I wish I had started studying English earlier in life.
In Japan, people of my generation started learning English as a second language in middle school. Nowadays, students learn English in elementary school.
To become bilingual, you have to start learning a second language by the age of 8. However, the definition of “bilingual” is difficult because language proficiency exists on a broad scale, with no standard. If you think you are bilingual, yes, you are.
The professor in the graduate school said that language exams are not an accurate way of measuring actual proficiency. I agree with him. I took the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to apply to universities in the US.
I was born and raised in a monolingual environment. I liked to listen to English songs and watch foreign movies, so that was the way to practice English. At school, my English test scores were higher than average, but I couldn’t speak well.
I understood mastering English is challenging. Therefore, I didn’t teach Japanese to daughters. The eldest daughter can understand some Japanese words, but her brain works in English. The second daughter is the same. She is studying Japanese with language apps.
Lately, their English has improved so much that there are times when I can’t understand. They also talk about something I don’t know…
「人生でもっと早く始めておけば良かったと思うことは何？」っていう質問なんですが、私の場合は、もっと早く英語の勉強を始めておけば良かったかな。
私の世代は中学校で第二言語として英語を学び始めたけど、今の子達は小学校ですでに学んでるから。
「バイリンガルになるには、8歳までに第二言語の学習を始めなければならない」とのこと。でも、「バイリンガル」の定義は難しい。だって、言語能力には幅広いレベルがあるし、明確な基準がない。自分が「バイリンガル」だと思えば、そういうことになるし。
私が学んでいた大学院の教授は、語学試験は実際の語学力を正確に測る方法ではないとおっしゃっていました。アメリカの大学に入学するためにTOEFLを受けたから、その通りだと思う。
日本語しか話さない環境で生まれ育って、英語の歌をきいたり、海外の映画をみたりして、英語を練習。学校の英語のテストの点数は平均以上だったけど、話すのは苦手でした。
英語習得が大変なことを理解してたから、娘達には日本語を教えなかった。長女は日本語の単語がいくつか分かるけど、頭の中は英語思考。次女も同じで、今語学アプリで日本語を勉強中。
最近、娘達の英語力が上がってきて、理解できない時も。私が知らないことを話してる時もあるし…
Photo by LILI
5 responses to “What’s one thing you wish you had started doing earlier in life?”
This is such a thoughtful reflection on language learning and the things we wish we had started earlier in life. I especially liked your honest observation that exam scores do not always reflect our real ability to communicate.
I also believe that learning a language is much more than memorizing grammar and vocabulary—it is about listening, speaking, connecting, and slowly becoming comfortable with another way of thinking.
Hi! Thank you for your comment. Yes, learning a foreign language is a journey. I am learning new words every day…😊
What a beautiful and honest reflection. I truly believe it’s never too late to learn a language. Your journey shows that English is not only about exams or perfect grammar, but about communication, confidence, and connecting with people. Your daughters’ journey is beautiful too. Every step we take today can open a new door for tomorrow.
Yes! Learning a foreign language is a lifelong curiosity and journey.
Yes, absolutely 💯