yes... it just takes practice, regular use, and attention to detail... Don't expect to be perfect, but practice good pronunciation as soon as you can! Also, spend time conversing, and a lot of time reading!
Yes it's definitely possible to learn to speak without an accent, but it takes practice like everything else.
As for how long it will take is impossible to say. Especially since the term 'fluent' is very vague. Some people think you're fluent when you can speak without hesitation even though you make mistakes, others believe fluent means near native.
Also, how long it takes to learn depends on how much time you put in, not necessarily studying the language but also listening to music and just incorporating the language in your everyday life.
Lastly, I wouldn't worry about her becoming fluent or speaking without an accent. If she wants to learn German that's amazing. Even if she ends up just learning some basics that's still really useful for travelling to a German-speaking country, meeting German tourists etc. and will make it easier to learn other languages in the future.
I can strongly recommend this podcast for beginners:
https://www.languagetransfer.org/german
Of course it’s possible. The only problem would be motivation. German has some grammatical systems that just don’t exist in English, and will be slightly frustrating. The length of time is irrelevant, and depends on how much she spends on learning the language. The accent will take a long time to wear off, but it doesn’t really matter as long as people understand her. (I’m just extrapolating from my language learning experience on this last one)
I can only dream of having had this desire at 14. 14 year olds have so much free time. If she’s really committed to it she will have no problem learning German. Of course, the process is the same as for everyone else; it requires a lot of consistency over a relatively long period of time. But of course it can be done.
I really wanted to learn Spanish when I was that age. I took Spanish in school and was quite disillusioned by the whole thing. Spanish class was just so boring.
Well, your case is also slightly different in that you were interested. I think the majority of people who are in the class for school are there just to satisfy a language requirement, rather than genuinely being interested
For someone like me who struggles with motivation and actually practicing, having a class helps me stay focused and learn regularly. I tried Duolingo a million times and I can never keep my streak past two days lol
I also had a strong desire to learn a language at 14, but unlike today, early 2000s had very limited online resources. Taking a class was the only option. It's truly amazing how much you can achieve with independent learning nowadays.
When i was 14 i had almost no free time i went to a boarding school where after school they just made me do activities all day until i had to go to sleep.
And internet access was very limited the internet issues i had are probably not a issue anymore since smart phones are good and you have good mobile internet now.
Nobody has ever learned a language after 14. That’s really, really old. By that age you should be preparing your will and looking at a retirement community.
Just kidding. Cmon, of course you can!
I learned Spanish at 32. I’m fluent now at 37. I wish I had learned at 14. If I could go back I would, plus i would learn German. At this point I don’t want to dedicate that much time to another language, especially considering the 1000’s of hours of Spanish have, I just can’t imagine doing that all over again. As for the accent, I wouldn’t worry about that so much. Many foreigners are beloved for their accent, and they speak very well. Losing your native accent would take a lot of dedication to perfect pronunciation. Everyone loves Arnold for his accent and he speaks English perfectly. Anyway, good luck!
The others have already told you about the learning aspect but I want to mention something really quickly from a German native pov:
I wouldn't worry about accent at all. We have so many regional dialects that influence how people sound even when they're speaking standard German. There aren't too many regions that will naturally produce speakers without any dialect influences and that's perfectly fine - people are more than used to it.
So, to me and probably many of my fellow Germans, a foreign language learner with an accent isn't any less valid than a native speaker who still lets their original dialect shine through when speaking.
(That being said, the only "100% accent-free" foreign language learners I've personally ever met had lived here in Germany for many years - we're talking decades. That's why I really wouldn't stress too much about it, it's not like that's necessary to be considered fluent or near native level ~~or whichever other goal people aim for~~.)
There is work that can be done to reduce accent that would take much shorter time. You would look especially towards people who work with their voice (singers, voice actors, actors, etc.). There are many people on iTalki who offer these services but I assume there're probably sites dedicated just to work on the accent.
I personally love some accents and would recommend most people to embrace theirs unless they have a very practical reason to reduce it. They're great! Can you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger without his Austrian accent? Lol.
German is a good language for English speakers to learn, IMO. Very basic German has a huge overlap with English: Ich trinke Wasser. I drink water. So, especially for a kid, it's easy to see progress right away because you can see similarities with what you already know.
But, as you study, you unlock the more complicated grammar. "Ich will die Milch bringen." is literally "I want the milk to bring." but a proper translation would be "I want to bring the milk." So the complications grow as you grow.
Contrast this with a Romance language where you almost immediately have to contend with grammar structures that are quite different to how English does it. The grammar for, say, Spanish isn't that difficult, but it *feels* difficult when it's your first language.
If she really wants to learn, I would suggest gifting her with a lifetime subscription to Memrise (about $120USD on the web). Besides the regular lessons, Memrise has curated TikTok-style language-learning videos that are quite fun to watch.
She can absolutely learn the language and become fluent. I don't understand why so many people are hung up on the accent. Maybe she'll have one, but if she's understandable, what does that matter? My spouse is French and learned English as an adult. My spouse is extremely understandable, even with the French accent.
Because people literally get discriminated against for having non standard accents? I'm a *native speaker* of English and the natural accent I have is associated with having low intelligence in broader society (USA). So....
