Making ‘mistakes’ is normal

elsa o’brien lópez

A new learner might also feel that they are quickly improving at the beginning only to realise a while later that they still have a lot to learn. This is a common phenomenon that happens because the more we learn the more aware we become of rules and patterns that we need to master. Recognising mistakes due to overgeneralising rules should be acknowledged as a proof of the learning of the rule, helping us move forward to the next steps.

When it’s our own choice to learn a new language, we often embark the process with a mixed feeling of apprehension and excitement. Although the vastness of the task can seem insurmountable at times, the new window into a new culture, way of living and potential relationships will sprinkle the process with excitement and eagerness.

Whether we choose to use language learning apps such as DuoLingo or attend a face-to-face or online school, adults generally make quick progress at the beginning. Our initial motivation together with our knowledge of another language and our analytical skills, allow us to learn a second language in a relatively structured setting. This is the case for part of the learning. Many of the elements of a language can’t be learned in an explicit way and exposure to natural communicative situations will be necessary as we increase our level of proficiency.

A new learner might also feel that they are quickly improving at the beginning only to realise a while later that they still have a lot to learn. This is a common phenomenon that happens because the more we learn the more aware we become of rules and patterns that we need to master. 

Overgeneralisation of the rules

But this is not the only reason why we might feel that we were making faster progress when we first started learning a language than a few months or years into the journey.  When a child brought up in an English speaking community starts speaking, they will start using irregular verbs surprisingly well. It is even possible that they will use them in the right context before understanding the concept of the past and before they can use words such as ‘before’ or ‘yesterday’.

After a while, these children will start making mistakes when using those same irregular verbs. Instead of saying ‘grandad bought this toy’, we will hear them say ‘grandad buyed this toy’.  This incorrect use of the past form of the verb buy will be a result of having become aware of the existence of a pattern to speak about the past. In the English language a great number of verbs can be made into their past tense by adding the suffix -ed. Once children gain some understanding of this rule they start using it for all of the verbs -even for those that don’t follow this pattern such as ‘buy’ and ‘bring’. This is called ‘overgeneralisation’ of the rule.

This didn’t happen at the very beginning because children had learned the words or phrases by heart, associated with a context. This is why very few mistakes were made. As time goes on, and the child learns more about the workings of the language, they will start applying rules to new contexts and to do so creatively. In u-shaped learning curve, the child will start making more mistakes until they become aware of the existence of exceptions to the rules, and irregular forms in this case. 

Source: Université Cote d’Azur. U-shapped curved learning.

Can we really call them mistakes?

The learning of a language happens in a series of immutable steps that are similar for every language. This is the case for the learning of one’s first and second language, although the steps slightly differ for each. What is more, all individuals learning a language will go through the same stages regardless of what their mother tongue is. 

Source: Lightbrown & Spada, 2018. Steps a learner goes through when learning the English language as their mother tongue.

For instance, a Spanish and a French student will go through the same steps when learning English even though Spanish and French are very different languages. However, the Spanish student might have to spend less time working on the ‘-s’ added to English words to make a plural as the system is the same in Spanish while the French student might need more time of practice to master this area and move on to the next one.

Whether it’s learning the regular past -ed, the -s for plurals or the ’s for possessives, it will all be part of a natural process. Learners, and especially adults -as they learn in a more conscious way- will need to bear this in mind and be patient with themselves. Skipping steps won’t be possible, but extensive and frequent exposure will help speed it up. 

Recognising mistakes due to overgeneralising rules should be acknowledged as a proof of the learning of the rule, helping us move forward to the next steps.

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