How to Learn a New Language?
Many people don't know if they should try to learn a new language on their own or with a language teacher. This text will help you take your decision.
I believe that there are numerous scientific papers on this topic. This topic deals with first language acquisition vs second/foreign language acquisition theories. My personal and professional experience has taught me that there isn’t a strict rule. Some linguists are better at learning a new language on their own. Some linguists need a teacher to learn a new language. Some non-linguists learn a foreign language functionally. Some non-linguists do not know how to learn on their own.
My impression is that it is more about individual characteristics, like when we talk about psychotherapy. Some people need a therapist or a counsellor. Some people do not need a therapist or a counsellor. Each individual, however, should likely try different ways and techniques to figure out which style is the most suitable for them to achieve their goals.
The Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language is a South Slavic language. It is a local language and is not as frequent as English worldwide. We learn English during our lifetime. It is part of popular culture and technology. We often know English better than we think. That is why the way of learning, improving and teaching English is different from how we learn, for instance, Croatian or Hebrew. Teachers know it, especially those who teach both English and their first language.
In the end, give it a try. We can try to study alone, and then with someone else. We can learn with someone and then on our own. My methodology aims to enable language learners to learn a foreign language independently. In the end, it’s up to you. After a while, you will know what is good for you. Teachers can help. Teachers can explain. Teachers can motivate or ‘discipline’ their learners. However, at the end of the day, the learner is the only one who is supposed to adopt a new language.
NOTICE: This text is not peer-reviewed. It aims to inspire and motivate language learners of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian to think about possible cultural patterns when learning this/these language(s).