Advice on Language Learning, Travel, and Living Abroad
When learning a new language many negative thoughts can plague you.
But one stands out as probably the most destructive thought a language learner can have.
Think it enough, and it could be curtains for your language dreams.
What thought it is?
The word studying has gotten a bad reputation in the last few years.
Mention the word and you see people cringe in agony.
To study is to die a long painful death due to immense boredom.
Language bloggers who dare to use the word, risk the chance of being called old fashioned and outdated.
We no longer study a language, we learn it instead.
We all have tough moments in our language-learning journeys.
And as much as we would like, preventing them entirely is impossible.
Any kind of learning involves at least some pain:
Whether it’s study frustration, or embarrassment from pronouncing a word incorrectly in a conversation…..
No matter what you do, some frustration is inevitable in order to grow. You can’t learn something worthwhile without challenging yourself.
That challenge can be felt as a kind of pain, a frustration. A frustration that can quickly build up, and when it does, you just might want to throw all your learning materials into the trash can.
And if your learning material is digital, you might want to smash your Smart Phone into pieces as well.
The trick, then, is to not let that frustration get the better of you.
A simple shift of mind is usually enough to accomplish that.
Sorry!
You can’t learn a new language in a month.
No matter what they promise you, it’s not going to happen. (At least not until they invent a language chip they can insert into your brain.)
Learning a new language is a rather lengthy process. It’s not something you do for a while and then you’re done. Some would say it’s a lifetime project.
When it comes to learning foreign vocabulary, rote learning is what most language learners dread most.
Fortunately, research now suggests that vocabulary is best learned by using the different senses.
According to a recent study, done by the Max Planck Institute, performing gestures while learning new words is particularly effective.