Some of the most compelling feelings that engulf an individual when he or she wants to learn a language are excitement or fear. Lots of people get to learn a language because they love the idea of speaking to the native speakers of that language well enough and in the process build long-lasting relationships. This is just one of the compelling positive reasons to learn a language. On the other hand, the fear of not speaking correctly, making errors and failing in taking & passing tests hinders people from learning a language.
Some of the most compelling feelings that engulf an individual when he or she wants to learn a language are excitement or fear. Lots of people get to learn a language because they love the idea of speaking to the native speakers of that language well enough and in the process build long-lasting relationships. This is just one of the compelling positive reasons to learn a language. On the other hand, the fear of not speaking correctly, making errors and failing in taking & passing tests hinders people from learning a language.
Even those who start learning a language fall short of it when they are faced with temporary problems along the way that disrupt the easy flow of learning. These problems can be caused by their overreliance on the language teacher or even lack of availability of language speakers to speak the language with around the places they live, work and study.
All these, I believe, come from an abundance or lack of belief in oneself and a burning desire to learn the language at all costs. The problems or obstacles people face when learning a language is not as strong an issue as their constant disbelief as they attempt to learn the language. They most times disbelief in the methods they adopt in learning the language, in the teacher or coach who is responsible in teaching them the language or even in the process they must undergo to learn the language.
My Own Story
Let me tell you of stories that run in my mind about this subject matter as I write this blog post. The first one is that which I was opportune to witness during my stay in the University of Ilorin as an undergraduate of the linguistics department who was taking elective courses from the department of French Language.
I was not getting much from the class teachings just like my colleagues maybe due to the fact that the initial exposure I got of the language from secondary school was more or less insufficient for my survivability in the course work for the university program I was a part of. Similarly, my course mates had the same or similar issues with the borrowed courses but I wanted to really make the best out of my stay in the university, so I went ahead to meet the lecturers-in-charge of the courses about my situation.
The first lecturer became furious about all I told her about not understanding her course work and feeling as if we the linguistics students were being marginalized in the classroom due to the teaching focus of lecturers onto the French students but I didn’t let her shut me down and pleaded for help. She didn’t have the time but advised me to get help from the so-called French students who were one or more years advanced than me in the course.
So, I ventured into getting a student tutor to assist me in the course work. I eventually met someone by accident through one of my colleagues who was seeking help the French student whilst I was walking by. I stopped, listened to their conversation and tendered my own case. He felt sorry for the both of us and extended a helping hand by scheduling a weekly Saturday tutorial classes for two of us which I religiously attended throughout the year and the following one just to become confident in the language learning process. This paid off as I eventually began to speak the language little by little, participate in class discussions and even excel in tests and examinations with distinctions.
As these were going on, I realized that my colleagues who complained about the same issues I had did nothing about it to improve their comprehension in classes and worse still those that even went a step further to get tutors or attend extra classes backed out when they felt tired of studying or became pessimistic about the whole learning process. Throughout my years teaching people languages, I have often met people like that who at one point would be eager to learn the language and after some time would back down. I also have even embarked on some language learning processes and later abandoned them due to these reasons.
The First Thing to Possess
So, I have come to see that truly the very first thing you need to consider when attempting to learn a language is the BURNING DESIRE to learn it and a NEVER-ENDING REASON why you want to learn that language. I ask you and my students today;
Why do you want to learn the language?
On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to learning the language?
What sacrifices can you make to help you learn the language?
Which other solutions can you use to solve your problems aside learning this language?
Or is it better off for you to learn another language aside this language ?
If you are not answering these questions the ways that is expected, then I would as I always will advice that you should not waste your time to dive into learning the language. It would not be worth it for you. Ask yourself these questions not only when you want to start learning the language but also when you have started and when you are already getting tired of learning that particular language. If the responses have waned, then drop the language. If it is still the same, take yourself up and push yourself to continue on that journey.Your Vision Board
In addition to just asking yourselves these questions, I would like you to take a step forward to pinning them down on a wall or close to your bed or on your dining table, or in front of the mirror, or inside the convenience, practically anywhere you would always see it every day as it would remind you why you must learn the language and what you stand to gain by doing so.
Remember this language learning process is a mind game as much as any other thing you would want to achieve. So, you must train or trick your mind into believing that it is the only way out for you to get what you want in life. For those seeking to migrate to Canada for instance, I often always tell them to picture themselves in Canada, having a very good job, happy family, nice house and car among other eccentricities of life as a result of their learning of the French language and excelling in the TEF Canada exam. That way they can see for themselves why they need to give it all their best to improve their CRS scores in the Express Entry Pool of the Canadian Immigration Program.
In addition to you picturing these outcomes, get a picture or even a short video on your vision board, phone screen, tablet or laptop that would constantly remind you more of the benefits awaiting you from taking the learning seriously and I bet you when you truly start learning the language you would have a burning desire and a die-hard zeal to going through it even when the other way out seems inevitable.
Do you have any questions for me? Please ask me in the comment section of this post. Do not forget to rate and share this video to your language learning partners, friends and colleagues. I do hope to talk to you soon. Bye for now!