S4E31: You don’t need to reinvent the wheel

Full transcript:

Good morning, happy Monday, and welcome to the Language Confidence Project, the daily dose of language courage for people who love languages, and those who really don’t, but have to learn one anyway. And today, I’m just popping in with a quick reminder as we start off this week that carving our own path does not mean we need to reinvent the wheel.

Because sometimes, when I talk about carving our own path in language learning, and when we listen to the same messages in business, or creative living or any other sector, I worry that the message could be interpreted as “the old ways aren’t working. The popular ways aren’t working. Abandon immediately and find the new and better ways”. And if that’s how we internalise it, we can find that we become too quick to reject anything that we think is too established or that too many other people are doing. Because, now we’re thinking our path needs to be unique, right?

So today, I just wanted to send a quick message that will take the pressure off that you need to be the only one doing these things. Carving your own path doesn’t mean you have to resist conforming at all costs. It doesn’t mean, the only way is to diverge. It doesn’t even mean that the right way for you is necessarily obscure or hard to find. 

To find what’s right for you and pursue a path that will make your language learning creative and fun and meaningful, you don’t need to pioneer brand new and never-before-seen methods. There’s no pressure to be original in any single one of the things you do or the resources you pick or the routines you commit to.

You just need to have the courage to look really honestly, really openly, at who you are and what you need, and then to try things with a view to finding what really works for you. You need to have the confidence to stay loyal to what sits comfortably next to your personality, what works alongside your day to day life, and what spark, and keeps,  your interest.

Carving your own path doesn’t mean you have to abandon all trodden paths and wander off into the unknown. It means, do what’s truly, honestly right for you.

So go out there, trust your instincts, and follow what looks good! Chase what piques your curiosity. And let yourself enjoy this process.

And if you like what I do, please support me! The Language Confidence project is growing and all sorts of exciting things are happening in the next few months, and I need your help to make all of this happen. There are so many ways that you could lend a hand right now. If you know someone who would benefit from listening to this podcast, send them a quick message with the episode attached. If you work in or know someone in a language school or a university language department, please suggest this podcast for both them and their students. If you can and you want to, support me on Patreon, because I have a Patreon now, and the link is in my bio! And finally, if you’re new around here or I haven’t met you yet, or come and talk to me! Leave a comment on today’s episode on a positit on Instagram, send me a DM, or even better, book a call as part of the 100 Conversations Project with me! The link to that is also in my Instagram bio at @teawithemily. I would love to hear from you.