Giulia MarchettiStudying a new language is engaging, fulfilling and gives you a sense of accomplishment and self-worth
In this short article, I want to share my English learning experience with you, hoping to inspire you to study a new language without fear of failing when you don’t have the chance to live abroad.
I am Italian and when I started this blog I decided to be brave enough to write only in English. But why only in English, completely ignoring my native language? This is a good question!
It would be much easier for me to write in Italian. I could play with words in a compelling quest for the perfect writing style. It would be rewarding to tell stories, helped by the linguistic freedom that only my native language can give me. So, why am I only writing in English?
Because I love English!
So maybe I don’t need to add more, but I want to share with you why studying a new language is engaging, fulfilling and gives you a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. If you are a language lover, I want to encourage you to start learning Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or whatever you like without fear of failing in your goal. That’s what I’m still doing with English, trying to improve a little every day, without the fear of not being able to take another step forward. And now I tell you how I started my learning process.
I have never lived abroad, at least no more than one month from time to time. I’ve never attended an English course, apart from a short one in Ireland. I’ve never had the need to get an English certificate for work. But I’ve always had a passion! A passion for learning English!
But there is a precise instant when I decided to commit to this goal. I remember perfectly when, one day in Sevilla, trying to have a kind of English conversation with a German guy, I felt absolutely helpless and frustrated. I felt disconnected from the world and insecure. At that very moment, I had a thought: “I want to study English”. And that’s what I started doing, and since then I have never given up.
English is apparently a relatively easy language to learn, but only at the beginning. In fact, the more you enter into this language, the more difficult it gets to take another step forward. Becoming proficient with prepositions, phrasal verbs, idiomatic sentences, etc. is almost impossible to accomplish, but here is where the best learning part starts. It’s a challenge with yourself, and to move up another level is an amazing emotion. Yes, emotion! This is the second learning key after passion. When you accomplish something, you are giving the best gift to yourself. Yes, you have to invest time, fatigue but remember, the investment you do in yourself is the only one on this earth that can give you only profits, not failures. And it improves your self-esteem, too.
But, let’s come to another marvelous point. I think that books can save our lives. To read and concentrate on subjects chases away bad spirits from our minds. And in fact, when we are suffering, because of a loss, a broken heart or simply for solitude, we have to get rid of sad thoughts, giving our minds something else to play with. To study, follow a passion, set a goal, helps to soothe our minds and move towards a healing process.
So, what are you still waiting for? Start now to learn another language.
In my personal experience, to commit to writing in English is an essential part of my goal to get more competent with this beautiful language, and most importantly, this gives me the power to communicate with you!
And last but not least, the English language is a big creator of Human Connections!
