Things I’ve Learned on my Journey to Become a Polyglot
I don’t know why, but last night I thought of making this post. You guys probably won’t read it, but whatever~ I’ll write it anyway :] (I’m using “you,” but that doesn’t necessary mean that it will apply to you. Don’t take it to heart. This is just what I’ve experienced.)
Trying to juggle five languages is a task. Honestly, I still don’t know which one to focus on throughout the day and when to practice it, but I know that if I don’t then I’ll forget it.
You get tired of looking for resources after a while.
I’ve clicked through so many resources trying to get help, and I feel like I’ve seen all of them. I don’t even want to look on google anymore–it’s so tedious. Especially since the websites that I’ve looked up start to pop-up on the first page. Many of the websites are similar, too, or even cost too much money. Yeah I wanna learn a language, but I’m not paying like 50 dollars to get something that I can get somewhere else for free. I’m also not going to take a chance on it not being worth it in the end.
People keep telling me that I am learning too many languages and that I should stick to one. If I didn’t think that I could handle it, then I wouldn’t do it. I’ve been making great progress, and I’m super proud of myself for it. Please don’t tell me that I can’t do it when you see me excelling at it.
Don’t let anyone talk you out of doing something that you enjoy.
You may or may not forget your native language.
I’m American, and I’m learning five different languages. My English (native language) sucks now. I speak with an accent every now and then, I forget how to spell, I can’t put sentences together correctly every now and then…it goes on lol. My friends make fun of me for it all the time. I find it to be interesting, really.
You gotta find what works for you.
Everyone has their own study habits. I’ve looked at so many websites and books found that I simply didn’t like many of them. You just gotta keep looking.
Be wary of language crossovers.
I’ve found myself wanting to speak Vietnamese while speaking Chinese, but it’s only when I’m counting. It doesn’t really make sense, though lol. Think before you speak.
You can’t afford to be shy or be afraid to be wrong.
I’ve had so many opportunities to practice speaking with native speakers,and I’ve let 99% of those chances fly away because I’m so shy/ afraid to mess up and be wrong. Part of the learning experience is learning from your mistakes. You’re not always going to be right, so you have to try to hold back that fear and simply take a shot at it. If you’re right, then great! If you’re wrong, then it’s not the end of the world. Just take it as a lesson for next time.
You’re going to find people that are better than you.
Everyone gets jealous. I still find myself getting jealous of those who are better at speaking/ writing a language than I am. But you know, instead of thinking about how much I suck and how I have probably been wasting my time, I think of that person as my competition. “They’re so good! But I can probably be better.” It just makes me even more eager to learn and improve.
Of course it takes time! Don’t expect to be fluent in a month (even if someone else somehow did it). Each language is different, and depending on what you’re learning and what your native language is, the amount of time that it will take for you to learn is going to vary. Be patient, and be happy with the results in the end.
Being able to put your languages to use is like the best feeling ever. I feel so happy when I’m able to understand something in another language. It’s like, “Man, all that hard work really paid off!”
I forgot where I was going with this, but to all you language learners out there, work hard, have fun, and good luck!
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