The practical instruction that follows from the research is simple and hard to do: listen and read a great deal.

Drawn from what Steve Kaufmann said

What this subject means

language learning How an adult picks up a second language: input against speaking practice, immersion against slow habit, and whether a teacher can do it for you.

In the views onlanguage learningunder our view: The language goes in before it comes out, and understanding is what does the teaching

What Steve Kaufmann actually said

Steve Kaufmann 13 Apr 2026 Canadian former diplomat and lumber trader who speaks twenty languages

The practical takeaway from SLA research is both simple and demanding: you need to listen and read a lot.

Where this was said

↗What Is Second Language Acquisition?blog.thelinguist.com

13 Apr 2026

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Everything other than talking to a native speaker is auxiliary, and none of it will get you speaking on its own.

Lewis says everything other than talking to a native speaker is auxiliary and none of it gets you speaking on its own. Kaufmann says the practical instruction that follows from the research is to listen and read a great deal. They are giving a beginner opposite advice about what to spend the first months doing.

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