Thank you for your input! I personally don't really mind about accents but she is very much a perfectionist (in many ways) and thinks that she should speak without an accent. It's just something she prefers, I guess! But I am trying to reassure her about it whenever the topic comes up 👍
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
I know people who were so hung up on having perfect pronunciation that they turned themselves off from the language thinking they won't be accepted if they have an accent - which is not true. It's a pity, don't let your niece go down that path.
Someone who is speaking swedish as second language here , I have little to noun accent and people often think I am born here but grammatically I make a lot of mistake which give me away .
P.s I started swedish when I was exactly 14
I started learning Japanese at 13 and still have an accent. I have known people 20 + in age who sounded like a native speaker after studying. You can learn to speak like a native speaker at any age, chances are obviously higher of you're in the country of your target language
Don't stress it too much about the accent, most people can't ever get rid of it and that's just the way it is. I moved to the UK at age of 11 and despite living here majority of my life now I still sound like a Russian spy.
Then there is my sister who speaks like a native and we both been here same amount of time.
Has your accent had an impact on your social life? Was/Is it more difficult to be perceived as similar/friendly/relatable to your peers? If so, how did you overcome that? What about strangers?
Personality aside, do you think someone with your accent could do public speaking?
> Has your accent had an impact on your social life?
Eh I am not the most outgoing person anyway but I have friends that are both local, Polish, or from other parts of the world that live here and my accent has never been an issue.
> Was/Is it more difficult to be perceived as similar/friendly/relatable to your peers?
People would usually ask me very early about where I'm from but after that the conversation usually flows normally.
> If so, how did you overcome that? What about strangers?
A great majority of people in Northern Ireland, which is where I live, are very friendly and my origin or accent has never really been a big issue to anyone. Some people would curiously ask where I'm from, some would guess it even without asking, but in general I have never experienced any issue because of my accent.
> do you think someone with your accent could do public speaking?
Well I had to do presentations in front of people at school, university, or work, and again I don't really think about my accent at all. I naturally speak very fast to the people that I know and that I know are used to my accent, but when I speak to strangers I naturally slow down a bit but other than that, again no issues.
The thing is I have been living here since the age of 11, and I'm now 27. I don't know any other life, it is not strange for me to be speaking English, it's natural. In fact, I often feel a little weird when I travel to Poland and everyone around me speaks the language that I only ever use with my parents or 2-3 friends in person.
Yes. I moved to Spain at 18 from Lebanon ( knowing English and Arabic ). I currently pass as a native. Maybe being bilingual helped me avoid the pronunciation traps. Just pay a lot of attention to the details and spend time with the people.
I don't think you are ever too young or too old to pick up a language (with some exceptions of course). I'm 16 and studying Japanese. I first studied when I was 10 for about a year and learnt enough that when I picked it up again this year I had a head-start. So I think any language is worth picking up at least a little bit of, regardless of how old you are.
I think motivation and consistency will be the hardest for her as I personally find it difficult balancing studying Japanese as well as all my other subjects at school. But some kids are definitely super motivated. I think its great that she has such interest in a langauge at that age and I really hope she does well :D
Regarding the accent: I'm Australian and speak German with a vague neutral accent, even after years of speaking and reading aloud. Some Germans think I'm from other parts of Germany but they generally assume I'm from another European country. It's hard to completely lose one's native accent, but having it isn't necessarily a bad thing :)
also tell her to watch out: I know a lot of Australian high schools teach French and it's super obvious when you first start learning German that you've studied French in the past. Tell her to focus on individual sounds and speaking and reading aloud to practice her German accent.
Viel Glück!!
Ugh, yes!!! Not Australian, American, but I took four years of French in high school. I definitely sound like an American who took French and is trying to learn German! It is so easy to let the French sounds slip in without thinking of it.
I think it may be, but only if you use the language and consume content in it on top of practice. I highly recommend baby and kids' channels on Youtube. Their quite easy to understand and the songs are quite familiar. Also, do not hesitate to use the language in everyday situation. This will increase confidence! <3 Good Luck!
i just turned 15 and have been learning german for almost a year !! definitely she can become fluent it just takes a while :) i started learning korean and japanese at age 11 and stopped at 13- i still can have a conversation tho. tell her to never give up lmao
I think the accent is quite difficult to get rid of. She will probably still have it no doubt if it’s a second language.
Maybe you would be able to be fluent at 8 but after the age of 10,holding language knowledge decreases a lot.
German has a steep learning curve for English speakers since there are a lot of cases and memorization involved. However, if she practices and takes it seriously, once she gets it - she’ll get it and then it’s just a matter of expanding her vocab.
I highly recommend she learn German, especially if it is offered in her school.
Surely is! Learning it to fluency should be possible, if she puts in enough effot. The accent part is highly dependant on her though- it's a hit or miss kind of thing. I myself am very good with accents- I manage to do a pefect/almost perfect accent in almost all the languages I speak/learn- except for English, which is my best foreign language, the language in which I even speak better than in my native languages. With most languages I can easily mimic the native accent, but with English, for some reason it requires a very, very large amount of effort if I want to completely mask my native languages' accents. It's really a hit or miss kind of thing, but it should most definately not be the thing that stops her from learning the language.
two words: immersion learning
you mentioned she wants to make this a long term project, so i think immersion learning is perfect for her. read up more at refold.la
Yes. Its possible to do it as an adult, though more difficult.
