S5E13: Language learning doesn’t need to feel far from home

Full transcript:

Good morning, happy Wednesday and welcome to the Language Confidence Project, the daily dose of language courage for those who love languages and those who really don’t, but have to learn one anyway. And today, I just wanted to pop in with a quick message that, especially if you are learning a language through need rather than choice, you might really need to hear. And that is this: language learning doesn’t need to feel far from home.

Yesterday, I ran a workshop as part of the Be Your Own Best Teacher taster called “How can we make this more fun?”, and this is exactly what we looked at: How can we explore what brings us joy in the rest of our lives and bring that into our language learning more. Because I think a lot of people still get told, directly and indirectly, that loving language learning means learning to love textbook learning and vocab drills, or finding a gamified app, and eventually letting themselves watch crime dramas of an evening in their new language when they think they’re ready. But that’s not true, at all.

And I also think that idea is reinforced by all the messages we see from studygrams, from the media, from films that if we’re going to put our minds to something, learn something new and go the long haul with it, we’re going to need to completely transform ourselves and our lives. That that thing becomes an all-consuming focus in our lives, late nights, early mornings, skipped meals, and a day full of hustle and grind as the main character strives to master their new thing. They either learn to love the process, grit their teeth through the process, or they fall behind. And so today, I just wanted to say that, granted that’s one way of doing it, but it’s not the only one that leads to success, not at all, and you can absolutely house your language learning in the familiarity of your life rather than feeling like you have to build a new life for yourself around it.

Your language doesn’t need to be a thing that comes in, upturns your whole routine and changes life as you know it, elbowing things out of its way left, right and centre and taking your attention away from all the things that matter to you. 

It can manage perfectly well coming into your house and your life the way it is right now. So look at your immediate surroundings. Where would it fit comfortably right now? What could you attach your language learning to that you already do that already brings you joy, that your language could make even better for you? Is it watching Netflix? Is it scrolling social media? Is it your hobbies or creative projects? Online exercise videos? Memes?

And secondly, where would it fit nicely in the boring, routine tasks and chores and errands you run? Is there some way that your language could come and brighten up the time you spend waiting for a bus, doing household chores, perhaps with music, with flashcards, with a fun app or with a podcast?

And notice here, I said brighten up that time, not put a chore within a chore. Not spread out like an octopus through all your free time and leisure time and demand that if you’re going to listen to music, it needs to be in your new language.

How could you bring it into your life in a way that would complement the things you’re already doing? And most importantly, in a way that’s going to make you want to keep it there?

Have a wonderful day, and I will see you tomorrow.