Prove the myths wrong and learn!

I have become one of those very annoying teachers who repeat the same couple of lines once and again. But I can’t help it, I actually do spend a lot of time trying to convince students that successful language learning requires  a great effort. And I also spend quite a lot of time debunking myths. In this post I would like to share my  top 3 commonest myths of language learning that I regularly find myself talking about.

Myth nº1: You are going to learn just because you want to.

Intending to learn is a great start. Definitely, the best. But intention and motivation alone are not going to do the work for you. There is no secret contract with the universe that says if you want something really hard, and you close your eyes tight and imagine yourself speaking fluent English, you will get it in return.

Motivation and a positive attitude are essential, they will be the fuel that keep you moving, but they have to move somebody!

Myth nº2: It is enough to go to class.

Learning a language is not like going into a supermarket and filling your cart with goods. “Today I’ll have 1 kg of fluency, 1/2 kg of listening for detail and 1/4 of vocabulary about housing. Level C1″ If only we could put it all in nice-looking packages and go back home with bags full of knowledge!

Just as with your shopping, there are some things you will have to cook! Language learning is very complex and in order to feel confident there is necessarily a certain amount of time you will need outside the classroom to consolidate, repeat, or even prepare.

Myth nº3: You will only really learn if you go abroad.

Feeling that whatever effort you make is useless only because it is not the “real thing” or because you think it is not as nearly as effective as an immersion program is downright false, self restrictive and hinders any authentic move forward.

Firstly, and most importantly, this idea will prepare you for failure, not success. It will justify all your mistakes and zero improvement and it will not let you see the value of the numerous resources and support you have available.

Travelling abroad is a wonderful opportunity that you can’t miss if you have the chance. But it doesn’t mean invalidating all other ways of learning a language, which can be just as effective. After all, learning a language is more stimulating than it ever was in the past. If you are lucky to enjoy the magic combination of motivation, classroom activities and opportunities to practice, you should soon see the results for yourself.

Adapted from https://learnerfirstdiary.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/myths-of-language-learning/[CC0]

How to be a consistent parent. Or not.

Not wanting to sound too much like a Marks & Spencer advert, I have been trying lately to challenge myself, to think more carefully about what rules and routines are actually important and which are just me flexing my mummy muscles for the sake of it. The trouble is, that once I start questioning things, my pinball machine brain runs away with me. Will tidy bedrooms really make us happier?  Does it actually matter if Belle finishes her peas when ultimately we are all going to die anyway? You see my problem.

My sense of discipline also varies hugely depending on my own selfish needs and fluctuates with my mood. If I have a deadline looming, the Disney Channel suddenly becomes a much more attractive option. When I’m tired, I can easily convince myself that ordering vegetable supreme as a Domino’s pizza topping constituents several of our five-a-day.

Yesterday I had one of those days when my own preoccupations meant Belle was free to wander the house, watch back to back Hannah Montana and eat Weetos out of box. Now I know in my heart of hearts that Weetos do not a wholesome supper make, but I get sucked in by idea of them being ‘fortified with vitamins and iron’ and they are just so yummy.

Busy in the garden with my pressure washer – relocating the moss and mud from the patio onto the walls and my face – I ignored Belle’s plaintive cries for snacks. It was only when I realised it wasn’t actually late-afternoon at all, but nearly 8pm, that I thought I should probably come in and rustle up a healthy snack.

Unfortunately the fridge contained only Carlsberg and Jarlsberg (what are the chances??) so I turned instead to the emergency freezer drawer. 20 minutes later we were tucking into fish fingers and naan bread. By rights it should have been bedtime for Belle, but having neglected her for most of the afternoon I decide to let her stay up with me and watch Jonathan Creek. We are half way through before I wonder if it’s really suitable for a sensitive seven-year-old, but I put my hands over her eyes for the bit where the crazy secretary is having afternoon tea with the corpse of her former boss, so I think it’s ok. (...)

From https://slummysinglemummy.com/2010/04/11/how-to-be-a-consistent-single-parent-or-not/[All Rights Reserved]