My personal essay on learning English as a second language in adulthood
LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE I N ADULTHOOD No other species on the planet uses language or writing - a mystery that remains unsolved even after thousands of years of research. Italian cardinal Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti is said to have spoken more than 38 languages fluently and read a further 12, at the time of his death in 1849. If only he had left us with some magic formula to learn so many languages. However, he did study conscientiously, daily, for years. Most adult learners do not have many years to study language, so in order to learn English as a second language, new and even revolutionary teaching methods are called for. This essay contains all the details concerned with learning English as a second language in adulthood. In this essay, it is accepted that the purpose of acquiring a second language is communicative competence, which is the ability to use the language correctly and appropriately to accomplish communication goals. The pr