Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play - Heraclitus Language skills are unlike most of the skills we acquire in life. This is for two reasons. First because language is so important to everything we do, and second, because we learn language largely passively. This is true for our first language, and it is also true for any other language we learn.
Unless we have a physical disability, we all learn to talk. Some of us start talking earlier than others, but all children learn to speak their first language. We do this without any drills or explanations, and largely without correction. We do not need a textbook to learn to speak. We just imitate what we hear, noticing words and phrases and patterns. In fact we learn as we listen passively, and then start talking when we feel like it. Some children, like Einstein, do not start talking until quite late, but they are learning all the time they are listening. How well we learn to use the language will depend on our exposure to the language, not when we start talking.
If we hear people talking about a wide variety of subjects as children, we naturally and passively pick up the words and phrases they use. If we pick up a lot of words, we will have an advantage when we start school. If we read a lot in school, driven by what interests us, we will acquire a larger and larger vocabulary and achieve a high level of literacy. This will give us an advantage in our education, and in our professional life.
If we are exposed to a limited vocabulary as children growing up, and if we do not develop the habit of reading a lot, we will not learn so many words and we will haver fewer phrases and ways of expressing ourselves. We will do less well in school and professionally. In general, remedial reading or grammar instruction will not help the poor reader catch up. What will help is increased exposure to the language, reading and listening to more and more stimulating and challenging content. The earlier this starts the better, but it is never too late.
The same is true when we learn a second language. We mostly need to hear it and read it. We do not need to be taught how to speak. It is something we do naturally. We can even take advantage of our knowledge of a first language to learn words in the new language faster. We do not need to experience everything in life over again. When we notice words, phrases and patterns in the new language, we at first relate them to our own language. Gradually we get used to the strange patterns of the new language, and they start to seem natural. They become natural, not because they were explained to us, but because we have come across them so often in different interesting contexts.
We do not need instruction in pronunciation any more than we need instruction to imitate regional accents our own language. We just need to let ourselves go, observe and imitate. Unfortunately, we are often more self-conscious when pronouncing a new language because we take ourselves too seriously. We often are more relaxed when we try to imitate different accents in our own language, which is only play acting. This is not the case with the child who simply imitates without inhibition.
I have learned 10 languages. I always found passive learning enjoyable. I just listen, read, review and observe. As long as I am exposed to the language, I am learning passively and it does not matter when I start to use the language. I start using it when I feel like it. In fact I study what I want, on my own schedule. I do not need to start anywhere or finish anywhere. I can have several books or audio books going at the same time.
I follow my inclinations. Sometimes I am more motivated to review new words and phrases, sometimes I am more motivated to listen and read. I never know when I will learn a word or language pattern. My brain seems to just learn them on its own schedule, not on a schedule set out by a teacher or a text book.
Whenever I was asked to answer questions on my reading, questioned on my vocabulary, asked to fill in the blanks, or had to do tests, it disrupted my enjoyment of passive learning. It interrupted my learning. It annoyed me and my learning energy would fizzle.
Learning a language does require effort. But it is the effort of the learner pushing on a slightly open door, pursuing things of interest. It is the pleasant effort of passive learning. To paraphrase Heraclitus, it is the effort of the child at play.