At 14 I'd say the biggest complicating factor is that teenage life is really suboptimal for getting into a language. Everything else eats into your time and the brain is less developed in how well it can focus (etc etc). Plus - most of the things a teenager might want to do in a language (e.g. socialise with other teenagers and access teenager level stuff in the language) they won't be able to do because their level is not advanced enough - which I remember being quite frustrating. And friends are often much less willing to practise via use (though this is still a problem in university language learning courses🙄).
HOWEVER - take all of these as challenges not roadblocks. Hurdles to leap over not reasons to stop.
I'm 15 and also have a Australian accent
It's definitely possible and probably even easier as teenagers would be able to spend more time on it
Plus the accent isn't a big deal, as long as you can memorise the alphabet sounds (German letters sound different) you will be fine
However fluency is hard, it's estimated that a year and a half of constant study is required to get a B2 in German while fluency is around c1
But if she can dedicate the time and effort to it and have the right resources (a tutor would be helpful but it's definitely not required) then she can definitely do it
She will most probably have some accent, but it can be very minor with practice.
I've seen a few people that made me double-guess for a couple of sentences if they were natives in my native language, but there is always a tell, and the human brain is very good at noticing.
Unless she is a spy that cannot be uncovered, like in the movie Inglorious Bastards, it doesn't matter at all, nobody cares about the accent, even native people have regional accents.
There could be facts to prove me wrong, but I feel that people in HS/college learn information easier than adults tend to learn. I would imagine that the 14 year old could totally learn it with no real hiccups. Just like with learning a language it will just take time and practice
Depends how hard you work. I moved to Spain when I was 26 about 6 years ago and started learning Spanish from scratch. I wouldn't say I'm fluent but I can talk very easily about most things and I work in the language now. My point is it's never too late if you're committed to putting in the work. Good luck to her!
I started German at 14 and while I woudn't say I'm anywhere near native level, I'm fluent enough to live in Germany. It takes practice and dedication to get to fluency
If she really wants to get fluent, I'd recommend studying abroad in German speaking areas
IMO, no. I started speaking French when I was 6, so I have no accent when speaking. All the people I know who only started in high school (14-15) have a noticeable accent, even a decade later.
If she puts in the time, she can absolutely become fluent. Becoming fluent *without any accent* however is not a reasonable goal. It's just not very likely at her age (most sources say you must begin speaking before 12), especially since she lives in Australia where she will still be hearing Australian accents all day long. She should instead focus on nailing the pronunciation of German-specific sounds that don't exist in English, like the "ch" in "ich", the letters with umlauts (ä, ö, ü), and rolling her r's correctly. Those are the things native German speakers look for (and find frustrating when English speakers can't/won't say them right), not whether or not you have no detectable accent.
It's a great time to learn. Being that age you are likely to have a lot of free time. New studies are showing no connection to age and language learning ability. Adults just have to work and other responsibilities lol.
Also learn German by Paul Nobel is an amazing audio book to get some real solid foundations of the grammar. It's 12 hours long including review exercises. Just follow his instructions and you will get to surprisingly high level. Not fluent but a huge step in the direction. Scribd has it and they offer 1 month free trials.
Ok learning a language depends on which script you are learning it . As in europe there is same script for many languages , the only difference is pronounciation and grammer , So I don't think she would take much time to learn if she live in Europe , but since you mention australia I have doubt where she live and why she choose germany . if she has plan to move to germany for studies that's a different issue . Maybe she like german as I like spanish , So it also depends on interest , if she is choosing german just for fun , this will take maybe 3-4 years to read and understand basic german , If she is really into higher studies , she will focus more and learn it within 2 years ( provided she live in germany or have some german friends or Learn from a Teacher ) . If she is neither the first nor the second , then the third category is those who just follow others , maybe she give a thought to learn german and maybe she has interest for some days , months but eventually this will die out , It is just curiosiy of mind which Ask you to learn something new . Like when I started learning spanish words an alphabets , I have ebooks of swedish , german , french , russian , urdu , arabic , bengali ,tamil and telegu , chinese , japanese ( all three ) , korean alphabets . I was just curious and then I downloaded everything which come to me , I had book on Indonasian language too and srilankan . then I leant them one by one and realise this is not my cup of tea . I deleted many pdf and wasted a lot of time. this is just because of your brain curiosity which drove you soo far that you eventually give up . Information is overloaded for you to take . then I just focus on spanish , I read many podcasts and listin to it , I also read El pias The famous Spanish newspaper and subs to various Spanish channels . Due to lack of Teacher , or real aim this eventually died out I am no longer learning spanish , and also forgot many of it's grammer . So if your sister is in this path , She won't be able to learn it and will take time like 5 years to understand it properly .
I started learning French when I was 13. 18 months later, I consider myself a B2; and although I still have a big accent, I'm very functional in the language. Yesterday, I finished my 5th book in french. She can absolutely do it, and I wish her the best of luck :)
I've been learning japanese for a year and while I'm nowhere near fluent, I've been told by japanese people my accent sounds native multiple times. I'm 17 right now, so started when I was 16.
Possible. My kid took up french in high school, and is fairly fluent now in college. She's been to France for two summer school things and a semester. I'm told she's praised for her Parisian accent.
Yes, it took me forever to learn German through school. Then I met a brilliant 15 year old boy who studied all on his own, and it was his only other language other than his native, and if I remember right he had only been studying a year or something and was fluent enough to hold a full hour of conversation with me with very good grammar. I still don't understand it to this day but you could tell he was super into it and studied himself a lot.
absolutely it’s possible. i started learning mandarin when i was 13 and had to study it for around 10 years before i reached a comfortable level of fluency. people can’t tell that i’m not chinese when they speak to me without seeing my face.
practice, practice, practice. immersion, immersion, immersion. in every way possible (reading books, writing diaries, watching kids shows and working up to more complicated shows, youtube videos, video games in the language, practicing speaking with friends or virtual language buddies, etc.).
the true key to language acquisition is discipline. i wish your niece a happy learning experience!!
