In my middle school classes, the students are extremely self-conscious about speaking a new language. Even when they are proficient in reading, writing and listening for understanding, they are reluctant to speak.

Thank you Kathleen M O'Mara for your reply. This makes sense. I have noticed this among students who learn English as a second language. They write essays but they are reluctant to speak though the same topic is given. Would you mind share your ideas in overcoming this challenge? In Sri Lankan context we go from simple to complex speaking activities that students find interesting and fun.

The issues partly depend upon the purpose of learning. If you are learning a foreign language for traveling and fun, there is not much pressure and most people are willing to speak without hesitation. With many translation apps becoming available, this process is easy. When you make a mistake, it is not a big deal and it is kind of fun. However, when you start learning a foreign language for a purpose to get a job or pass a course, students become hesitant. They are afraid to speak. When it matters, students are reluctant to speak but when it doesn't matter, they are willing to speak.

Thank you for your contribution Mariappan Jawaharlal . It is true that stress free mind and environment enable learning without hesitation. I think it is important to make this environment even among the students who learn languages for serious purposes.

Thank you for your question. Learning language needs practice, particularly by talking to native people. This will help to understand how to use the language, form a sentence, enhance listening skills, and the ability to pronounce words correctly.

Thank you Samy Azer . This is very true. Unfortunately, many learners who learn a second language may not have exposure to native speakers except adult learners. I truly agree with you. This helps a lot to acquire a language which would work than a systematic learning.

Dear Lasni Buddhibhashika Jayasooriya

The environment in which a person lives, do you speak the new language or not?

One of the difficulties I faced was learning the language and those around me who spoke my mother tongue

That is why I cannot learn easily.

Every culture has its own expressions that include tone of voice.

Thank you Hassan Kamil Risen . I do agree with you. Environment matters a lot.

This also make sense about 'practice'. A leaner should get ample opportunities to practice the language they learn.

Thank you Robin Elise Ruiz . That makes sense. There are instances where you may find it difficult to understand a foreigner who speaks a language you know just because of this reason as well as accent.

It seems very long ago to remember the "issues". I do recall what helped me to learn the language though.

- Reading books (loads of books)

- talking about things anything for fun of making a recording, making conversation, helped me to practice fluency and really internalise idiom and vocab

- listen to and speaking about lyrics of music

- watching TV in the foreign language with subtitles of that language.

Grammar lessons never helped me to learn language! (so here's the issue: most of my languages classes were grammar! ;-) wasted a lot of my time then. In retrospect now (40 years later) It helps to understand syntax and see where and why certain phrases are not correct and lead to misunderstanding. It didn't help me to learn the language though.

Thank you Frans Kranenburg for your contribution. It is really great to know your tips of leaning. You seem really correct because I have seen students learning English as a second language for more than 13 years but still unable to speak few words fluently. Here is the issue. School text books are full of grammar lessons.

Patience is the issue that got learned through acquiring my foreign language as you know that after the critical period passed,it would extrenely difficult to get languages easily though we try to be native like talkers.

What are the main issues you may have come across in learning a second language?

Thank you for the question. I was a victim myself because all my formal education was done in a second language. When I first went to school, everything was done in the school language, and many times I got wrong answers to questions that I am asked. Not everything that was said to me was meaningful and many times I had to guess what people meant, For example, it was all right when the language spoken refered to concrete objects and/or actions but not at all easy for the abstract. Anyway, by year 4, I had gradually learned enough of the school language and was able to do better at school in the second language.

My bigger list of issues include:

- Reading and Writing as the later stages to listening and speaking in the second language

- Language environment

- Differences in Language cultures

- Language Programmes

- Language teaching methods and approaches

- Teacher professionalism

- Curriculum

- Resources (Teaching and learning materials)

- Parent and community support

Grammer issue and practicing , any language require practice in order to adopt it in right way

In my case, laziness and lack of application.

Lasni Buddhibhashika Jayasooriya- Thank you for your comments. I think there is no rule. I came across families were one of the parents was Australian, and the other was Japanese, a child here was able to learn more than one language quickly, and I could say both languages were considered mother tongue. 

Also, several young families start their life studying as postgraduate students in Canada, the USA, or the UK, and their children were born abroad, and because the parents spent 10-12 years abroad, the child was competent in two or three languages. 

