Learning a foreign language can be an exciting journey, but also full of challenges and moments of frustration. If you are here, it is because you are probably experiencing one of those moments. Remember: it is more common than you think, it happens to everyone. It is exactly in the most difficult situations that we find the strength to continue.
Read this article whenever you need it, whenever you feel like you are working so hard on your Italian without seeing any progress. Take a deep breath and let’s get started!
The Reasons
First, ask yourself: why are you studying Italian? What was the reason why you started? Whether it’s personal, professional or cultural reasons, visualizing the goals you want to achieve through mastering Italian can reawaken your determination.
If possible, find other reasons why you are doing it. This will help you stay motivated.
The Past
Take another deep breath, close your eyes and remember all the happy moments related to Italian and studying Italian as a foreign language: when you learned your first word, when you said your first sentence, when you met an Italian friend or partner, when a native speaker complimented you, when you used the subjunctive perfectly… anything.
Surely you have already achieved incredible goals that deserve to be celebrated. Keep them in mind and remember them from time to time to rediscover the wonder and sense of achievement you felt in those moments.
Write them down. The small successes accumulated over time are a testimony to your commitment. Wanting to extend the list will push you to continue studying to make even more significant progress.
Weaknessess and Strenghts
Make a list of all the things you feel confident about and the things you feel unsure about. Focus on these.
Don’t let mistakes discourage you, but see them as opportunities for growth. It’s impossible not to make mistakes, everyone makes them, even native speakers. Take a deep breath and repeat: “Mistakes are part of learning.“
There would be no perfection without mistakes! Even if it’s hard, focus on the doubts you have and try to work to remove them completely.
The Present
What do you do every day to learn or improve your Italian?
Is there something that makes you anxious, bores you, or you don’t like? Remove it from your routine. It’s your journey and you have to listen to what your body and mind are telling you.
Learning a foreign language must be enjoyable. External media such as books, TV series, films, music, podcasts are an excellent tool to integrate with more traditional study.
Immerse yourself in the language, especially the authentic one. Try to learn everyday words and expressions. When you listen to music, read a book or watch a film, take notes of the words or expressions that you find interesting or that you would like to learn. Watch everything twice: the first time just listen/read trying to understand the general meaning, the second time, pause and take notes.
Half-Full Glass
Try to always see the glass as half full. You are in a stalemate, this means that you are already able to communicate with native speakers: congratulations!
Do you know that this is a goal that not everyone reaches? Not everyone is able to start and above all even fewer are able to resist over time. I have seen many give up or stop. You are still here. Congratulations! You can be proud of yourself!
You Are Not Alone!
Surround yourself with people and resources that support you in your learning journey. A positive and supportive environment can make all the difference when you feel unmotivated.
Join local or online communities or study groups with people who share your passion for Italian. Sharing experiences and challenges can refresh your perspective and offer valuable support.
When I tell my students about my experience with English, they feel heartened. You might think you’re the only one going through this, but you’re not!
So now I will share my experience with English, the foreign language I speak best at the moment:
- I have been studying English since I was 10 years old.
- I studied English at school for 8 years (until I was 18).
- After 8 years, I was unable to have a conversation with a native speaker or understand a movie without subtitles and without watching some scenes again.
- Thanks to my classes, I started to speak with native speakers and this made me more confident in speaking and understanding.
- Today I try to use most of the resources in English.
Reward Yourself
Set small personal rewards for your study successes. This system of rewards can make the learning journey more rewarding and motivating.
Every new concept learned, every word pronounced correctly is a small springboard towards linguistic mastery.
Remember: you only learn with small, constant steps. The important thing is to always do a little every day.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes and think once again about the reason why you decided to start studying Italian. Maybe over time the goal has changed, but that doesn’t matter: the important thing is that you always have a clear idea in your mind why you are doing it.
They don’t have to be complex reasons. Why did I start learning English more seriously? Because I wanted to understand OneDirection’s songs.
Today they have split up and I listen to other singers more often, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have other reasons to continue improving my English.
I hope this article has been helpful to you and remember that you can come back here whenever you need. I’m rooting for you! Speaking of obstacles to overcome when learning a foreign language, it’s conversation in the language you’re studying. It’s normal, but we’ve dedicated an entire article to the fear of speaking Italian! Here you can find tips and ways to improve yourself even more. See? You’re never alone! Until next time!
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