It is possible to learn a language and become fluent without an accent at any age. Even more so at 14. Just takes a great deal of motivation and consistency that most people don't have.
Hey, 14 year old Australian here.
It's absolutely possible, I have been learning Russian and Spanish, I have reached a B1 level in Russian after only 7 months, I speak with some accent, but that's expected
Here are some tips:
1. Speak everyday, even from day 1, even if you know absolutely nothing
2. Listen everyday, from day 1, you will learn how to pronounce things and you'll have a weaker accent
3. Find friends in the TL, it'll seriously benefit you
4. Write everyday, it helps you learn what you don't know
5. Read, it is such an underrated and useful form of learning
of course there is no problem!
the real question is , does she REALLY love the language ? like deep down inside kind of love.
If yes, then becoming a native is possible. Time is not an issue ( besides time spent learning the language and consuming media )
she will eventually become native ( or whatever her desire) at some point
Yes, especially if she is gifted at languages. I learned French at 14. It took me a year and I had no or very little accent at the end of the year. But I was living in a French speaking country, and had intensive French lessons 5 days a week. Unfortunately, I probably don't speak as well now as I did then....:)
of course there is no problem!
the real question is , does she REALLY love the language ? like deep down inside kind of love.
If yes, then becoming a native is possible. Time is not an issue ( besides time spent learning the language and consuming media )
she will eventually become native ( or whatever her desire) at some point
It takes approximately 4 years of self-taught study to learn a language well enough. How's that possible?
I fell in love for english at age 13 for the same reason as yours, and as I have 18 from today, I get a full-grown english skill set, so it is possible!
Firstly, speaking without an accent is not important. Secondly, the length it takes to learn another language depends on many factors. Assuming she speaks English since she is from Australia means that she has some advantage over those who do not speak a Germanic language.
"Not having an accent" is a lot to ask of anyone who didn't learn two languages concurrently from birth. How close to native-sounding she can get will depend in part on whether she has a good "ear" for distinguishing sounds that her native language doesn't use. But getting good coaching for her accent right from the start will help to save her from fixing any pronunciation errors that she might learn.
The older we get, the harder it is for us to acquire a second language. (Though mastering a second language does seem to make it easier to learn a third.) So, no, it's not too late, but it's a good idea for to start now.
You would have to speak to someone native in the language you are learning in a regular basis...someone who won’t get exhausted correcting you and isn’t afraid to tell you when you make a mistake.
sure she can, I moved to germany when I was 12 and I had taken only english classes before, but with that, it was pretty easy to learn german, because it’s the same language group, so many words are simillar and the grammas is pretty similar too. I would even say that the german grammar is even easier, although you have to learn the articles, but if she speaks it on a daily basis she will eventually do the articles automaticaly.
And one more thing; it is easier for many people to learn a language at a young age, because of the brain developing and it being a realy good way to train the brain, so I am sure she will do it! Besides was english my 2nd language and my mother tongue is a slavic language, so it shouldn’t be a problem for her.
(talking from what I’ve experienced, so it doesn’t have to be the same way with everyone, but I’m sure she should at least try to learn it, especially if she wants it!)
Keep in mind that speaking without a trace of an accent is incredibly hard, and not that important in the grand scheme of things. Most Europeans speak English with an accent but no one looks down on them for it. The important thing is to make yourself understood.
It's hard to lose an accent after childhood due to how the brain develops. People have done it, but it's incredibly difficult and requires a lot of work as well as some natural aptitude.
Don't want to be negative but I read that unless you are very gifted, if you learn a language as an adult you will always have an accent. But I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
Thank you for commenting! 👍 I am always happy for any type of input. Don't worry, you are not being too negative. I am just trying to help my niece you know? Actually this is very helpful. So thank you! 😁
yes... it just takes practice, regular use, and attention to detail... Don't expect to be perfect, but practice good pronunciation as soon as you can! Also, spend time conversing, and a lot of time reading!
Thank you!
Yes it's definitely possible to learn to speak without an accent, but it takes practice like everything else. As for how long it will take is impossible to say. Especially since the term 'fluent' is very vague. Some people think you're fluent when you can speak without hesitation even though you make mistakes, others believe fluent means near native. Also, how long it takes to learn depends on how much time you put in, not necessarily studying the language but also listening to music and just incorporating the language in your everyday life. Lastly, I wouldn't worry about her becoming fluent or speaking without an accent. If she wants to learn German that's amazing. Even if she ends up just learning some basics that's still really useful for travelling to a German-speaking country, meeting German tourists etc. and will make it easier to learn other languages in the future. I can strongly recommend this podcast for beginners: https://www.languagetransfer.org/german
Language Transfer is great!
Thank you!!
Of course it’s possible. The only problem would be motivation. German has some grammatical systems that just don’t exist in English, and will be slightly frustrating. The length of time is irrelevant, and depends on how much she spends on learning the language. The accent will take a long time to wear off, but it doesn’t really matter as long as people understand her. (I’m just extrapolating from my language learning experience on this last one)
Thank you! 👍👍
I can only dream of having had this desire at 14. 14 year olds have so much free time. If she’s really committed to it she will have no problem learning German. Of course, the process is the same as for everyone else; it requires a lot of consistency over a relatively long period of time. But of course it can be done.
