three mindsets that make the language learning process smoother
Transcrição
three mindsets that make the language learning process smoother
THREE MINDSETS THAT MAKE THE LANGUAGE LEARNING PROCESS SMOOTHER AND MORE EFFICIENT TRÊS MENTALIDADES PARA DESBLOQUEAR E ACELERAR O SEU PROCESSO DE APRENDIZADO DE LÍNGUAS WHAT IS A MINDSET? O QUE É UMA MENTALIDADE? The word mindset refers to an established set of ideas, attitudes, and assumptions that shapes the way we see ourselves and the world. It greatly influences the choices we make and the way we behave. Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck says mindsets "guide our entire interpretation process". I love this simple definition in Portuguese: “Estado de espírito; maneira de pensar”. This description in Spanish is spot on because it explains mindsets as social structures: “Las estructuras sociales que son expresión de la cultura." Because mindsets are established and enforced by our own experiences as well as sociocultural pressures, they are super hard to change. And that is why we are starting the Step Stone blog with this post. WHY DO MINDSETS MATTER? POR QUE IMPORTAM AS MENTALIDADES? Mindsets are incredibly powerful. Internalizing the right language learning mindsets can help eliminate negative thoughts and habits, and increase your motivation and productivity. Elas formam uma base forte para o seu crescimento. There are so many myths and pressures around language learning–I have to speak with perfect grammar! Ninguém nunca irá me entender se não falar com sotaque nativo! You must go abroad to automatically learn the language!–that it can be intimidating and sometimes hard for us language learners to believe we will EVER learn and live comfortably in another language. These myths build a wall that prevents us from learning a language. Eles representam a inibição e intimidação. How do I know? Incredibly intelligent and capable students all tell me similar stories: • tenho este bloqueio com o inglês muito forte • a gente sente um bloqueio, acaba falando e errando • o ego gera mecanismos de bloqueio...medo de falar • preciso destravar, parece que tenho um bloqueio com o inglês 1 It's time to break these barriers. In this article, we’ll learn the three mindsets to move your language learning FORWARD, not hold it back. It took me a decade to truly internalize these concepts, and I won’t let that happen to you. Não vou deixar não. Memorize them now, and use them as your mantra when you get discouraged about your language learning progress. 1. LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT LINEAR. 2. LANGUAGE IS NOT FIXED. 3. LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT MAGIC. LANGUAGE LEARNING MINDSET 1: LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT LINEAR. APRENDER UMA LÍNGUA NÃO É LINEAR. When I moved abroad to Madrid, Spain, I was SURE that, if I worked hard enough, I would speak Spanish perfectly by the end of my program. Gracias, with a perfect Castellano accent. After nine months, my Spanish was...good. And then I moved to the south of Spain and nobody understood my Madrileño accent. And then I moved back to California and Mexican-Americans didn’t understand my Castellano accent. And then I moved to Costa Rica and los Ticos didn’t understand my Mexican accent. (You get the point.) My Spanish journey hasn’t been linear because language learning, like life, is. not. linear. Does the graph on the next page look linear to you? 2 It’s easy for us to think language learning is linear because many societies see any type of progress as a straight road to your final destination. Typical American examples: • Professional life: [start] school, college, entry level job, promotion, higher level job, retirement [finished!] • Personal life: [start] live with parents, move out for college, live with roommates, live with partner, get a pet, get married, have children [finished!] www.edwardmonkton.com 3 So we also think if we work hard enough, our language learning will move in a steady, consistent ascent toward language learning perfection. And then we get mad at ourselves when we don't reach that point. But celebrating small steps, two steps forward and one step back (and then another to the side), is much more realistic than trying to run fast toward an invisible finish line. Most successful language teachers and learners know that our language learning depends heavily on factors like context (where you are, who you are talking with), routine (if you have a system of learning and daily habits of practice), and emotion (your attitude about the target language and culture, how you're feeling when you try to communicate). On a Monday you will feel confident and speak without any mistakes. Tuesday, you might be homesick, and forget every single word in the language. An hour later, somebody will give you a compliment. (Ela fala melhor que a gente!) Suddenly all the words come back, and you speak fluently again. This very common situation can make you feel crazy and confused if you think of language learning as linear. We CAN improve over time, and progress will get faster the more you practice. But don't wait until an imaginary end to celebrate your language learning successes. UNDERSTANDING MINDSET 1, WE: • will not compare ourselves to other people’s progress because we know that every person’s language learning journey is different, and • will be patient with ourselves if our progress isn’t linear because we know that language learning depends on a variety of factors, not just how many days, months, or years you study. 