Kaitlyn Conner hadn’t studied Greek before, but she decided to take a class in the language for the first time this semester.
So far, it’s going as well as she could have hoped.
“I think it would be way easier to learn languages as a child while your brain is still developing and is able to comprehend more,” she said. “I think it’s harder to learn languages when you’re older.”
Conner isn’t wrong, but learning a new language as an adult isn’t impossible either.
The adult brain can still hold new information and respond to new experiences, even when childhood is far in the past, according to the 2003 study, “Sensory substitution and the human-machine interface.”
That’s good news for Ball State undergraduates working toward a Bachelor of Arts degree where two years or the equivalent of study in a foreign language is required. It’s also helpful for people who are just interested in learning something new.
Lilly Passafume, a freshman public relations major, began learning Chinese this semester.
“The good part is being able to speak a language that everyone thinks is impossible to learn,” she said.
She struggles with the time it takes to practice Chinese characters, but she said successfully learning a new language is tied to dedication.
“I think learning [the language] as a college student is the same as learning at a young age. You just have to apply yourself and be motivated to learn the language,” she said.
Age does make a difference when it comes to learning a new language, said Adam Ballart, a Ball State Spanish instructor, but starting the process after puberty does offer some cognitive benefits such as providing students with cultural competency, knowledge of the world and a chance to use a part of the brain that normally wouldn’t be tapped into. This can lead to improved performance in other subjects, such as math and reading.
The way Ball State’s foreign language classes are constructed can encourage learning, too. Instead of just a textbook, where activities and problems are pulled out and regurgitated in class, instructors push students to actually speak the languages out loud.
“We do use methodology that encourages more of the use of the language and less of the explanation of why we use it. From day 1, [beginning students] are using the language and they’re not used to that,” said Ballart.
Ballart even attributed the atmosphere of a class to a student’s success. Instead of sitting in a desk and staying quiet while the teacher lectures, students should be talking and moving around the room, playing games and participating in activities.
“They’re social. They want to work in groups with one another so I think they like that language classes in general are a place where they can be more social and have a more active role in their learning versus a lecture class where they’re being quiet the whole time," he said.
For now, Conner is continuing to struggle with conjugating verbs and remembering vocabulary. But she looks forward to some of the benefits to learning a language that Ballart described—particularly an increased knowledge of the world.
She said she enjoys learning about Greek culture and the language could aid her if she chooses to travel in the future.
Read More
Ball State’s campus experiences second power outage in two weeks due to a squirrel
By Staff Reports / 1 hours agoAt approximately 9:27 a.m. Nov. 15, the Ball State Daily News received reports of Ball State’s campus losing power.
New additions coming to Ball State’s University skyline in 2026
By Shelby Anderson and Katherine Hill / 3 hours agoMuncie’s college town Village will be home to a new performing arts center and Cantio Hotel.
Over 13,000 Hoosiers stuck on Medicaid waitlist
By Maya Kim / YesterdayOlder Hoosiers are left vulnerable after the end of the COVID-19 Medicaid protocol.
