Chapter 1 – The Secrets of Language Learning
Your Journey Begins Here
Bibi Halima and Keli Yerian
Before we end this chapter and you get ready for the next one, we invite you to take a moment to reflect and think of a metaphor for your language learning journey. Thinking of a metaphor will help you imagine your challenges and possibilities at the same time. Moreover, your personal metaphor can be a roadmap for you while you walk this path.
Below are some metaphors that people came up with during a LinguaMania event with Dr. Linda Fisher (2017) They finished the sentence: Language Learning is Like….
| Metaphor | Because | Name |
| Painting a picture | because it starts off as something simple and pure but by the end it’s complex and beautiful. | Stella |
| Having teeth implanted | because it hurts for ages but you are more attractive for it. | Unnamed |
| An oyster | because it might take a while for it to open, but when it does you fine a pearl inside | Melina |
| Getting to know a city | because first you become familiar with the main areas, then you get to know other areas and eventually all the bits link up and you understand all of it. | Unnamed |
| Playing the violin | because the more you practice the easier it will become. | Calypso |
Now pause for a moment and respond to the same prompt. “Language learning is like… because…” If you like, you can click, save, and print the image below to write down your insights. Think of a metaphor that profoundly connects with your own journey of language learning, write it down, post it somewhere and let the metaphor inspire you every day!
By questioning the myths, embracing messiness, and being in an “I-can” growth mindset, you can make language learning an enjoyable and memorable experience for yourself. There is no one way to master a language, although there are some “secrets” that successful language learners know.
See it as a journey of counting “learning steps” instead of labeling them as “errors”. For this, we encourage you to dive headfirst into positive language ideologies, hold fast to your motivations, and most of all believe in yourself.
Your journey begins here!
References
Fisher, L. (2017, April 12). Learning a Language is like… crossing an ocean. Creative Multilingualism. https://www.creativeml.ox.ac.uk/blog/exploring-multilingualism/learning-language-crossing-ocean/index.html.
