Start learning English in your thirties
Hello everybody!
I started learning English seriously when I was 28 years old. Since I came through this website I've been following its advice. However, I sometimes wonder if it is possible to learn to speak English very well at this age. Now I'm 29 years old. When I was studying in high school I took English classes for 5 years but I learned very little because my teachers didn't encourage me to learn it.
Nowadays there are plenty of job opportunities to get a good job in my country if you speak English well, mainly in call centers. Although you have to speak it with fluency, otherwise you won't be hired. This isn't the only reason I want to improve my English, it is because I've loved the language since I was a child!
Dude you write flawless English so what's the problem?
There is a will then there is a way. You will speak English very well if you have strong motivation to learn the language on a daily basis.
You're definitely not too old to learn a foreign language. You've proved this already: your written English is excellent.
The only thing you probably won't achieve at your age is a native sounding accent and a native type of intuition. Only young children can acquire those, but don't worry - we're all in the same boat.
Thanks for the encouragement -it's really nice to hear! When I was a child I didn't realize what fun is to learn English if you do the right things. Now I've found something, the most you understand English, the most you'll want to learn it. Have a great day (or night - I have no idea what time it is where you are!
I've read that some people say in this forum you have to dream in English is you really want to be close to a native speaker some day. Well, I had my first English dream last night. I was waiting out of a building. There were a lot people there. Suddenly we went in and sat. Then a woman in front of us started to speak in English. She spoke clearly and fast. She had good pronunciation and I noticed it immediately. I think it was a start for someone which dream is to speak English very well. Maybe, I got a bit crazy about learning English...
If you are dreaming in another language, at least your mind is working on retaining the language. It doesn't mean that you've "arrived" yet.
I've dreamt in Korean and I sure do not speak the language, only some words.
Of course you can learn English in your thirties. People learn languages even in advanced age. Charles Berlitz is but one example. If you THINK you are too old, then THAT is a problem.
Well, my native language is Urdu. I have been speaking the language for 25 years yet I hardly get a proper dream in it never mind having a dream in my target language English which I have been learning for 5 years now. This dreaming thing is very misleading. People should have a better measurement for assessing their language proficiency. If you have a problem speaking about day to day issues in your target language then you are far behind from your goal. Spoken fluency is a true indicator of your language competence.
"Spoken fluency is a true indicator of your language competence." Urdu-speaking guest
In a way you are right-many people tend to judge competence in a language according to speaking ability. Some people have a reading knowledge of multiple languages, but I'm not sure they can speak them.
I can't, of course, speak on behalf of those other apparently doomed languages, but I would guess they will not be consigned to history as easily as you predict. However powerful, influential or dominant my own native language of English becomes, I have more faith in people's national pride and innate feelings of heritage to allow their languages, however minor, to become submerged and drowned in any English tidal wave. I love my language but not the idea that it will be responsible for the demise of any other.