Right and wrong in English

15 Aug 2025 · 1 min

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Hadar Shemesh argues that school systems teach a binary right/wrong mindset about language learning (you either get the answer right or wrong and are rewarded/punished), which creates a lasting fear of making mistakes. That fear inhibits learners from speaking freely in a second language; the speaker frames this educational pattern as foundational to how people think about language learning.

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People are so afraid of being perceived as not intelligent. I think that the problem starts in school, because when you learn a second language or when you learn anything, it's either you get it right or you don't. It's either you say the right thing or you don't. And you get points for saying the right thing or giving the right answer and you lose points, or you get punished for making mistakes or saying the wrong answers. And I think that pattern, that binary idea of either you're right or you're wrong is the foundation of how we think about learning a language or speaking another language. And being constantly afraid of making mistakes like we were in school is really not helping you feel free and speak freely.