However, when it comes to equally ambitious endeavors like tackling a foreign language, we tend to disregard all of that. In our minds, we switch back to a school mindset. Think back to the days when you were learning any subject at school. You did not have “coaches” for your science classes, your math classes, or for that foreign language class. There was no one working to complement the official teachers of those classes, was there? Surely, that would have meant putting the teacher’s authority and competence into question. And, if we did have additional lessons at home by a private teacher, it was not so much because our “official” teacher did not instruct us well enough or didn’t apply the right methods, but because it was our fault -- we were “slow learners”, had “learning disabilities” or attention deficits and/or hyperactivity.
When we take language classes, we typically take for granted that our language teacher should be giving us everything necessary for learning the respective language. If not, there would be something wrong with him as a teacher. So, why don’t sports coaches object to the presence of nutritionists and sports psychologists? Because they deeply understand the value of the division of labor and the advantage of specialization. Leaving certain issues to specialists in medicine, nutrition and psychology, they can focus on what they are best in.
What are the areas where psychology helps in language learning?
· The study of memory (encoding, storage and retrieval of words, phrases and rules)
· Motivation (how we choose suitable learning habits and maintain them through setbacks and over obstacles)
· How we master our negative self-talk and self-handicapping behavior.
In the following texts, we will present practical insights from the above areas and much more.
Stay tuned!
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