Do you ever get in your own head when it comes to learning English?
Do you ever worry so much about what others think that you put yourself into a negative mindset?
If you are in a situation where you feel like you are working against yourself, then you want to change that.
When it comes to learning English, we’re going to show you how to create the right mindset and how to be as effective and efficient as possible.
Here’s a letter from Kika from Japan who is living in Denmark and is struggling to feel confident in her everyday English conversations.
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Hi ladies,
I am writing you from Denmark where I am studying abroad, though I am from Japan. In northern Europe, people are so fluent in so many languages. They speak so many different languages as it’s part of their education. This can be intimidating as I am trying to learn English here, while others speak that and other languages in addition. How do I deal with this?
I’m finding it difficult to listen to different accents and dialects from other countries. I’m not sure how to keep up with this. How can I keep up with this? How can I not feel pressure to understand all of the different accents?
How can I speak English quickly? In my mind I am trying to translate constantly and it slows me down.
Thank you for your help with all of this!
Kika from Japan
Make This A Positive Journey
Focus on yourself and your journey, rather than comparing yourself to others.
Any muscle can be built up, and this applies to the brain too.
You can grow your mindset and your brain, and even the way that you think.
You can learn things and grow, you don’t need to feel or be stuck in any one place.
You can get better, even if you think you can’t.
Make This About You and Not Others
Keeping up with others can be tough, particularly if you are trying to keep up with different accents.
The most assured way to expose yourself to other languages is to listen to BBC News or even NPR.
People are interviewed from all over the world, and so this can be really helpful to use for help.
Find a news program that you like and then use this to get used to different accents.
You will get some great news, but you will also be able to keep up with the different accents and the way that people speak.
Find Joy In This
Hearing things pronounced differently based on accents can be very interesting.
It can allow you to take joy in the different way that people speak about the world around them.
Look at this lightheartedly because it comes across much better than being serious and negative.
Get the information, even if it means asking to have something repeated, and then move on.
Take the pressure off of ourselves and use this to find the joyfulness in this moment and then use it to learn.
You don’t have to worry about how you are perceived, especially when you are just learning.
Try to turn it into a positive and then insert yourself to learn rather than running away and being negative.
You aren’t being graded on this conversation–you are interesting to them just as they are interesting to them, and this is how you make connections!
Get Rid of Anything That Holds You Back
You want to be studying in English, just as you are speaking in English.
Get rid of any crutches so that you are only thinking and speaking in this language.
Don’t surround yourself only with people from your own country–you have to get outside of your comfort zone.
You are in this other country to learn and grow, so be sure that you allow that to happen.
You have to ask yourself if you are giving yourself the right opportunity to really grow and learn in this new environment.
If you have opportunities to speak and learn English by immersing, then take advantage of them.
It comes down to all of the decisions that you make each day which ensure that you are fully immersed and a part of this culture.
Even the shows that you watch at night can help you to fully immerse and ensure that you are able to become a part of what is going on around you.
Find a group or club for whatever you are interested in, and this can help to surround you with English and great people in the process.
Whatever you are passionate about or interested in can serve as a great way to make new friends and to learn and practice English in a different setting.
All of these things can help you to get into the right mindset and ensure that you pick up the language more effectively and make it a positive experience.
Takeaway
If you are trying to learn a new language, you want to be sure that you are in the right mindset.
You have to keep it light and positive so that you embrace it and enjoy the whole learning process.
You have to get out of your own head and not be so hard on yourself.
This can be a joyful experience but you have to allow it to be such, and that starts early on.
If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.
We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
