If You’re an Adult and Still Struggling with English, Read This!
by Keisha Centa Putri If you’re an adult and feel stressed about the difficulty of learning new things, including English, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Learning new things often feels harder as an adult compared to when we were children, due to various factors in our daily lives, such as our environment, mindset, and the responsibilities we carry. This can be better understood through the following key reasons. Reduced Immersion One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is a decline in exposure compared to when we were children. As children, we were constantly surrounded by new topics, such as language, through play, school, and everyday conversations. In fact, we were likely exposed to new things for nearly a dozen hours a day from everyone we encountered during our childhood, whereas adults generally encounter new things only at certain times. So, start incorporating the language directly into your daily activities. For example, change the language settings on your phone to the language you’re learning, listen to songs, start speaking, or read articles in the language you’re learning. Perfectionism and Self-Correction As we grow up, our personalities and ways of thinking also change. One common trait people often exhibit is perfectionism and excessive self-criticism. Adults tend to fear making mistakes and feel they must be right first due to environmental factors and the need to adapt, which slows down the process. Additionally, limited time and potentially insufficient practice can hinder language learning progress. So, don’t focus too much on perfection; instead, focus on practicing consistently by speaking a little each day with others or writing sentences as you recount your day. Mental Fatigue Mental fatigue also plays a role, as a busy daily schedule can reduce our ability to concentrate, absorb new information, and understand vocabulary effectively. When our minds are too tired, the learning process feels more difficult and less effective. Additionally, as adults, we also begin to shoulder more responsibilities, such as family matters, finances, interpersonal relationships, work, and so on, which increasingly divide our attention and energy every day. So, study in short but consistent and focused sessions whenever you have time, and take enough breaks to let your mind rest so you can absorb the information effectively. Progress in adulthood is entirely possible and easy to achieve if we start changing our learning methods and mindset. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on consistency, do small exercises every day, and get into the habit of using English in real-life situations. Keep taking small steps, be brave enough to try, and allow yourself to make mistakes as part of the learning process—and reflect on them. This way, you’ll gradually improve until English feels more natural in your daily life. Source:
How English Became the World’s Default Language
Have you ever wondered why English is the international language? Why not Indonesian, German, or Korean? It turns out there are reasons behind it.