Wednesday 11 March 2020

HOW TO LEARN THE LINGO WITHOUT FEELING STUPID IN THE PROCESS

Simply put, you can't. 

I have been there, I know how it is, I know how it feels. I know that when you start speaking in another language you really want to hide yourself like an ostrich, fire coming up from your belly to your face, which lights up in a red color.

Resultado de imagen de cara roja de verguenza

Or at least that is what you think is happening. In reality your face is still its normal tone, and the world does not stop spinning because you are speaking in Spanish, and more importantly, nobody starts laughing at your accent hysterically.

On the contrary, the other person appreciates your attitude and your effort, and you are rewarded with big sincere smiles.

The secret to learn a new language is to stop being afraid. You don't need to be afraid of being ridicule, nor of saying the totally wrong thing (quite possibly a funny one for the listener), or getting your verb tense wrong and only being able to use the present.

Be brave, and always carry on trying, every opportunity you have. This will not only allow you to communicate with people and become more independent (and stop needing the services of people like me), it will also allow you to understand our culture a lot better. And this will help you to integrate in the country. 

At the end of the day this is why you moved to another country, to live a different life.



And there is no better feeling like when you use a new word (for you anyway) for the first time in a sentence. No one will light fireworks, but you would feel like they should. You will feel immensely proud, and this feeling will get you to learn more and more.

In summary, you will feel stupid for a while, but be brave as it will be worth it.