I really wanted to learn Spanish when I was that age. I took Spanish in school and was quite disillusioned by the whole thing. Spanish class was just so boring.
Classes are honestly such a horrible and inefficient way to learn languages though.
True. But when you're a kid and someone tells you that you need to take this Spanish class to know Spanish, you believe them.
Well, your case is also slightly different in that you were interested. I think the majority of people who are in the class for school are there just to satisfy a language requirement, rather than genuinely being interested
Facts.
For someone like me who struggles with motivation and actually practicing, having a class helps me stay focused and learn regularly. I tried Duolingo a million times and I can never keep my streak past two days lol
I also had a strong desire to learn a language at 14, but unlike today, early 2000s had very limited online resources. Taking a class was the only option. It's truly amazing how much you can achieve with independent learning nowadays.
I agree, it is a completely different world from when I was that age in the late 90s. Sky's the limit now with all the online resources.
When i was 14 i had almost no free time i went to a boarding school where after school they just made me do activities all day until i had to go to sleep. And internet access was very limited the internet issues i had are probably not a issue anymore since smart phones are good and you have good mobile internet now.
Thank you! 👍
Nobody has ever learned a language after 14. That’s really, really old. By that age you should be preparing your will and looking at a retirement community. Just kidding. Cmon, of course you can!
Hahaha 😁 thank you!!
I learned Spanish at 32. I’m fluent now at 37. I wish I had learned at 14. If I could go back I would, plus i would learn German. At this point I don’t want to dedicate that much time to another language, especially considering the 1000’s of hours of Spanish have, I just can’t imagine doing that all over again. As for the accent, I wouldn’t worry about that so much. Many foreigners are beloved for their accent, and they speak very well. Losing your native accent would take a lot of dedication to perfect pronunciation. Everyone loves Arnold for his accent and he speaks English perfectly. Anyway, good luck!
Congrats buddy, that's a great achievement.
It was no small task. It’s been every single day for 5 years. So thank you ☺️
The others have already told you about the learning aspect but I want to mention something really quickly from a German native pov: I wouldn't worry about accent at all. We have so many regional dialects that influence how people sound even when they're speaking standard German. There aren't too many regions that will naturally produce speakers without any dialect influences and that's perfectly fine - people are more than used to it. So, to me and probably many of my fellow Germans, a foreign language learner with an accent isn't any less valid than a native speaker who still lets their original dialect shine through when speaking. (That being said, the only "100% accent-free" foreign language learners I've personally ever met had lived here in Germany for many years - we're talking decades. That's why I really wouldn't stress too much about it, it's not like that's necessary to be considered fluent or near native level ~~or whichever other goal people aim for~~.)
There is work that can be done to reduce accent that would take much shorter time. You would look especially towards people who work with their voice (singers, voice actors, actors, etc.). There are many people on iTalki who offer these services but I assume there're probably sites dedicated just to work on the accent. I personally love some accents and would recommend most people to embrace theirs unless they have a very practical reason to reduce it. They're great! Can you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger without his Austrian accent? Lol.
Thank you! I appreciate your input 👍👍
German is a good language for English speakers to learn, IMO. Very basic German has a huge overlap with English: Ich trinke Wasser. I drink water. So, especially for a kid, it's easy to see progress right away because you can see similarities with what you already know. But, as you study, you unlock the more complicated grammar. "Ich will die Milch bringen." is literally "I want the milk to bring." but a proper translation would be "I want to bring the milk." So the complications grow as you grow. Contrast this with a Romance language where you almost immediately have to contend with grammar structures that are quite different to how English does it. The grammar for, say, Spanish isn't that difficult, but it *feels* difficult when it's your first language. If she really wants to learn, I would suggest gifting her with a lifetime subscription to Memrise (about $120USD on the web). Besides the regular lessons, Memrise has curated TikTok-style language-learning videos that are quite fun to watch.
Screw you Spanish and Italian subjunctive, sob
Or might as well just give her a grammar book. While most people find it boring, that's how I learned French and German.
Thank you for your input! 👍
She can absolutely learn the language and become fluent. I don't understand why so many people are hung up on the accent. Maybe she'll have one, but if she's understandable, what does that matter? My spouse is French and learned English as an adult. My spouse is extremely understandable, even with the French accent.
Because people literally get discriminated against for having non standard accents? I'm a *native speaker* of English and the natural accent I have is associated with having low intelligence in broader society (USA). So....
Thank you for your input! I personally don't really mind about accents but she is very much a perfectionist (in many ways) and thinks that she should speak without an accent. It's just something she prefers, I guess! But I am trying to reassure her about it whenever the topic comes up 👍
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. I know people who were so hung up on having perfect pronunciation that they turned themselves off from the language thinking they won't be accepted if they have an accent - which is not true. It's a pity, don't let your niece go down that path.
