The Difference Between Learning a Second Language and Learning a Mother Tongue

Your mother tongue is what you naturally learn as you grow from a baby to a grown-up individual. Basically, it is because of the environment you live in from day one. The people surrounding you are the bringers of your so-called "mother tongue" that you imbibed until a certain moment when you’re able to get out of that place and be exposed to a different language. Your native language learning does not start at school but at home at a very young age.

Learning your mother tongue comes naturally as if your mind has been programmed to speak that language since the day you were born. Just imagine how babies understand some of the words that the parents say to them at a young age like "hi" and "hello", "mama" and papa, and many more. Your mother tongue is the language you can never really forget even when you reach old age or when you finally learn a new language.

But, how do you learn a second language? Typically, it is a language you learn formally from an institution.

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To learn a second language, there are certain things you need to do to succeed. Some of the most effective ways are the following:

1. Decide on what language you want to learn. Once you found an interesting language to learn, you can already start finding valuable resources for it.
2. Look for a reputable website to enroll in for formal learning of a second language. If you are aiming for it as a requirement in your career or studies, it is best done in a class with a professional or native speaker teaching you how to do it. But, if it is only for leisure or traveling, you can try doing it on your own such as reading books, news articles, or watching movies and TV shows that use the target second language.
3. Find a study buddy or a tutor to help you make a follow-up of what's been taught in school and for you to have someone to ask in case there is something you do not understand.

There is really nothing wrong with learning a new language aside from the one you already know. It's like having a bigger world than the one you already have. 

You need language to communicate. That’s why the more languages you can speak, the better connection you can have to the world around you. Enjoy learning and have fun in every step of the process!