Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

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Gollum
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Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Gollum » Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:38 pm

Hi,

I would like to improve my English, German and Italian, but I don't like meeting new people nor talking to strangers.
Since I don't have much spare time to study languages, all I do is watch TV (news, documentaries) in these languages.

Do you think it is impossible to broaden your vocabulary and improve your grammar and pronunciation if you don't chat with native speakers?
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby golyplot » Sun Nov 20, 2022 11:20 pm

I think you can study vocabulary very easily on your own. It's only speaking that's hard to learn by yourself.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Sae » Mon Nov 21, 2022 12:29 am

I think it's possible. There may be challenges when it comes to speaking, but you can record yourself and compare it to native speech and practice conversations with yourself. Or heck, make recordings and see if people will give you feedback. I think iTalki's community lets you post recordings and you don't have to be using their tutor program or anything like that and if there's people here speaking your target language here, I imagine people could give feedback too.

I am a socially anxious sort, so the idea of finding people to speak to was a very daunting idea. However, I am glad that I did overcome that hurdle and do it, because the rest isn't so bad after that. But I guess a question of how introversion affects you.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Le Baron » Mon Nov 21, 2022 2:22 am

Gollum wrote:Do you think it is impossible to broaden your vocabulary and improve your grammar and pronunciation if you don't chat with native speakers?


No, but it's not exactly the same as picking up vocabulary by having words spoken to you and using them.
No, except for repetition and correction in practice.
Yes, in some ways.

You can pretty much gather as much vocabulary as you can encounter and learn. It depends which vocabulary registers you are aiming for. Documentaries and news sometimes have people talking the way they would talk without a camera on them, but not always, especially news. Speakers use a more extensive vocabulary on TV and certainly in books. Film is sometimes better because they script ordinary language. This is favourable in a way, but in some ways not, because the manner in which people really talk to each other is masked under media-speak. However, it's not even an problem these days to seek out more natural speech in media. Documentaries where people forget about the camera and start to speak normally are great.

Grammar, you can study it and it is also supported by use. I don't think this is a great obstacle.

Pronunciation is mainly developed in use. I know there are all these preparations and people studying sound systems and using the IPA and plotting the position of their tongues...all that, but you get better with use, falling into a groove and mimicking speakers. Never underestimate the value of interacting with speakers to pick up little quirks of speech and pronunciation. It's all down to being able to probe and ask for clarifications. Second best is perhaps reading aloud, shadowing etc.

However, you're introverted. I am introverted, but have had to force myself to do certain things. All the things we want most tend to be things people don't bring to your door on a silver platter. It's necessary to be uncomfortable for a bit and sometimes it becomes the new ordinary where you end up comfortable enough.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby sherbert » Mon Nov 21, 2022 4:40 am

Yes it is much more difficult if you are an introvert. Especially if you want to acquire B2 or higher comprehension of the colloquial language. Even most traditional language learning programs emphasize that they are only teaching the target language as spoken by educated native speakers in capital cities. This is sufficient for most learners. Unless they are planning to live a long time in the TL country, they are unlikely to ever have to barter with turnip farmers out in the provinces.

Think about going on a long camping trip/adventure with a group of talkative native speakers. The broad array range of visual distractions and experiential learning--funny songs, dirty jokes, ghost stories, etc., all without subtitles, would be very painstaking for an introvert to replicate in an academic setting, even with all the internet options available.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Saim » Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:11 am

Introverts still talk to people, join social activities and make friends, so I don't see why you as an introvert can't get speaking practice.

I lean more towards being an extravert, and I like speaking my languages, but it's only part of my overall learning strategy. Input and explicit vocabulary memorisation are a bigger part of it. I also find it hard to make time for 1-1 language classes simply because talking in a language you're not good at can be tiring and scheduling in and of itself can be tiring (especially if you have other pursuits), even though I generally don't lose energy from socialising.

