In my fifties I decided I wanted to learn French and made up my mind that I would speak it no matter how ignorant I appeared (and actually was). I would say that for learners older than 10 or 12 a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at oneself is critical to learning to speak another language. After a year of college French, 2 Elderhostel French programs in Quebec and France and Rosetta Stone software, I managed on my own in France for a month - rarely having to resort to English. The French were very patient with me, and I grinned and gestured a lot. I also learned a lot of French. The key to success for me was getting over my fear of making a fool of myself. So what if I sounded like a retarded preschooler with a deformed mouth; the French could almost understand me even if I couldn’t always understand them. “Lentimente, sil vous plait!” [”Slowly, please!”]usually worked.

So, for teen and adult learners, I’d say the psychological element is critical.

I just stumbled on your blog post and I’m interested to hear about how you’re getting on with the MLN. I also notice that the comments and original post are quite old.