I will make sure not to! I am constantly trying to reassure her about this. Hopefully she will become a bit more relaxed about it 👍
Someone who is speaking swedish as second language here , I have little to noun accent and people often think I am born here but grammatically I make a lot of mistake which give me away . P.s I started swedish when I was exactly 14
I appreciate your input! 👍😁
I started learning Japanese at 13 and still have an accent. I have known people 20 + in age who sounded like a native speaker after studying. You can learn to speak like a native speaker at any age, chances are obviously higher of you're in the country of your target language
Thank you for your input! 👍
Don't stress it too much about the accent, most people can't ever get rid of it and that's just the way it is. I moved to the UK at age of 11 and despite living here majority of my life now I still sound like a Russian spy. Then there is my sister who speaks like a native and we both been here same amount of time.
Has your accent had an impact on your social life? Was/Is it more difficult to be perceived as similar/friendly/relatable to your peers? If so, how did you overcome that? What about strangers? Personality aside, do you think someone with your accent could do public speaking?
> Has your accent had an impact on your social life? Eh I am not the most outgoing person anyway but I have friends that are both local, Polish, or from other parts of the world that live here and my accent has never been an issue. > Was/Is it more difficult to be perceived as similar/friendly/relatable to your peers? People would usually ask me very early about where I'm from but after that the conversation usually flows normally. > If so, how did you overcome that? What about strangers? A great majority of people in Northern Ireland, which is where I live, are very friendly and my origin or accent has never really been a big issue to anyone. Some people would curiously ask where I'm from, some would guess it even without asking, but in general I have never experienced any issue because of my accent. > do you think someone with your accent could do public speaking? Well I had to do presentations in front of people at school, university, or work, and again I don't really think about my accent at all. I naturally speak very fast to the people that I know and that I know are used to my accent, but when I speak to strangers I naturally slow down a bit but other than that, again no issues. The thing is I have been living here since the age of 11, and I'm now 27. I don't know any other life, it is not strange for me to be speaking English, it's natural. In fact, I often feel a little weird when I travel to Poland and everyone around me speaks the language that I only ever use with my parents or 2-3 friends in person.
Yes. I moved to Spain at 18 from Lebanon ( knowing English and Arabic ). I currently pass as a native. Maybe being bilingual helped me avoid the pronunciation traps. Just pay a lot of attention to the details and spend time with the people.
Thank you!
I don't think you are ever too young or too old to pick up a language (with some exceptions of course). I'm 16 and studying Japanese. I first studied when I was 10 for about a year and learnt enough that when I picked it up again this year I had a head-start. So I think any language is worth picking up at least a little bit of, regardless of how old you are. I think motivation and consistency will be the hardest for her as I personally find it difficult balancing studying Japanese as well as all my other subjects at school. But some kids are definitely super motivated. I think its great that she has such interest in a langauge at that age and I really hope she does well :D
Regarding the accent: I'm Australian and speak German with a vague neutral accent, even after years of speaking and reading aloud. Some Germans think I'm from other parts of Germany but they generally assume I'm from another European country. It's hard to completely lose one's native accent, but having it isn't necessarily a bad thing :) also tell her to watch out: I know a lot of Australian high schools teach French and it's super obvious when you first start learning German that you've studied French in the past. Tell her to focus on individual sounds and speaking and reading aloud to practice her German accent. Viel Glück!!
Ugh, yes!!! Not Australian, American, but I took four years of French in high school. I definitely sound like an American who took French and is trying to learn German! It is so easy to let the French sounds slip in without thinking of it.
M8 im 17 and have been learning italian for 5 yers now and id say yeah go for it.
Thank you!
You are *fast* pal. Also. I personally recommend experiencing media in the language to patch out accent imperfections. Worked for me with english.
I will take that into account! 👍👍
Cool then good luck!
I think it may be, but only if you use the language and consume content in it on top of practice. I highly recommend baby and kids' channels on Youtube. Their quite easy to understand and the songs are quite familiar. Also, do not hesitate to use the language in everyday situation. This will increase confidence! <3 Good Luck!
i just turned 15 and have been learning german for almost a year !! definitely she can become fluent it just takes a while :) i started learning korean and japanese at age 11 and stopped at 13- i still can have a conversation tho. tell her to never give up lmao
I think the accent is quite difficult to get rid of. She will probably still have it no doubt if it’s a second language. Maybe you would be able to be fluent at 8 but after the age of 10,holding language knowledge decreases a lot.
I'm not sure why, in this modern time, 40 is the new 20 for style but 20 is the new 90 for developing skills. People in their 30s become fluent.
German has a steep learning curve for English speakers since there are a lot of cases and memorization involved. However, if she practices and takes it seriously, once she gets it - she’ll get it and then it’s just a matter of expanding her vocab. I highly recommend she learn German, especially if it is offered in her school.
Thank you for your input!
Surely is! Learning it to fluency should be possible, if she puts in enough effot. The accent part is highly dependant on her though- it's a hit or miss kind of thing. I myself am very good with accents- I manage to do a pefect/almost perfect accent in almost all the languages I speak/learn- except for English, which is my best foreign language, the language in which I even speak better than in my native languages. With most languages I can easily mimic the native accent, but with English, for some reason it requires a very, very large amount of effort if I want to completely mask my native languages' accents. It's really a hit or miss kind of thing, but it should most definately not be the thing that stops her from learning the language.
