I tried language learning but…
Mistakes I made when trying to learn a foreign language that you can avoid
Bonjour, comment allez-vous?
I imagine you are about to start this daunting journey to learn a new language. Perhaps this is your first foreign language and likely you tried to learn it before but it didn’t work out. Well, I was in those shoes and here are some reasons why it didn’t:
I used too many textbooks😥
There is this belief that if you study materials higher than your current proficiency level, you will grow better and faster. Learners don’t consider that if they don’t know anything in the language then this is just like throwing an elephant into water and expecting it to swim.
I remember when I had just started my French language journey. I picked up several all-French language textbook, and guess what? I ended up with a headache after less than five minutes of reading. I was so persistent. I always went to my teacher and asked for books. At a point I think I was just glad with the impression of learning and not actually doing anything.
Textbooks alone are not 100% helpful though, to be honest. They are best used in a classroom (be it virtual or physical). I always understood better and faster when someone was reading and explaining what was in the textbook and I covered more ground than way.
I tried to use language apps alone😬
Just like textbooks, language apps are not sufficient on their own. Apps for vocabulary learning are better as a support for classes not as a replacement for them.
I tried using a vocabulary app and realized early enough that without someone to practice with, what was the point of learning the vocabulary?🤔. I definitely needed something better.
I had a difficult teacher
I had one or two difficult teachers in the University. It wasn’t that they did not know how to teach but their expectation was much higher than my reality. One of them would speak French throughout the class and well… I barely understood what he was saying.
Yours might not have been this problem. Perhaps you just had a teacher who did not pay attention to your actual needs and just followed status quo without checking if you were learning. If that’s the case, you should reconsider and get a better teacher because they exist!
Driven by my experience with French teachers whilst learning, I decided I wanted to be the kind of teacher attentive to her students needs and I work hard at it. You can check out my profile here.
I was an impatient learner
Ouch! It can be hard to admit but sometimes we set unrealistic timelines for our language goals. I remember thinking that I could learn to speak Korean in three months just because I watch K-drama. Didn’t work out!🤦♀️
Language learning is not something that can be rushed. You keep learning and practicing. Although there are average time frames, there is no one size fits all and you must be ready for the long haul if anything profitable and lasting will come out of it.
From what I know about French, it could take between 9–18 months to achieve intermediate level fluency and even that is highly determined by your consistency in study and practice. It’s not impossible but we have got to stop being among those who ask for intermediate fluency in 3 months😏.
Here’s an analogy: think of language learning like pregnancy. You can’t give birth after 2 months of taking in. No matter how impatient you are, you have to wait till generally nine months of nurturing, feeding and carrying the child before you give birth.
I hope my experience was helpful to you and would help you have an amazing learning journey.
Are you learning French? You might find these resources useful as well. Visit the website.
A la semaine prochaine.
Related Topics
