Why do some people learn new languages easily and some don't?

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Still, the very question of who has aptitude and who doesn't may get to the heart of the divide. If you approach a subject thinking that you're not very good at it, you may not work as hard to master it. So approaching a foreign language with the sense that it's hard may affect your ability to learn it. The attitude with which you approach the language is important, so if you can't stand Chinese food, that may influence your performance in Mandarin class. On the other hand, if you're motivated to learn Mandarin so that you can speak to your grandmother in her native tongue, you may find that you have an easier time picking it up. And immersion is also important -- if you wake up in China one morning and need to get around by yourself, you may pick it up very quickly indeed. Teachers say that with enough hard work, motivation and practice, those who may not think they're good at foreign language may end up being star pupils.