Precerpt from My 20th Language: Hares, Tortoises, and I
Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from My 20th Language by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver -- HARES, TORTOISES, AND i You know the story: the hare dashes off and the tortoise plods along. In the classic fable, the tortoise wins. But in the world of language learning, things are more nuanced. I've met both types of learners many times over. The hares are the ones who shoot out of the gate — fast starters, quick to speak, full of confidence. They reach what I call the “awfully fluent” stage early on. You’ve probably heard it — learners who sound great at first blush, but when you listen more closely, you hear gaps, fossilized errors, awkward phrasing, or missing nuance. They’ve got the rhythm down, and even the accent, but it’s a bit like a beautifully frosted cake with a sunken middle. I say this with no judgment — because I am a hare. Then there are the tortoises. They move more slowly at the beginning. They're deliberate, careful, often hesitant to speak early on. T...