Also, there are other ways to practice output, including writing and translation exercises. It's probably true that there are things that only interaction can give you, but as long as you're spending lots of time on other activities it shouldn't matter fundamentally that you're not speaking constantly. You could do, say, two tutoring sessions a month alongside vocabulary study, input and either writing or translation; with that kind of study regimen you'll still make leaps and bounds.

If you're genuinely anti-social, then that might be a problem, but that's something you need to resolve regardless of its effect on language learning for the sake of your overall mental health. I can't really say because you haven't given us many details about your life, but maybe that's something to examine as well.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Spaceman » Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:58 pm

I would consider myself somewhat introverted. I think it definitely does make parts of language learning more difficult -- it's hard to practice thing you have no interest in practicing -- but those parts are also less important to me, because I'm an introvert. So I get less good at things like talking, but I then I also care less about talking.

I'm never going to be conducting my social life in Spanish, or anything else that isn't English. Not that I have no interest in speaking, but I am definitely fine with it lagging behind my other skills. And likely it helps my other skills, I'm perfectly happy reading and listening, in a way that am extroverted person may not be. They'll spend more time talking, and working on skills that are more useful to them.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby garyb » Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:02 pm

I consider myself more on the introverted side, yet my main reason for learning languages has always been that I want to speak them with people. That in itself isn't paradoxical, since introverts can very much enjoy and be good at speaking with people, but it does mean I have less energy for it. I used to subscribe to the "get good at speaking by speaking as much as possible" method, and it certainly speeded up my learning and kept my motivation high... except for the frequent burnouts and the general stress. I think there's a lot to be said for finding a balance of getting out of your comfort zone but also being true to yourself and acknowledging your needs.

I'd pretty much agree that language learning is harder for introverts, even though the specific examples of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation can mostly be worked on without having to converse. On the other hand, introverts are likely to have more patience and focus for formal study, which goes some of the way to compensate for it and can give them an advantage in the long run.

In my anecdotal experience from language meetups and social life, I see a lot of extroverts learn quickly, especially in immersion situations, but then get stuck at a plateau of speaking fluently but not very correctly because (by their own admission) they find it difficult to do the studying needed to speak more correctly and they don't have much motivation for it when they can already communicate well enough. But maybe I'm being a bit speculative by inferring cause and saying it's because they're extroverts.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby Le Baron » Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:42 pm

garyb wrote:In my anecdotal experience from language meetups and social life, I see a lot of extroverts learn quickly, especially in immersion situations, but then get stuck at a plateau of speaking fluently but not very correctly because (by their own admission) they find it difficult to do the studying needed to speak more correctly and they don't have much motivation for it when they can already communicate well enough.

I'd second that testimony. I've met a lot of these people. I met a Welsh lad and he was one of the people you describe. His pronunciation was good, but he was making the most of little and fairly unwilling to do any study. And since he'd become functional through 90% immersion - which tends to excite people as a feat of magic - he was showered with praise and thus considered himself to have arrived. He once remarked that I had an noticeable accent (I probably did then), whilst completely unable to hear that his own Dutch had a strong Welsh accent! He also confused words and phrases, such as 'Weet ik veel' for 'weet ik niet'. The first one can be rude and a bit insulting as a reply.
He returned to Wales eventually and his Dutch faded away, which suggests it was rather superficially embedded.
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Re: Is language learning more difficult when you're an introvert?

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Tue Nov 22, 2022 4:42 pm

Gollum wrote:Hi,

I would like to improve my English, German and Italian, but I don't like meeting new people nor talking to strangers.
Since I don't have much spare time to study languages, all I do is watch TV (news, documentaries) in these languages.

Do you think it is impossible to broaden your vocabulary and improve your grammar and pronunciation if you don't chat with native speakers?


Based on the topic question alone, many things can be learned in isolation - introvert or not. Vocabulary would be one of the least difficult aspects, perhaps even grammar (assuming you have access to good material). Pronunciation is another element mentioned, but you can learn (even improve) that one as well. Thinking in the language (which you also can learn and improve on your own) could even be considered a prerequisite to "active" skills like talking and writing. If you can't even think, what mechanisms are involved in the output?
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