Language acquisition is also a sensorial experience. Without our senses it would be impossible to acquire a language. The process is clearly described in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (1818).
Those are the words of the Creature when he hears people speaking and he doesn’t’ know the language: «I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it. But I was baffled in every attempt I made for this purpose. Their pronunciation was quick, and the words they uttered, not having any apparent connection with visible objects, I was unable to discover any clue by which I could unravel the mystery of their reference. By great application, however […] I discovered the names that were given to some of the most familiar objects of discourse; I learned and applied the words».
The Creature also highlights two essential requirements in language acquisition: a strong motivation and perseverance. Motivation is linked to your “why” and perseverance to your discipline.
Here are a few tips:
1. When you are exposed to a language quieten your mind and BE AWARE of your senses.
2. FOCUS on what you see and hear, observe people and situations. Observe facial expressions and gestures. Listen carefully to the intonation.
3. Recognise YOUR EMOTIONS when exposed to a language.
4. Practice by repeating vocabulary and sentences also IMITATING gestures and facial expressions and by EXPRESSING THE EMOTIONS connected to the words.
