Czech Books A pioneering Czech academic explores how our native tongue influences the way we see the world
What goes on in our mind when we learn a foreign language? Why do we find it so much harder than learning our mother tongue? And what can we do to make the often painful process of learning languages easier? These are just a few of the questions that have long fascinated the Czech psycholinguist Barbara Schmiedtová. Still in her mid thirties, Barbara has taught and researched at many top European universities, and has published extensively in English, German and Dutch – all of which see speaks fluently alongside her native Czech – exploring the pioneering science of psycholinguistics. Put simply, this is the study of what goes on in our head when we are speaking and understanding language. When we met in Prague a few days ago, Barbara told me about the research she is currently carrying out at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and about her particular interest in second-language learning.
Barbara Schmiedtová, photo: David Vaughan
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