Few people would argue that a significant problem of education – particularly language education – is the problem of 'plateau-ing'. Unless students are pushed or moved in some way they tend to settle at a given point in their acquisition of the new language. In most endeavors, we experience tremendous rapid growth or development, and then, for a variety of reasons, we taper off.   Ben’s experience learning Russian is indicative of this phenomenon and provides some insight to how SmartNoise helps students overcome language learning plateaus.

Ben lived in Russia for six months as part of an English-teaching effort by his university. He lived with a Russian family and taught their four year-old son Andrei English. At the same time, Ben was learning Russian.  The account of his experience is typical of language learning for most people.

Here is how Ben described his Russian language progression:

Phase 1: Freshly arrived in Russia. I landed in Moscow, and was overwhelmed by the speed with which people spoke. I thought I had no chance to ever be able to communicate with these people. There was too much to learn!

Phase 2: A month or so later. I had now grown accustomed to some routine language used in the house and in my routine schedule: "Come for breakfast!" "Good morning!" "Good night!" "Do you want some more?" "Be careful, the doors are closing, next station...Shabolovskaya" etc. I could also use simple phrases to make my way around. I had come a very long way in a short time.

Phase 3: A month or so later. I could now engage in simple conversations with my host family, taxi drivers, and strangers. I could get around and handle most any problem that confronted me. I could on my own order Chambourgers (hamburgers), and buy fresh chleb (bread) and moroshna (ice cream). Again, I had come a very long way in a short time.

Phase 4: At the end of the 6 months. I certainly could engage in conversations more easily than I could during phase three, but my perceived "pace" in learning Russian had slowed down significantly. From phase three on, I could get around; learning, or improving my Russian, was no longer a priority, I could function as is. I could add a word or expression here and there, but by and large, I was independent and could express myself with what I had. I had, in a word, plateaued.

It is possible that I had not really slowed down, but that my learning was not as apparent as it had been in the earlier phases. I think that it is surely the case that I was learning in less apparent ways, but I'm also convinced that my learning had slowed down. I did not need to listen as carefully now that I could get around. I did not feel the need to push myself to express what I could and continually expand my available language. I did not push myself to more and more fluidly speak, and closer approximate the understandings and utterances of native Russians. I was satisfied with what I could do, it worked for me.

Almost everyone gets accustomed to a certain standard and mode of communication and closes their eyes to its shortcomings. Occasionally, language learners have a conversation, or read something, and become aware that they still have far to go.  However, this sensation typically passes, they find a comfort zone, and pursue a path of least resistance to communicate 'adequately'. We find few people can sustain a long-term apprenticeship approach to learning a language on their own.

Robust methods, for example the SmartNoise Methodology, will help keep you engaged by providing a wide variety of interesting ways to improve your language abilities.   Working with native-speakers, another key aspect of language acquisition at SmartNoise, will help you identify areas for improvement and allow you to model appropriate pronunciation and grammar.  Above all, enjoying the process of learning your new language is essential in moving past the plateau on which you find yourself.