Rewriting the Rules: A New Paradigm for Language Learning (No. 2)
How the Industry Marginalizes 'Non-Native' Speakers And Why WeCultivate Stands for Change.
Written by Michelle K (Founder of WeCultivate). Originally published Feb 2025 on the main WeCultivate site. This is a repost, lightly updated and reformatted for Substack.
The language learning industry has no qualms about how it generates profit—trading the authenticity of non-native speakers as currency.
No matter which language you’re learning, the system perpetuates outdated narratives of “native speaker superiority” to keep its wheels turning. These antiquated beliefs have not only resisted change in our modern, interconnected world but also deeply ingrained a culture of knowledge-gatekeeping and exploitation.
Technology, instead of resolving these issues, has only exacerbated them. Apps and digital tools promise miraculous results for 'anyone, anywhere,' while sidestepping the real challenges faced by real working adults—those navigating diverse professional roles or adapting to multicultural and globalized environments at a pace that traditional methods can't keep up with.
And yet, instead of innovating to meet these challenges, much of the industry clings to manipulative sales tactics, trapping clients and learners in an endless cycle of dependence.
Harmful Narratives to Generate Profitability
Everywhere, non-native speakers are told:
“You must improve yourself.”
“You must fix what you lack.”
“You must strive to imitate native speakers if you want true acceptance.”
This message has permeated every corner of the industry, from accent reduction courses to apps, books, and programs claiming to hold the elusive secret to “native-like” mastery. (Whatever that’s supposed to mean.)
At its core, the narrative suggests this: You weren’t lucky enough to be born into your target language.
And for that, you must compensate. In other words...
You must pay.
But the cost of this message runs far deeper than money.
Non-native speakers are often taught to reject the very essence of who they are:
Their roots and origins.
Their ideas, thoughts, and expertise.
Their unique contributions to a globalized world.
They are told to conform, to erase, to replace themselves—piece by piece—until they no longer recognize the person they were before they began this journey.
WeCultivate exists to challenge this toxic cycle.
We believe all learners, no, people should have:
The power to decide how a new language integrates into their life.
The freedom to see learning as a privilege, not a punishment.
The opportunity to grow without losing who they are.
We believe it’s your right to reclaim your sovereignty in a world that seeks to strip it away—one that encourages you to stay quiet, follow blindly, and wait. For permission to belong.
We believe you deserve to be treated like an actual HUMAN BEING.
With the full respect of your unique voice, experiences, and contributions.
No longer relegated to the sidelines or forced to fit into a mold that was never meant for you to begin with.We’re here to re-empower adult language learners, giving them the tools and confidence to take back control of their learning paths and growth journeys.
We can no longer stand idly by as spectators to passive, disengaged learning or forced conformity.
Language learning shouldn’t feel like dismantling the Ship of Theseus—losing yourself piece by piece until nothing original remains.
It should and CAN be a beautiful opportunity to add new dimensions to who you are, to expand, to evolve.
To discover parts of yourself you never knew could exist.
At WeCultivate, we believe that:
Integration of new parts is not wrong.
Appreciation of new cultures is not wrong.
But forcing someone to erase their identity and conform to an ideal they can never fully embody—like striving to become something they were never meant to be—and claiming that’s the path to living “freely”?
That’s not just wrong. It’s inaccurate.
We did not control where we were born or the languages we were raised to speak.
To demand that we erase who we are—our experiences, our truths—things that do not rely on a singular language or cultural identity, just to be accepted?
It’s the ugly manifestation of power dynamics that have long been used to control and suppress.
One that doesn’t always depend on how you look, but always on how you sound.
A Choice: One You Maybe Didn’t Know You Had.
WeCultivate recognizes that much of the psychological and emotional burdens of language learning stems from these overlooked truths.
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Because we are not machines.
We are not here to simply import and export data.
We are living, thinking, feeling human beings.
And we deserve to feel empowered in every aspect of our communication—no matter what language we’re currently using or grew up speaking.
To show everyone that, unlike our ancestors, we do have a choice.
To surround ourselves with those who language as a tool for growth and discovery.
To embrace new languages as an opportunity to add to who we are—not subtract.
To stop tearing ourselves apart to fit into someone else’s idea of ‘accepted perfection’.
To challenge a longstanding institution that profits from our insecurities.
Read the full piece at: https://www.wecultivate.world/new-paradigm-language-learning
Get connected with Michelle here on Substack by subscribing to her new publication, The Communication Shift.