HABLA - HABLA - HABLA
TALK - TALK - TALK
Don’t worry what you sound like.
The goal in speaking a language is to communicate.
Success is being understood = getting your point across
You don’t need to have it all together. Just come as you are. The biggest hindrance in learning a language is a negative attitude and overthinking it.
Let's look at why children may naturally be better language learners.
- if they have a warm emotional environment where they feel self-confident, free, and highly motivated (i.e. learn through play, not stressful)
- feel comfortable to make mistakes, since this is just part of learning
- acquire language naturally through exposure and practice
- begin to communicate little by little, starting with limited vocabulary and simple phrases
They don’t worry about sounding like a toddler because they are a toddler. But no matter how old you are, don't worry about how you sound either. Because in order to make the most progress, you will need to accept the fact that you will make mistakes (LOTS of them) along the way. Here’s the secret: MOTIVATION is key!
As older children, teens, and adults...
How to use abstract thinking skills and intellectual abilities to our benefit:
- train yourself not to care about making mistakes
- the more exposure to the language and practice, the greater strides you will make
- look for patterns by comparing your native language to the language you are learning
- stay positive --> relax and enjoy the process of learning
So keep communicating in Spanish and learn more as you go along.
The journey is well worth it!
Take a look at my previous blog series:
The Recipe for Success (1-10): How to create an optimal environment for language learning
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