{"id":6771,"date":"2019-09-06T14:30:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T14:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.utalk.com\/news\/?p=6771"},"modified":"2022-07-06T14:51:04","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T13:51:04","slug":"language-learning-myths-1-a-talent-for-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/language-learning-myths-1-a-talent-for-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"Language Learning Myths #1: A Talent For Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In this blog series, we\u2019re going to explore common myths people have about learning a new language so that we can encourage you to give it a try. Today\u2019s post explores the idea of a \u2018language-learning gene\u2019\u2014do some people really just have a talent for languages?<\/em>
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Making assumptions is never ideal. However, we\u2019re going to make one, right now, about you.
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That is, if you\u2019re reading our blog or you\u2019ve heard of our app, then we\u2019re going to assume that, at one time or another, you\u2019ve been interested in learning languages.
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But you may not have started yet.
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Don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not alone! There are so many people who want<\/em> to learn a language but haven\u2019t begun\u2014and there are also so many reasons why that\u2019s the case. Most of these reasons, though?
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They\u2019re myths.
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Yup, that\u2019s right, language learning can be difficult and time-consuming and uncomfortable at times, which leads to people thinking up all kinds of different reasons why they just can\u2019t do it.
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Language learning is often, however, also fun and exciting and freeing, so in this post, we\u2019re going to bust the first of many myths that might be scaring you about language learning:
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The myth of the language-learning gene!<\/strong>
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Okay, so this myth comes from a place that kind of<\/em> makes sense, especially in the UK, where the number of students taking language qualifications has dropped dramatically since the year 2000<\/strong><\/a>. There are definitely a number of different factors as to why this has happened, but one very likely one is the fact that, when you learn a language at school, you are in a group of people that have a varying interest in the language and also very different academic attainment levels.
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Basically, some people don\u2019t learn languages well at school, but others seem to soar through them, which can lead to a lack of confidence when it comes to this skill.
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The thing is, it\u2019s not so much that one person learns a language instinctively better than another; it\u2019s more that one person learns better in a classroom environment. 
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There are heaps of language learners who finished school without knowing a bit of English<\/strong><\/a> or French<\/strong><\/a> or Irish<\/strong><\/a>, but have then gone on to teach themselves (in whatever form that takes) multiple other languages.
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Now, no one\u2019s saying you have to go that far. Maybe you\u2019ve had your eye on Spanish<\/strong><\/a> to maximise a sunny trip to Seville, or Cantonese<\/strong><\/a> to show off on a business trip to Hong Kong. The point is, simply, that you can <\/em>learn that language, promise!
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If you\u2019re still in doubt, think about it this way: you\u2019ve already done the hardest part.
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When you were a baby, you couldn\u2019t speak at all, right? For a while, you couldn\u2019t even understand anything. In the years since, you\u2019ve mastered all that, to the point where you\u2019re reading this blog post right now.
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So, if you\u2019ve done it once, why can\u2019t you do it again?
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Plus, it\u2019ll be even easier this time\u2014you\u2019ve got one language there already. That language will work as your frame of reference; you tie grammar and vocabulary and concepts from your new language onto it and, by forming connections this way, you\u2019ll find you really can learn another language after all! 
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But where should you start?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you found that sitting in a classroom and learning a language from a textbook wasn\u2019t for you, then it\u2019s obviously best to start learning your new language some other way. Fortunately, there are hundreds of ways out there to do that, with more and more methods and strategies and tips popping up every day.
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If you have a smartphone or tablet, then using our uTalk app<\/strong><\/a> is a great idea to kickstart your journey. With 150+ languages, we offer around 2,500 words and phrases across more than sixty different topics, so you\u2019ll learn enough information that you\u2019ll be able to get around and communicate with people, but not so much that you\u2019ll be overwhelmed.
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Our app is also flexible\u2014you can learn what you\u2019d like, when you\u2019d like. As opposed to most beginner\u2019s courses, which handhold you through topics like greetings, then introducing yourself, then talking about your family, with uTalk you could start with some basic words, then skip to skiing (if you\u2019re planning a fun winter trip to Switzerland<\/strong><\/a>) or directions (if you\u2019re going to take a road trip through Europe<\/strong><\/a>) or even business (if you\u2019re going on a business trip to Dubai<\/strong><\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are you waiting for? Download our app<\/strong><\/a> and get started with our free words (including hello, goodbye, please <\/em>and thank you<\/em>) today. If nothing else, it\u2019ll leave you with a lot more confidence about your ability to learn your first foreign language!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this blog series, we\u2019re going to explore common myths people have about learning a new language so that we can encourage you to give it a try. Today\u2019s post explores the idea of a \u2018language-learning gene\u2019\u2014do some people really just have a talent for languages? Making assumptions is never ideal. However, we\u2019re going to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,1695],"tags":[1699,1697,1698,2,333,1696,162,565],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6771"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8859,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6771\/revisions\/8859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/utalk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}