Becoming Fluent: How Cognitive Science Can Help Adults Learn a Foreign Language

245 Pages·2015·2.11 MB·English

by  Richard M. Roberts

Becoming Fluent

Becoming Fluent
How Cognitive Science Can Help Adults
Learn a Foreign Language
Richard Roberts and Roger Kreuz
The MIT Press
Cambridge, Massachusetts
London, England
© 2015 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
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This book was set in Stone by the MIT Press. Printed and bound in the
United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-262-02923

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
We dedicate this book to our parents:
Michaela Whitaker and Richard Roberts
and Paul and Ila Kreuz

Contents
Prologue xi
Acknowledgments xiii
About the Authors xvii
1 Terms and Conditions 1
Three Myths about Foreign Language Learning 1
What Is Cognitive Science? 5
Mind the Gap 7
What Does “Meta” Mean? 8
2 Set Yourself Up for Success 11
Well Begun Is Half Done 11
Caution: Contents May Be Habit Forming 18
Suggestions for Developing Effective Language Study Habits 21
A Sense of Self 23
Trying Hard Not to Try Hard 26
Getting in the Zone 28
3 Aspects of Language 33
I Before E / Except After C / or When Sounded as A / as in Neighbor
or Weigh 33
Behind the Scenes at the Foreign Service Institute 36
Measuring Fluency and Proficiency 40
Interlanguage 45
I Know You Know What I Know 48
viii Tables of Contents
4 Pragmatics and Culture 53
The Language, the Culture, and You 53
Cooperation 56
Speech Act Theory 59
Figurative Language 60
Don’t Be a Language Zombie 66
5 Language and Perception 71
Speed versus Accuracy 71
Can Learning a Foreign Language Prevent Dementia? 73
Generalization Is for the Birds 77
Acquiring an Accent 81
Can You Change Your Accent? 86
In Praise of Nonnative Speakers 88
6 Cognition from Top to Bottom 91
Hearing Is Also Seeing 91
Untranslatable 95
False Friends and Kissing Cousins 97
Words, Words, Words 101
Learn to Swim by Swimming 106
Metaphors and Idioms: A Free Ride or a Sticky Wicket? 110
7 Making Memories … 115
The Workings of Working Memory 115
Deep Thoughts 121
Allow Me to Elaborate 124
Learning versus Relearning 125
Cognitive Overload 130
The Time-Traveling Intruder 135
8 … And Making Memories Work for You 139
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me 139
Practice Makes Perfect? 143
Take It Personally 149
Emotional Aspects of Memory 152
A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous, Yet Helpful, Thing 157
The Art of Memory 163
Table of Contents ix
Epilogue 169
Notes 171
Suggested Readings 193
References 195
Index 211