Big Problems: English in Perspective

So I've been thinking lately about the bigger things in life. Why? Mainly due to the fact that I have been on a forced digital detox (and no, still no WiFi). I got to thinking about how some of these things related to learning languages and in particular, learning English. 

Here are some the conclusions I arrived to:

1. Perfection is not essential
2. Mistakes are good (if used in the right way)
3. Don't worry if it takes you longer than expected to hit your goals
4. Don't worry about the small things - put things into perspective

I'd like to expand on some of these points, if you don't mind...

Perfection is not essential 

 Everybody wants to be perfect in another language. This is totally understandable. But is it achievable? Well, it depends. With enough time and dedication, of course it is. But it is not something that happens quickly.

This following questions may seem stupid but it is worth thinking about: how long did it take you to become perfect in your mother tongue? With the ideal conditions, it still took years - thousands and thousands of hours. So don't worry if you aren't perfect in English just yet. It will happen but take it step by step. 

Mistakes Are Good

Too often, I see students having red faces when they ​make a mistake. But in reality, the mistake seems much bigger to you than it does to the person who hears it. If they even notice it. 

I know this feeling. I had it too when I first started speaking German. It is totally natural. But most people are polite and will smile if you make a mistake. It is really not something to worry about. In fact, mistakes can be good if you learn from them. 

Even as I write this post, I have a smile on my face thinking about some of the mistakes I made during conversations in German. They can be some of the funniest conversation you have. For every "big" mistake I made, I never made again as the image in my mind was so clear that I could never forget it. True, fun and effective learning. I suggest you enjoy any mistakes you make and try to learn from them.  

Don't worry if it takes you longer than you thought 

All good things can to those to wait, right? Wrong! I think all good things come to those to persevere and don't give up. As mentioned above, it can take a long time to reach your goals in English. But that's not really a big problem, is it? Everything is hard before it's easy. 

But here's the thing: if you do give up, it will always be hard. The best example I can think of is when you first learn to drive. It was difficult, wasn't it? There was so much to remember and that's even before we had to parallel park! But after enough time, it became easy. Maybe, the journey wasn't a smooth one but you got there. And you will with English if you keep at it. 

Not everything will always go to plan so recalculate and then keep going. Just never ever ever give up!

Put Your Language into Perspective

What's the difference between annoying and bad? Well, actually, sometimes it's hard to make the distinction. For example, I've gone 8 weeks now with WiFi. At the beginning, as you can imagine, I thought this was terrible and why me? Now, I have realised that it is annoying but it is not bad. 

Bad things involve not being healthy or something happening to your family. Making a mistake in English, not speaking perfectly or not having WiFi are not bad things - simply annoying ones. And there's no reason to let these annoying things occupy too much of your time. Life is too short for that. 

​So, relax, smile and enjoy the journey. 

Let me know what you think please by putting a comment below.