fear of mistakes

Most students think their biggest problem is grammar. Some think it is vocabulary. Others believe they simply need more practice. After more than twenty years of teaching languages, I have become increasingly convinced that the real problem is often somewhere else. Many students do not struggle with language. They struggle with fear. Recently, I worked […]

It’s often said that children learn languages more easily than adults. This explanation sounds convenient.And it’s mostly wrong. Age is not the main obstacle.Experience is. Adults Don’t Fear Language — They Fear Exposure Children make mistakes freely.They don’t protect an image.They don’t defend competence. Adults do. An adult doesn’t just speak —they represent themselves. Every […]