6 obstacles to overcome to learn a foreign language

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Learning a new language is difficult for a number of reasons. At least because of the psychological barriers. We will show you how to cope with the most common problems that arise during your studies.

Nothing is given to us just like that: everything that you are trying to achieve requires effort and labor. The same goes for learning new languages. Research shows that most people are not successful in this field. The reason is they give up too early. After all, we are all human and easily retreat when faced with setbacks. Therefore, when starting to learn a new language, be prepared to overcome not only linguistic, but also psychological barriers.

Frustration

The first thing you will feel in the early stages of learning a language is frustration. In essence, its appearance means that you are stepping out of your comfort zone and forcing yourself to move on. Unfortunately, many do not have the strength to overcome this feeling, and at the “I don’t understand” stage people stop learning a new language.

But if you put in a little more effort and overcome the frustration, your reward will be the joy of knowledge and success. To overcome the devastating feeling, set a few small goals for yourself. Let's say you want to speak English fluently in the future, but for now this is a very big task. Solve smaller problems along the way. For example, force yourself to learn 10 new words in one day, 20 in the next, and so on.

Feeling empowered is very gratifying, and enjoying small successes can help overcome feelings of frustration.

Lack of interest

If the previous problem is quite simple to solve, then here you have to work on yourself. No one will tell you why you need English. You need to come to an answer through internal dialogue. Try asking yourself the following questions:

• What opportunities will I get by learning this language?
• What would I be doing right now if I could speak this language?
• How will I feel when I learn this language?

Is it difficult to give an answer? Try to find like-minded people, see what people who are fluent in a particular language are doing. Someone else's experience motivates and delights, and this can be adopted. Whatever your language learning goal, make sure you want to reach it with all your heart.

Money

Money cannot buy happiness, of course, but you can buy a textbook on a foreign language. Lack of finance affects the desire to continue education, but this problem can be solved. It's good that there are free applications, and that are created for you and about you. Of course, classes with a tutor are more effective than self-study, but with sufficient concentration and aspiration, you can still achieve your goal. Lifehacker wrote about for learning English. For future polyglots, Duolingo is well suited: it allows you to learn several languages at once and start with the simplest words.

Lack of time

Time is the most precious thing we have. Can't find a free minute to learn a foreign language? The truth is, you don't need hours and days to do this rewarding activity. It is enough to devote 30 minutes a day to it. Great if you can spend a little more.

Instead of having an extra cup of coffee at a restaurant, you can sit down in the library and spend the same time learning new rules or words.

Lack of progress

Lack of progress is not regression, it is death. Are you still alive? Great, which means that every minute you learn something new, gain experience and become better. Think back to your last long walk. Step by step you approached your destination and only when you turned around could you estimate how much you had gone. This is exactly the same feeling that accompanies the study of a foreign language. Take a look back. We bet you couldn't even say a word before, didn't even know how to read the letters correctly?

Visibility is what will help you overcome any fear. Therefore, any achievement you have must be visualized.

Irresponsibility

By the way, this applies not only to study, but also to sports, business, and household chores. It's always better to start something new in the company of like-minded people. It's not for nothing that we are trying to find ourselves a companion for going to the gym, and psychological support at work makes us feel important and needed.

Apps and courses are good, but only if there is someone else who has additional oversight. You will feel responsible: it will be more difficult for you to miss a lesson or not do your homework. Having agreed with a friend to learn 10 new words by tomorrow, you will be ashamed to say at the meeting: "I forgot." When you reach an advanced level, a new opportunity will appear - to communicate in a foreign language without fear and without hesitation.

To help yourself and stop being irresponsible, try to find a friend, a companion, an assistant in learning a new language. This will help you go all the way from start to finish. In addition, it will not be scary to stumble - there will be a reliable shoulder nearby.