First of all, I would like to remind you of the saying “Psychology is 80 % of success, method is only 20 %.” Tony Robins, Peak Performance coach
Without a single doubt, the aforementioned information is absolutely correct, especially when it comes to learning a foreign language. It is kind of impossible for a student to learn the language, never mind master it, if he/she approaches it feeling obligated to learn it or averse to acquire it. The same goes for a student who feels shy and embarrassed to practice it. There are many of such attitudes which students carry with them in their learning journey, thinking that acquiring the language is a matter of time. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you that with such attitudes, you won’t be learning anything. And even if you did, it won’t be that good and your level will remain weak. Neither others will understand him nor will he understand himself. He would just hardly communicate. So, if you are one of those who are aiming to learn English to just barely communicate, then the following lines aren’t written for you. However, if you are one of those who are willing to come back home with a different (tongue) than the one you had before, I am pleased to tell you about (The Golden Prescription To Tame Your English).
You and I are like kids when it comes to learning a foreign language. Pardon my language, but whether we like it or not, we all go through the same stages that kids go through when they acquire the language and then master it. Listen to a three or a four year old child and concentrate on his fluency. I have always wondered how it is possible for a child to reach that level so quickly. Of course the answer is quite simple. I mean come on! Have you ever seen a child who has issues with the language like the ones aforementioned? Completely the opposite. When a child starts his first steps in acquiring the language, we find him far away from shyness, boredom or loneliness. Even though, everyone mocks him and people laugh at him, you still find him full of enthusiasm and overconfidence. Therefore, he learns faster and more importantly, with proficiency.
So, be like a child in terms of learning a language. Put shyness aside and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Don’t care about your friends if they make fun of you or if they give you an icy look. Ask questions about everything that you see and repeat the question over and over until you finally grasp the answer completely. Imitate native speakers in their way of speaking, pronouncing and their tone of voice. Exactly like kids when they imitate their parents. Linguists insist that imitation is quite essential in acquiring the language and mastering its skills. Unfortunately, we are ashamed to imitate because we don’t want our friends to say “look at that idiot trying to sound like a foreigner”.
The ultimate wish for some language learners is to reach that point where they barely communicate. This is quite dangerous psychologically. People like them have already convinced themselves that the language is meant for others because it is difficult and complicated and they are not competent to master it and excel in it. It is common knowledge that if someone plans to reach the moon, he will and even if he doesn’t, he would certainly land around stars as the famous saying goes: “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will land amongst the stars.” Whoever decides to learn the language, he must aim to speak it like a native. This is not impossible, however it requires hard work and sustained effort. Bear in mind that the language is not just a course that you will finish within one year or two. It is a mission of lifetime. The more you practise it, the more you improve it and make it better and of course the opposite will happen if you don’t.
Some people begin to learn the language quite excitedly. They kick off ambitious and full of enthusiasm, but it is a matter of time before they get this sense of frustration and despair when they meet up with a foreigner who speaks fast and fluently and they can’t make out anything he is saying. We need to bear in mind that impatience is something that will ultimately lead to disappointment. Linguists insist that language stays first in the subconscious mind and progress doesn’t occur until we continually practise it. In other words, you will need a few months to use the things which you learnt today. This is the way that a language works and it is quite important to be aware of that. So, what you have to do is to continue practicing without waiting for results because they will occur gradually. And you may not notice it, but others will.
The inability to speak or find the right word is quite normal, even with your mother tongue. Language is directly connected with emotions and feelings. In fact, it is more of a reflection of what is going on inside. Therefore, it is kind of expected that you stutter, hesitate or use the wrong word when you are upset. It is also the same when you write, read or even listen. So you have to be careful not to allow these things discourage you. In fact, let these situations alert you to your state of mind and improve it by relaxing or perhaps drinking a cup of mint tea with your friends. Renew yourself and you shall speak fluently.
After you began to learn the language with ambition and enthusiasm, the learning method will be easy. I will sum it up for you in one sentence. Practice what you like not what others like. Curricular and homework are inevitable things to master the academic aspect of the language because it determines your future at university or even in your career. However, if you are seeking fluency and eloquence, you need to dedicate at least one hour a day to practice the language in the field that you like. And here is where danger looms; because no one in the world knows what you like better than yourself. Therefore, it is deeply wrong to blame your weak language on the institute’s shortcomings or the teacher’s incompetence and so on. Yes, they do have an impact, but the major reason is you.
When you practice the language on your own, which should be characterised by fun and freedom of choice, make sure to cover all the language basic skills. Reading for instance; pick up a book, story, magazine etc, that discusses a topic which you love (cars, adventure, engineering, medicine and so on). Make sure that the language level is suitable for you so you don’t need to use a dictionary. Two or three difficult words are acceptable, but more than that isn’t, therefore you need to find an easier one. It is quite important to read and enjoy at the same time. Try to make it as a daily routine and don’t you ever stop no matter what! Choose the right time for you. Before going to sleep or in the morning and enjoy.
In writing, put a notebook at your bedside and open a folder on your laptop and start writing your diary. Begin with only half a page. Write about anything, even briefly. For example, write about your classmates, teachers or living abroad. Write anything and don’t revise what you have written or even care about grammatical mistakes. Just enjoy writing and there is no shame in using a small dictionary especially in the beginning. At the end of the week, you will have written seven different topics of various lengths. Show what you have written to one of your teachers and ask for his/her feedback in terms of language and ideas. Do it on a weekly basis and you will notice an incredible change in your writing.
With regards to listening, I advise you to buy an audio player (iPod) and to visit websites, YouTube for instance, and browse in the field that interests you. If you like a clip, watch it and use the dictionary the first time and make sure that you understand everything in it. You can ask one of your teachers if anything confuses you. After that, and by using one of the YouTube converters to MP3 (commonly found all over the internet) transfer the clip that you like to an iPod and listen to it over and over. Listen on the bus, waiting lounge or anywhere. Download whatever you like from these clips and more importantly what you fancy. It can be from YouTube or any other website. Keep going with listening and you will notice the difference in a short period of time.
In terms of speaking, use a voice recorder either on your computer or your phone. Record a short thought every day. You can talk about what you have written in your dairy or the things you read or perhaps something you listened to before. It doesn’t really matter how much you record. What matters is that you record what you like. After you finish, don’t listen to what you have recorded right away. Just leave it to the next day when you can listen to it in a different atmosphere so you can hear the difference very well. After you finish listening to your own recorded thoughts, record another one and so on. By the end of the week, you will have seven recorded thoughts. Ask one of your teachers to give his/her opinion about them. Continue on doing that and you will see the difference.
Speaking of vocabulary building. Try your very best not to practice the language in a traditional way by either selecting individual words from a list and memorising them or maybe writing the new words down in a notebook or a card and persevere on reviewing them from time to time. Believe me, these methods are ineffective. Because, memorising words without a context can be a difficult thing during actual practice of the language. Of course the best way is to learn the new words from their contexts, which you have learnt from your reading, listening, writing or speaking and write them down into sentences or phrases (not into individual words) and underline the new word. Hopefully this will help you to know new words and how to use them correctly.
As you can see, improving the learner’s psychology is undoubtedly the essence and the key to this operation. It always requires continuous perseverance and attention. As for, the learning method as you can see, it doesn’t have a certain way or a specific style. It will just appear whenever the student is keen on learning as it has been said “when there is a will, there is a way”. What really matters is that you are the one who determines that method. Also, it is important for the learning process to be enjoyable and for the student to have a strong will and determination as well and to be a habit that you keep on doing.
Written by Hisham Alfayyadh.
Translated by Mohammed Aldughayyim.
