学进去

Never too old to learn

活到老学到老

Very few of us become smooth in another language by studying it in high school.

I went to university and then moved across the country, had a hard job, married and raised children. I made an effort to keep the little bit of French that I learned in school, but finally realized that this was pointless. I fully realized that new languages are best learned when young, and that our abilities in that regard go down with age.

However, just before my 50th birthday, I signed up for French classes. After I was tested to see which group I belonged in, I was placed at almost the starting level. When I looked around at my first Saturday morning class, I was struck by how many of the students were learning French as a third, fourth, or even fifth language. I used to think it was impossible to learn a new language, but some people can learn them easily. I discovered that some language skills weaken as we get older.

While I’d always thought of myself as a quick learner, that was no longer the case. I learned new words very slowly. What I learned one week seemed to slip away as soon as I learned the next skill. I looked up the same words and language structures over and over again.

Now, a couple of years in, I can listen to the news in French and catch 90 percent of it on the first try, read a novel if the language is not too difficult, and hold up my end of a conversation if it doesn’t go too fast.

I can still achieve many things, who knows what?

I’ve learned so much beyond grammar and vocabulary. I’ve met people from around the world and all walks of life who have the courage to make fools of themselves in order to learn something new. I’ve been taught by patient teachers from many corners of the world, including France, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Africa.

Listening to the news as it is presented to the people of France, I have a new understanding of how something can look completely different from another view. I’ve learned that a language is not just a set of words, but a way of thinking.

But most of all, I’ve learned that it really is never too late to learn something new.

1．When did the writer first realize that new languages are best learned when young?

A．In high school.

B．In university.

C．After moving across the country.

D．After having children.

2．What surprised the writer about the other students in their French class?

A．They were all beginners.

B．They were all older than the writer.

C．They were all learning French as a second language.

D．They were all learning French as a third, fourth, or fifth language.

3．How did the writer used to feel about learning a new language?

A．It was easy for everyone.	B．It was impossible for everyone.
C．It was easy for some people.	D．It was impossible for the writer.

4．What did the writer find difficult about learning a new language?

A．Remembering new words.	B．Understanding grammar.
C．Speaking with native speakers.	D．Reading scientific novels.

5．Why did the writer believe it’s better to learn a language at a young age?

A．It is easier for young people to memorize new vocabulary.

B．Old people are less patient with themselves to learn new things.

C．Our abilities to learn a language go down with age.

D．Young people are more motivated to learn new languages.