

a lot of effort into learning a language, or is stuck with a method of language

acquisition which isn't very efficient.

They go to the library language, Spanish class, three times a week or something.

Uh, people who are successful at language learning they typically

will do a lot of listening and reading and put a lot of effort.

Uh, I mean, very few people will do what I do, which is to get up every morning

and listen to whatever language I'm learning and listen an hour a day while

working out, while cleaning up, uh, and do a lot of reading and put in an hour

or two every day into language learning.

Few people do that.

Uh, so typically people who say you just have a talent for language, uh,

are kind of trying to justify the fact that they haven't been willing to

put that degree of effort or to look for more efficient ways of learning.

But is there a talent for language learning?

I think it's possible that there are varying degrees of ability

to learn another language and a number of things influence that.

First of all, the more languages you know, the better you

become at learning languages.

Your brain is more flexible.

You are more open to new sounds, new structures.

You don't resist the new language.

Uh, you're more confident that you can do it.

You have some ideas of, of methods that, for language learning,

that work at least for you.

So you're a better language learner.

So, so that's obviously going to influence, but that's not

so much talent as, as ability.

It's not sort of an inherent talent for language learning.

Uh, another thing that influences our ability to learn is the degree to

which we're exposed to the language.

So if you go to Sweden where kids television is in English and

listen to English language, uh, you know, pop music and so forth.

They have so much exposure to English before they start that in Sweden

just about everybody speaks English.

So is it that the English...

that the Swedes have some gene for language learning?

I don't think.

And it's similar in other places where people are exposed to a lot of languages

like in Singapore or apparently in Ethiopia, although I've never been there.

So the amount of exposure you get influences your ability to

learn a language, but that's not necessarily the same as talent.

Uh, I think ultimately the ability to learn a language, it still comes down to

the three keys that I referr to so often.

The attitude of the learner, time spent with the language

and the ability to notice.

And I'll leave a link to a video that I just did on the subject of

noticing and language acquisition.

But obviously attitude.

As I said, someone who's learned a few languages has a positive attitude.

They think language learning is worthwhile doing, worthwhile

spending a lot of time at.

They're confident that they will achieve success.

Typically they like the language they're learning.

So these attitude factors are much more important than any

potential differences in talent.

Uh, the same with time, you can't learn languages without putting in the time.

Some people are willing, more willing to put in time than others.

Uh, noticing is something that comes with a good attitude and putting in the time.

So, you know, my point really is it's a bit like the discussion

can older people learn languages?

Like here I am 75, uh, is a 20 year old a better language than I am?

No, it doesn't really matter.

It doesn't really matter.

We can all learn.

Even if we assume that some people are more talented or that a 20 year

old is better than a 75 year old, it doesn't mean that a potentially

less talented person can't learn.

Theoretically less talented person has a good attitude, is interested

in the language, likes the language, believes that learning the language

is worthwhile doing, believes they're going to get there, believes

in the method they're using.

Uh, and if that person puts in the time and then develops, you know, is really

keen on noticing what's happening in the language, that person will learn.

And if that person is slightly less talented, talented than someone

else, maybe not as good at imitating the sounds or, or at remembering

vocabulary, that person will still learn.

Uh, so to tell someone who has learned three or four languages, oh,

you're just talented in languages.

Um, that's a cop-out.

That very person who was saying, oh, you're just talented, like I'm not.

You are.

If they were to have a positive attitude, put in the time, be, be motivated

to notice what's happening in that language to accept that language rather

than resist, that person will learn.

And if you take 10 people, some will learn better than others.

Some will pronounce better than others.

Some will, uh, speak better than others, but those differences are relatively small

compared to the differences that come from the sort of differences in attitude,

differences in time spent, differences in methods used for language learning.

So therefore I would disagree.

Talent as an important consideration in language learning.

Uh, it's something that even if there are differences, we

can't control those differences.

But what we can control is our attitude, the time we spend and to some extent

flowing from that, our ability to notice what's happening in the new

language and therefore to acquire that language or several more languages.

So there you have it, that's my take on, on talent and language learning.

And I suggest you have a look at the video I did on noticing, and

I'm look forward to your comments.

Thank you, bye for now.