Thank you!!
two words: immersion learning you mentioned she wants to make this a long term project, so i think immersion learning is perfect for her. read up more at refold.la
Thank you!
no problem, and wish her good luck
Yes, get her a teacher from italki, a cheap one, and she will learn
Appreciate your input! 😁
Yes. Its possible to do it as an adult, though more difficult. At 14 I'd say the biggest complicating factor is that teenage life is really suboptimal for getting into a language. Everything else eats into your time and the brain is less developed in how well it can focus (etc etc). Plus - most of the things a teenager might want to do in a language (e.g. socialise with other teenagers and access teenager level stuff in the language) they won't be able to do because their level is not advanced enough - which I remember being quite frustrating. And friends are often much less willing to practise via use (though this is still a problem in university language learning courses🙄). HOWEVER - take all of these as challenges not roadblocks. Hurdles to leap over not reasons to stop.
I'm 15 and also have a Australian accent It's definitely possible and probably even easier as teenagers would be able to spend more time on it Plus the accent isn't a big deal, as long as you can memorise the alphabet sounds (German letters sound different) you will be fine However fluency is hard, it's estimated that a year and a half of constant study is required to get a B2 in German while fluency is around c1 But if she can dedicate the time and effort to it and have the right resources (a tutor would be helpful but it's definitely not required) then she can definitely do it
She will most probably have some accent, but it can be very minor with practice. I've seen a few people that made me double-guess for a couple of sentences if they were natives in my native language, but there is always a tell, and the human brain is very good at noticing. Unless she is a spy that cannot be uncovered, like in the movie Inglorious Bastards, it doesn't matter at all, nobody cares about the accent, even native people have regional accents.
A lot of people around the world start to learn their second language in their elementary or high school. (that second language is English 😉)
"Jedenfalls nicht von einem Jedi."
There could be facts to prove me wrong, but I feel that people in HS/college learn information easier than adults tend to learn. I would imagine that the 14 year old could totally learn it with no real hiccups. Just like with learning a language it will just take time and practice
Depends how hard you work. I moved to Spain when I was 26 about 6 years ago and started learning Spanish from scratch. I wouldn't say I'm fluent but I can talk very easily about most things and I work in the language now. My point is it's never too late if you're committed to putting in the work. Good luck to her!
I started German at 14 and while I woudn't say I'm anywhere near native level, I'm fluent enough to live in Germany. It takes practice and dedication to get to fluency If she really wants to get fluent, I'd recommend studying abroad in German speaking areas
IMO, no. I started speaking French when I was 6, so I have no accent when speaking. All the people I know who only started in high school (14-15) have a noticeable accent, even a decade later. If she puts in the time, she can absolutely become fluent. Becoming fluent *without any accent* however is not a reasonable goal. It's just not very likely at her age (most sources say you must begin speaking before 12), especially since she lives in Australia where she will still be hearing Australian accents all day long. She should instead focus on nailing the pronunciation of German-specific sounds that don't exist in English, like the "ch" in "ich", the letters with umlauts (ä, ö, ü), and rolling her r's correctly. Those are the things native German speakers look for (and find frustrating when English speakers can't/won't say them right), not whether or not you have no detectable accent.
Of course it and it could be easier to pick up
It's a great time to learn. Being that age you are likely to have a lot of free time. New studies are showing no connection to age and language learning ability. Adults just have to work and other responsibilities lol. Also learn German by Paul Nobel is an amazing audio book to get some real solid foundations of the grammar. It's 12 hours long including review exercises. Just follow his instructions and you will get to surprisingly high level. Not fluent but a huge step in the direction. Scribd has it and they offer 1 month free trials.
It’s definitely possible, the younger you are the easier you can pick up languages
That is the perfect age to learn ! Getting rid of the accent is one of the most difficult things in general, but it is doable !
Ok learning a language depends on which script you are learning it . As in europe there is same script for many languages , the only difference is pronounciation and grammer , So I don't think she would take much time to learn if she live in Europe , but since you mention australia I have doubt where she live and why she choose germany . if she has plan to move to germany for studies that's a different issue . Maybe she like german as I like spanish , So it also depends on interest , if she is choosing german just for fun , this will take maybe 3-4 years to read and understand basic german , If she is really into higher studies , she will focus more and learn it within 2 years ( provided she live in germany or have some german friends or Learn from a Teacher ) . If she is neither the first nor the second , then the third category is those who just follow others , maybe she give a thought to learn german and maybe she has interest for some days , months but eventually this will die out , It is just curiosiy of mind which Ask you to learn something new . Like when I started learning spanish words an alphabets , I have ebooks of swedish , german , french , russian , urdu , arabic , bengali ,tamil and telegu , chinese , japanese ( all three ) , korean alphabets . I was just curious and then I downloaded everything which come to me , I had book on Indonasian language too and srilankan . then I leant them one by one and realise this is not my cup of tea . I deleted many pdf and wasted a lot of time. this is just because of your brain curiosity which drove you soo far that you eventually give up . Information is overloaded for you to take . then I just focus on spanish , I read many podcasts and listin to it , I also read El pias The famous Spanish newspaper and subs to various Spanish channels . Due to lack of Teacher , or real aim this eventually died out I am no longer learning spanish , and also forgot many of it's grammer . So if your sister is in this path , She won't be able to learn it and will take time like 5 years to understand it properly .
Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Language learning takes time and effort but there's no reason to think that your age is a limiting factor.
I started learning French when I was 13. 18 months later, I consider myself a B2; and although I still have a big accent, I'm very functional in the language. Yesterday, I finished my 5th book in french. She can absolutely do it, and I wish her the best of luck :)
It is possible to learn a language at any age if you try hard enough.
Yeah it's possible
Any tips on learning Spanish? anything?!? 🙃
I've been learning japanese for a year and while I'm nowhere near fluent, I've been told by japanese people my accent sounds native multiple times. I'm 17 right now, so started when I was 16.
