Have you ever had a thought similar to the ones below?
“I’m not naturally talented”
Do you have to be naturally talented to learn how to ride a bike?
Probably not! Learning to ride a bike involves learning some basic principles and putting them into practice, and then practising a lot.
Some people go on to become professional cyclists in the Tour de France and spend every waking hour training and getting fit. Just as some language learners go on to become polyglots.
Learning a language takes time and effort, and I really believe everyone can do it. Successful language learners don’t give up because they think they’re not talented.
Instead, they identify the obstacles that are separating them from fluency and focus specifically on them.
“Other people find it easier to learn”
Everyone is different and everyone faces different challenges when learning a language. It’s true that what one finds difficult about Japanese is something you may find really easy.
It’s clear that there are things that some people can grasp really quickly and you’ll take longer to understand.
It’s a massive generalisation to say that other people find it easier.
Do you know what’s happening behind the scenes of their language learning journey?
Maybe they’ve got methods or routines that you haven’t tried yet. Nobody becomes fluent overnight. It’s hard work – for everyone. Some people just have the skill to hide it and make it _appear_ easy.
