English Teaching

Learning a Language as an Adult — Key Vocabulary (B2)

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B2  ⏱ 5 min

📚 Learning a Language as an Adult — Key Vocabulary

I learned French to C1 level as an adult, entirely outside a classroom. Here’s the vocabulary that made the difference.

📖 Vocabulary for Language Learning

  • immersion — surrounding yourself with the language constantly
  • acquisition — picking up language naturally (vs learning consciously)
  • fluency — speaking smoothly, without long pauses
  • proficiency — overall competence level
  • input — language you receive (reading, listening)
  • output — language you produce (speaking, writing)
  • fossilisation — when errors become permanent habits
  • mother tongue — your first language from childhood

💡 From My Experience

I didn’t learn French in a classroom. I learned through marriage, paperwork, and necessity — pure immersion. The fastest thing that improved my output was speaking badly on purpose and accepting correction. Fossilised errors were my enemy; my wife Vanessa was my best correction tool.

Fluency means:

Which is an example of ‘input’?

Fossilisation describes:

She grew up speaking Bengali — it is her ____________.

Living in France gave him complete language ____________.

🗣️ Reflect

Have you learned a language outside a classroom? Write 2-3 sentences about how you did it. Which words from today’s lesson apply to your experience?

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