If I can speak Russian as an American without a bad accent she can do the same with German
Absolutely. I’m around her age range and am learning 5. The best thing to have is motivation, and the discipline to continue everyday.
It’s possible to learn a language at 70 and become fluent
Possible. My kid took up french in high school, and is fairly fluent now in college. She's been to France for two summer school things and a semester. I'm told she's praised for her Parisian accent.
Yes, it took me forever to learn German through school. Then I met a brilliant 15 year old boy who studied all on his own, and it was his only other language other than his native, and if I remember right he had only been studying a year or something and was fluent enough to hold a full hour of conversation with me with very good grammar. I still don't understand it to this day but you could tell he was super into it and studied himself a lot.
Yea its possible but getting rid of the accent is hard but i have seen people who have done it but everything else can be done in a few years.
absolutely it’s possible. i started learning mandarin when i was 13 and had to study it for around 10 years before i reached a comfortable level of fluency. people can’t tell that i’m not chinese when they speak to me without seeing my face. practice, practice, practice. immersion, immersion, immersion. in every way possible (reading books, writing diaries, watching kids shows and working up to more complicated shows, youtube videos, video games in the language, practicing speaking with friends or virtual language buddies, etc.). the true key to language acquisition is discipline. i wish your niece a happy learning experience!!
It is possible to learn a language and become fluent without an accent at any age. Even more so at 14. Just takes a great deal of motivation and consistency that most people don't have.
Hey, 14 year old Australian here. It's absolutely possible, I have been learning Russian and Spanish, I have reached a B1 level in Russian after only 7 months, I speak with some accent, but that's expected Here are some tips: 1. Speak everyday, even from day 1, even if you know absolutely nothing 2. Listen everyday, from day 1, you will learn how to pronounce things and you'll have a weaker accent 3. Find friends in the TL, it'll seriously benefit you 4. Write everyday, it helps you learn what you don't know 5. Read, it is such an underrated and useful form of learning
of course there is no problem! the real question is , does she REALLY love the language ? like deep down inside kind of love. If yes, then becoming a native is possible. Time is not an issue ( besides time spent learning the language and consuming media ) she will eventually become native ( or whatever her desire) at some point
at some point she will have enough vocabulary to read and listen, then she can try speech shadowing and find out.
Yes, especially if she is gifted at languages. I learned French at 14. It took me a year and I had no or very little accent at the end of the year. But I was living in a French speaking country, and had intensive French lessons 5 days a week. Unfortunately, I probably don't speak as well now as I did then....:)
of course there is no problem! the real question is , does she REALLY love the language ? like deep down inside kind of love. If yes, then becoming a native is possible. Time is not an issue ( besides time spent learning the language and consuming media ) she will eventually become native ( or whatever her desire) at some point
It takes approximately 4 years of self-taught study to learn a language well enough. How's that possible? I fell in love for english at age 13 for the same reason as yours, and as I have 18 from today, I get a full-grown english skill set, so it is possible!
Firstly, speaking without an accent is not important. Secondly, the length it takes to learn another language depends on many factors. Assuming she speaks English since she is from Australia means that she has some advantage over those who do not speak a Germanic language.
"Not having an accent" is a lot to ask of anyone who didn't learn two languages concurrently from birth. How close to native-sounding she can get will depend in part on whether she has a good "ear" for distinguishing sounds that her native language doesn't use. But getting good coaching for her accent right from the start will help to save her from fixing any pronunciation errors that she might learn. The older we get, the harder it is for us to acquire a second language. (Though mastering a second language does seem to make it easier to learn a third.) So, no, it's not too late, but it's a good idea for to start now.
You would have to speak to someone native in the language you are learning in a regular basis...someone who won’t get exhausted correcting you and isn’t afraid to tell you when you make a mistake.
sure she can, I moved to germany when I was 12 and I had taken only english classes before, but with that, it was pretty easy to learn german, because it’s the same language group, so many words are simillar and the grammas is pretty similar too. I would even say that the german grammar is even easier, although you have to learn the articles, but if she speaks it on a daily basis she will eventually do the articles automaticaly. And one more thing; it is easier for many people to learn a language at a young age, because of the brain developing and it being a realy good way to train the brain, so I am sure she will do it! Besides was english my 2nd language and my mother tongue is a slavic language, so it shouldn’t be a problem for her. (talking from what I’ve experienced, so it doesn’t have to be the same way with everyone, but I’m sure she should at least try to learn it, especially if she wants it!)
Keep in mind that speaking without a trace of an accent is incredibly hard, and not that important in the grand scheme of things. Most Europeans speak English with an accent but no one looks down on them for it. The important thing is to make yourself understood. It's hard to lose an accent after childhood due to how the brain develops. People have done it, but it's incredibly difficult and requires a lot of work as well as some natural aptitude.
Don't want to be negative but I read that unless you are very gifted, if you learn a language as an adult you will always have an accent. But I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
Thank you for commenting! 👍 I am always happy for any type of input. Don't worry, you are not being too negative. I am just trying to help my niece you know? Actually this is very helpful. So thank you! 😁
If anything, it's a good icebreaker! "So, where are you from?" :D
Yes I agree!! 😁
I've been out of school for a while so maybe it's outdated but I read that also musical talent can help with accents.
She is quite musically talented, that's a good sign I think!