What’s the number one thing anyone needs to have in order to be successful in learning a foreign language? As in any other situation in life: choosing a career, starting a business, traveling abroad, you need a key ingredient to reach success.
As I considered this topic, my mind took me back to my Junior High days. I used to go to an all-girl-Catholic-school back in my home country, Brazil. I was tiny for my age and very shy. I didn’t say much in the classroom even when a teacher asked me a question.
So, I remember this English teacher who was petite, but had a big mouth and yelled a lot. Every time that woman entered the classroom, I cringed. I hoped she would not call on me. I just couldn’t read anything to her satisfaction. She would ask me to read something, and she would correct me and ask me repeat it, but I couldn’t do it the way she wanted me to. Then, she would yell at me, and keep asking me to repeat… It was a real nightmare.
Well, I guess that poor teacher had never learned that students can’t learn by intimidation or even make a perfect repetition when intimidated. I was a good student and was able to get good grades in her class, but I thought English wasn’t for me. If you asked me about it, I would say I hated it.
On the other hand, my French teacher was a very sweet lady. I loved her class and I had no problems with pronunciation there. So, when I went on to a state High School, and had the choice of selecting the language I wanted to learn, which one do you think I picked? You got it, French.
Well, at the beginning of my senior year, I got a word from an uncle of mine saying that he wanted to send me to the United States. I was to become an exchange student and live with an American family for three month at the end of that year.
America, here I come!
Wow, going to America would be a dream come through, but I needed to learn English quickly. Oh, no! That meant learning the language I most dreaded! Could I handle it? My uncle enrolled me in a private English school in March of that year and I had eight months to learn it.
To my surprise the teacher was a lovely person and had fun ways of presenting the target language. I found out then that I enjoyed learning English. I really wanted to be able to communicate well when I came to America and to be the best representative I could be for my country.
When time came for the trip, I was ready. I was no longer that shy little girl afraid to talk. I was now able to communicate in English and tell all Americans that crossed my path how great Brazil was.
As you can see all I needed was to have the right motivation to learn English. The shouts of an eccentric teacher was far from attracting me. But the idea of visiting a famous and rich country, changed my whole perspective.
Only having the right motivation, will someone be able to cope with the difficulties of learning a new language without giving up. Therefore, keeping focused on your why – the prize, is what will help you to reach your goal!
Learning languages has become a way of life for me. Nowadays, I tutor and give private lessons of Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English as a second language. I also translate into those language and edit blog posts.
P.S. If you have any questions about learning a foreign language or a language service, please feel free to get in touch with me at Facebook.
Ligia
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