4 LANGUAGE LEARNING MINDSET 2: LANGUAGE IS NOT FIXED. A LINGUAGEM NÃO É FIXA. Language itself is not fixed; it’s dynamic, constantly changing, and always evolving.Languages are born, and some die. Words come (to google) and go (RIP: jollux, brabble, freck). Human beings are constantly transforming languages, creating new slang on street corners and inventing business terms in multinational meeting rooms. Change happens because of many reasons, like migration, colonization, or good old creativity. In an interview with Dr. Guy Deutscher, author of The Unfolding of Language, learning activist David Boulton of Children of the Code confirms that language "is always a dynamic process with creative and destructive elements. It's always changing." The word hangry in English is a perfect example that language is not fixed. (A junção de duas palavras em inglês hungry = famito e angry = irritado.) This word wasn't "correct" or "standard", but it creatively became part of the language, and today is in the Oxford dictionary. Another example of dynamic language is the gradual grammar shift away from the use of the word whom. When we believe language is fixed, we stress out about learning the one “right” way to say something. As language learners, we often want an “answer” and are afraid to communicate until we have it. But answers are sometimes wrong or simply don't exist because change is inevitable, in life and in language. 5 UNDERSTANDING MINDSET 2, WE: • will not be afraid to make mistakes because we know our mistakes are part of the same creative process that made the language in the first place, and • will remember that fixed words and ways of speaking do not exist because languages are in constant movement. LANGUAGE LEARNING MINDSET 3: LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT MAGIC. APRENDER UMA LÍNGUA NÃO É MAGÍA. Learning a language isn’t magic; it’s constant work. It’s fun work, but it’s still work. Many people start learning a language–with no preparation or plan–and stop after a month or two. They say, “I’m just not a ‘language’ person.”or “I can’t learn because I’m too old.” or “I’m not 'good' with languages”, “Não sou ‘bom’ com idiomas.” Other people expect they will move abroad and simply “pick up" the language. Bippity Boppity Boo! In fact, how well you learn the language depends, again, on a variety of factors. The study habits you develop, the learning material you choose, the attitude you have. If you haven’t learned the language like you wanted until now, it’s probably not a lack of natural capabilities, but most likely a psychological barrier (fear, resistance) or some type of external factor (scheduling, digital distraction). Sure, some people are naturally better at certain skills, like language learning, but other traits like attitude and hard work have much more impact than we realize. 6 Author Richard St. John lays out 8 traits people could continuously focus on (in a nonlinear manner) to be more successful. (See images below.) He also reminds us in his TED talk, "There is no magic [in success]; it's practice, practice, practice. When we forget language learning takes work, we give up too easily and stop studying. UNDERSTANDING MINDSET 3, WE: • will make positive attitude a priority because attitude matters as much, if not more, than aptitude, and • will organize and plan our language learning system because we want to set ourselves up for success. 7 FINAL THOUGHTS Bel Pesce, a successful Brazilian entrepreneur, says it best in her TED talk "5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams", 5 Maneiras de Matar os Seus Sonhos: Life is never about the goals themselves. Life is about the journey. Yes, you should enjoy the goals themselves, but people think that you have dreams, and whenever you get to reaching one of those dreams, it's a magical place where happiness will be all around. But achieving a dream is a momentary sensation, and your life is not. The only way to really achieve all of your dreams is to fully enjoy every step of your journey. That's the best way. And your journey is simple--it's made of steps. Some steps will be right on. Sometimes you will trip. If it's right on, celebrate, because some people wait a lot to celebrate. And if you tripped, turn that into something to learn. If every step becomes something to learn or something to celebrate, you will for sure enjoy the journey. A vida nunca se trata somente dos objetivos em si. A vida trata-se da jornada. Sim, você deveria aproveitar os objetivos, mas as pessoas acham que têm sonhos, e no momento que conseguirem alcançar esses sonhos, é um lugar mágico onde a felicidade estará em toda a volta. Mas alcançar um sonho é uma sensação temporária, e sua vida não é. A única maneira de alcançar todos os seus sonhos é aproveitar totalmente cada passo da jornada. É o melhor caminho. E é simples: sua jornada é feita de passos. Alguns passos serão exatos. Às vezes você vai tropeçar. Se for exato, comemore, porque algumas pessoas esperam muito para comemorar. E se você tropeçar, transforme isso num aprendizado. Se cada passo se tornar um aprendizado ou uma comemoração,tenho certeza de que você vai aproveitar a jornada. 8 STEP 1 to desbloquear your English language learning? Internalize these three essential mindsets: 1. LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT LINEAR. 2. LANGUAGE IS NOT FIXED. 3. LANGUAGE LEARNING IS NOT MAGIC. STEP 2? Share your story in the comment section below: Which of these mindsets is most difficult for you? Why? What other mindsets help you in language learning? What is your biggest struggle with language learning right now? STEP 3? Sign up for the Step Stone newsletter to receive your FREE learning guide with glossaries, games, and activity ideas to use this blog post in your own study or in the English class you teach. You DON'T want to miss this free material! Let's make it count. 9