Obstacles to Improving
English
Not Realizing the
Importance of Good English
Some new students focus
entirely on their academic studies, believing that working hard on their studies
will compensate for their English-language problems.
Later, when they have to write
research papers or a thesis or dissertation, or take an oral examination, or
give an oral defense of a thesis or dissertation, they realize that they should
have worked on their English from the beginning. In addition, when they try to
find a job on campus or after graduation, they find that they are at a major
disadvantage.
Being in a Hurry to
Finish
Many students are so intent on
earning a degree as quickly as possible that they avoid taking English classes.
Later, they realize to their regret that taking time to improve their English
when they first arrived would have made all their studies (and their lives in
general) easier, and probably have saved them time.
Shyness and Fear
Some individuals are naturally
shy. They are cautious in social situations. They do not like to draw attention
to themselves. They fear being embarrassed or misunderstood. They fear not being
able to understand what people say to them in another language.
Such people have much more
difficulty practicing and learning a foreign language than do people who are
more willing to speak up and less bothered by making a “mistake” in another
language.
College and university
students are beyond the age when learning a new language is easy and natural.
Generally, but not always, it is more difficult for people older than about 12
years to learn a new language—to remember vocabulary, develop new pronunciation
habits, and feel at ease using a new language.