Thank you Samy Azer

There’s got to be a reason, be it intrinsic or not for learning a second language. For example, I have had to learn a second language in order to be educated in a formal setting. However, one can also learn a second or several other languages the natural way like the way we all learn our mother tongues. As long as we are immersed in that language or in an environment where everything spoken of and about is in that language, we are able to pick it up. For example, we learn the names of things from other people around us and when they use language, actions happen to make language meaningful. This is language acquisition. Whatever context people live in, depending on how long they live there, there is a possibility that they will speak some, if not much of that language. When this happens, we do not need anyone to teach us the sounds and grammar of that language.

I do agree with you Eman Riyadh Adeeb . It is very true that the patience is important as acquiring skills of a language will not happen over night. In Sri Lanka, once there was a trend saying " speak English in your own way' to make people understand imitating native speakers is not necessary to learn and use English. I think this idea makes it easier to learn English.

Thank you Neil Dagnall and Ali Al-obaidi for your answers. I agree that practice is critically important to learn a language and laziness and be a barrier for practicing.

Thank you for your contribution Gladys Patrick . It is true that many things matter when it comes to learning a language. Depending on the individual situation, impact of one or more factors can be considerable than others.

Thank you Samy Azer for your contribution. This is very true. Environment helps a lot for language acquisition even in absence of formal education.

You are extremely right dear Lasni,please accept my amiable regards.

That is true. Gladys Patrick. I agree with the further details you brought in your response. Thank you.

I think the challenges of acquiring a second language are miscellaneous. These may include: linguistic challenges such as the differences between the mother tongue and the target language; psychological challenges such as learners' negative attitudes towards second language; and cultural challenges which are related to how native speakers communicate using language in different ways expressing culture etc.

I resume nearly everything with just one concept: flow or 'state of flow'.

State of flow is something used in videogames theory, refering to the experience of facing challenges and keeping motivation. If our skills are too low and the challenge is too high, we experience frustration; if our skills are high and the challenge is too easy, we experience boredom.

I usually learn through Duolingo for example to learn basic phrases and words. This helps me to be confident on the long term, while increasing my vocabulary of phrases and words. I think that their platform solves some issues related to the learning of another language:

- Time availability

- Increasing challenges

- Gamification (through challenges with other participants and friends).

However, there are other things that are difficult to learn just through a website: tone and correct speech, drawing characters (in the case of Japanese and Chinese) requires more a personal practice sometimes.

Lasni Buddhibhashika Jayasooriya and Samy Azer, thank you for your responses.

Hi Lasni,

The main problem that I had when I was learning a foreign language was to practice speaking and listening because not many persons around me spoke the languages and it was so expensive to travel. Today, with technology things are easier because you can use apps such as Duolingo for practice. It is also easy to speak to a native speaker. Now, it is more the discipline that you need more than the resources that are available.

Marguerita

Thank you Özgür Önday for you contribution. It is true that there are variety of factors that affect learning a second language.

Thank you Gerardo Castañeda for you contribution. It is very true that Dualingo seems to be a very helpful tool. I too use Dualingo to learn French and Japanese. Nevertheless, I believe people need to do some self studies along with Dualingo to be more successful. Also, practice in real life is crucial from whatever the place you learn I suppose.

I do agree with you Marguerita Dougkas Hall. Thank you for your contribution. Practice is crucially important. As you said, nowadays there are more than enough opportunities to practice your language in authentic situations.

If you don´t practice that your learn eventually you will forget it, and that it´s the prime issue over learning another languaje. The second milestone it´s about symbol recognition and the correlation between my own language structure and the foreing language structure. (Even now i´m trying my best to make my self clear enought). Third, you must overcome the fear to socialize and just not only talk about trees, it´s about make a bond with someone that improve your skills.

In other words, a friendship far far away, could resolve so many learning problems and that is an unexplore way (at least in Colombia). Finally, you need a common ground and could be a Onine Game, a Tv Show like Star Trek, a Research like this. :D

The main issue I have in learning another language is when I visit a country that speaks that language (Spanish and French), the people don't let me struggle. They get to practice English with me, which is kind. Howeever, I'm always happy when someone doesn't speak any English and I have to use their language.

Thank you Miguel Martinez for sharing your ideas relating to your own experience. It is very true that you need a real life context to practice English you learn.

Very true Kathleen M O'Mara . I have faced the same problem when I try to use little Japanese I know. Nevertheless, I think learners of English may not face this problem when they are overseas. But yes, when they are in their own countries they are forced to speak their first languages to a certain extent.

Learning a second language at an advanced age is not as easy as when kids learn.