What usually happens is that a person learns the basics of only one language, called the mother tongue. For most people, the language-learning window then closes, and they go through life believing either that they cannot learn another language or that learning another language is very, very difficult. How sad! Here we have this most wonderful ability to learn any language in the world, and we stop at just one! We become prisoners of one world-view when we can taste, enjoy, and become part of hundreds of worlds.
The most important thing I do as a teacher is to restart in the student that innate ability to learn languages. How do I do this? By making myself completely available and open to the student. The teacher who has already mastered the language which the student wants to learn is like a second mother to that student. The mother denies nothing of herself to the child. She speaks freely, expressing her thoughts and feelings. The child hears and overhears everything and imitates all of it without shame or self-criticism. So I, as the teacher of English to my students, hold nothing back. I am free, open, and want the student to learn English as much as the student wants to learn English. I also work hard to increase the student's desire to learn English. How? By being an interesting, honest, engaging human being. My students have always found me interesting!
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