The Hardest Parts of Mastering a Language
Hello everyone!
Learning a new language can be a huge challenge because it requires you to learn what you already know all over again, but with a different accent and a new set of grammar rules. Some languages require you to recognize gender or, depending on the language, you’ll have to learn a new alphabet. It’s overwhelming to think about how much information and time it’s going to take to reach mastery, not to mention that language is always changing so we never really are fluent. I understand this because I’ve had to go through this process 7 times outside my native language.
Listening comprehension
I have been struggling with this skill since the beginning, and still the death of me today. I see this as a common struggle for a lot of people especially in the beginning when you’re in the mental translation phase. I’ve tried a few different techniques to try to get to a point where I don’t have to think about it. Not that you should do this, but I remember when I was studying abroad in France, I noticed my French was so much better after I had been drinking! What I learned is we’re less self-conscious and less likely to overthink when we’re numbed a bit by alcohol. With this information, I realized I needed to find a way to stop mentally translating and start subconsciously thinking in the language (without the need for alcohol). What I’ve tried to do is stop translating and start taking in what I’m hearing and try to pick out words I already know without thinking. For example, everyone knows Bonjour you don’t even need to think about it and then put those words together in the context of what someone is trying to say.
Frustration with myself
I am a perfectionist; so often times I get frustrated when I’m not picking something up right away or if I’m still not getting it, it can be easy to say “I’ll never master this” and this is the point when most people give up. This is the point where I really want to give up sometimes. It can get overwhelming because when you first start learning, you’re staring at everything you need to learn and when you start getting around native speakers it can feel even more overwhelming. In this area, I’ve had to take more of a “go with the flow” approach. At some point, I had to let go of the “I have to know everything” mentality because I’m never going to learn everything. Language is constantly changing so there’s no way to know everything. It’s also hard to learn anything when we’re focused on why we’re not picking something up as fast as we want, so I’ve learned to be patient with myself and be grateful that I’m managing to improve by 1% daily. Focus on what you need to learn instead of everything at once.
Stuck in the passive communication zone
When I was studying in Paris, I managed to find some friends at a church I attended. One Sunday, a group of them asked if I wanted to go to lunch with them. Of course they were talking among themselves in French, and my listening skills weren’t the best back then, but all I could do was listen and try to understand. I tell people all the time, you need to learn to understand before you learn to speak. It felt a little awkward because I felt like I wasn’t able to be fully engaged in the conversation and I was a bit shy to speak. What’s helped me in this realm is to ask clarifying questions. I would ask questions like “Tu m’as demandé…[are you asking me…]? Mes skills d’écouter ne sont pas trés bien… [My listening skills aren’t that great…].” They’re more likely to help you understand when they notice you’re trying to communicate with them. The scary thing about France is that they’re very proud of their language and culture (I don’t blame them) not to mention you’re on their turf. So all you can do at that point is try to meet them halfway and circumlocution helps! If you’re with a native speaker who possesses limited English skills, learn how to describe things you don’t know and that can prompt someone to feed you the words you're looking for.
Trying to stay actively focused
I feel like this is one of the reasons why my listening skills suck. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when listening to someone speaking for over a certain period of time and then I start zoning out (brain fatigue). When I watch movies or series, I have to train my brain to be actively engaged. That’s why I enforce the “no English subtitles” rule. If I need to really understand what I’m watching I will, at best, turn on subtitles in that particular language to connect the words to what’s being said. The main goal is getting to a point where comprehension comes as natural as our native language, but this takes time so you will need to be patient with yourself. Even when my concentration falters, it’s okay to give myself mental breaks when I’m experiencing brain fatigue from information overload. I am an HSP (highly sensitive person) so my brain easily gets tired of deeply processing large amounts of information at one time. It’s perfectly fine to take a break and come back later once your brain has fully processed the new information. Over time, you can build muscle memory so the mental fatigue occurs less often.
Despite the hardships, the rewards far outweigh the challenges. When I was in France, I think I had the best overall experience compared to the others that came with me from FIDM. When I arrived, I was the only one in our group that had fairly proficient French skills… but I was also scared to talk to anyone BECAUSE of my listening skills. I was afraid to sound stupid, but at the same time, I also refused to speak English if it wasn’t necessary. I made so many friends, I even dated a bit while I was there. The locals were so much nicer to me, I was even asked to translate a few times, and noticed I had improved by the end of the program.
I've met people here in LA who happen to speak a language I know and they can be so appreciative an American knows their language! I remember speaking to someone in German and he was so excited. He gave me his card and practically offered me a job! When I was transitioning out of college, I started noticing how many job opportunities are out there for people who can communicate in more than one language. You can also expect to be paid more just because you have a wide range of people you can reach.
For those of you who love doing humanitarian work or looking to develop careers outside the U.S., you’re at a full advantage by being able to impact more people. If you’re anything like me, you can make a global impact way beyond your native language. Don’t give up because all you can do is keep learning, keep exposing yourself to improve little by little. If it’s believed that mastery can happen in 10,000 hours, then you better start tracking!