See Why You Should Not Be Afraid to Make Mistakes When Learning a Language!

One of the biggest errors that many commit in the beginning while learning a language is to never forget that it's totally okay to make mistakes. Ask yourself...Isn't sometimes the mistakes that really help us to appreciate and remember things for the long haul? Let me illustrate...

I have spoken often about the importance of word pronounciation with languages and how this can affect how messages are relayed to others. However, in the same token when you make mistakes even when speaking, it could convert into a very funny experience for you that you never forget. In fact, I think that there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with having a little fun while learning a language.

Personal Experiences:

A friend told me once in Spanish years ago (2001) when I was learning that she wanted to buy some huevos (eggs) at the store for breakfast. When I heard it I thought she meant that she wanted to buy juegos (games) being they sounded sorta close. Obviously as the conversartion progresses I couldn't realize why she want to buy "juegos" for breakfast when finally I realized that I understood wrong.

Or another time I wanted to tell some friends in Spanish that I was jogging and tripped over a "bump" on the road. A "bump" in the road in Spanish can be "una loma", or "un tope".. However, what I said is that I tripped over a "chichón " (bump on the head) and everybody started laughing because obviously it was really funny to hear that. Once I understood my mistake and bad choice of a word, I never forgot that particular experience. In fact, to this day, sometimes just hearing these words will make me laugh.

The lesson? It's okay to make mistakes when learning a language and especially with those that are willing to help and correct you along the way.

Do You Think It Is Better To Learn A Language In School Or Not?

If you are or have considered the idea of learning a language maybe you are wondering if it better to take a language course in school or learn by yourself.
Let me start off by stating that I am not here to disuade you from the idea of taking a formal course in school to learn a language. I am all for education. However, is it really better to study in school or teach yourself? What are the benefits or disadvantages of both routes?

When you learn a language in there are many benefits. One primary benefit is that you can have a teacher explain things like grammar and phonetics to you versus guessing or trying to figure it out yourself. You learn more of the history, cultures and backgrounds of the people that speak the targeted language.

However, in my opinion there are many disadvantages of learning in school than using a self-taught method. One is that typically you have to follow the pace of the school's curriculum to learn the language. This could mean taking a course over a lapse of perhaps 4 years or more. The down side of this is that for most students who have breaks between classes due to summer or springs, tend to forget things that were learned previously. Has this ever happen to you before? I am quite sure that it has happened to everybody at some point or another with a course.

When you teach yourself, you are completely in control of the time. You can study continuously with letup which avoids the possiblity of forgeting things over time. You have the ability to learn directly and faster with natives who speak your targeted language. This is good because there are far more things that you can learn with natives than you can in school. For example, with Spanish, in school most people are taught that all Spanish people are from either Mexico or Spanish. This is obviously incorrect, yet that is what is taught so many people believe this.

However, when you learn by yourself you are exposed to various others walks of life from other Spanish-speaking countries. You can learn how other Spanish speakers speak in their respective countries. It would be like learning English here in the US versus learning it in the UK or South Africa. There are simply different expressions employed that mean the same thing. By learning these new expressions you can communicate a message more effectively to your respondent. It also makes you more proficient in the language.

When you are in school, you don't have this opportunity. The teaching is quality, yet lacking this aspect in exposing students to the ENTIRE world of Spanish speaking people and cultures. You are only taught one way of speaking so the result is that your mind and ears are fine-tuned to this way of thinking. Yet, when someone else speaks the same language and uses distinct terms you are lost or won't understand.

As you can see there are many benefits and disadvantages of learning a language in school or by yourself. There are of course many other factors that have not been covered today. Yet, the decision is yours as for which route will best suit you to learn a language. Nonetheless, learning a new language is definitely worthwild and has many long lasting benefits of doing so. So don't give up in your efforts to learn a language!