Variety: Or How to Keep Going...
When I was in middle school, I had suddenly developed a passion for the Italian language. Through all of elementary school, I had taken Spanish classes, but for some reason I had wanted to learn more about Italy.
My father took me to a bookstore, and in my youthful haste, I picked up a variety of books on the Italian language, but my father advised me to only choose one book. I did so, and left the bookstore with a copy of The Everything Guide To Learning Italian, tucked under my arm. Ironically enough, my admiration for the Italian language did not last very long. If my memory serves me (and how can it after so many years?) I believe stopped studying Italian about three weeks later. Hell, I still have The Everything Guide to Learning Italian tucked away in by bookcase somewhere.
Now, more than a decade later, I decided to start learning Portuguese. I’m proud to say I’ve been rather consistent with my studies, but eight months later, I’ve always wondered why I was able to succeed with Portuguese where I failed with Italian. Granted, as an adult I have far more self-discipline than I did as a middle school kid, and the internet was nothing compared to what it is today. Back in the early 2000’s Youtube was in its infancy, and facetiming with someone across continents was more of a Star Trek pipedream than an accessible means of communication. Books were in short supply as well. We never had Kindles or Ebooks that could grant someone access to a variety of non-English literature. Apple Music, and Itunes did not exist, so there was no access to international songs, or albums in different languages where as today, you can listen to a whole host of musical genres in languages from all around the world. No one in the early 2000s had such easy access to K-pop, or Sertanejo.
Foreign films were hard to come by back then. Granted, most American tv’s had Telemundo, but anything outside of that was hard to come by. Foreign films were a luxury that I could only find on art-centric channels, and even when I could find something in a foreign language, there were no subtitles to guide me through it.
Learning a language is like learning to swim, it takes daily practice and slow integration into the proper level in order to create progress. You don’t take a beginner and throw them out into the middle of the ocean. And you don’t take an Olympic trained swimmer, and stick them in the kiddie pool.
The answer, at least for me, when it comes to journey of language learning, is variety. Over the course of the year, I’ve learned that one source (a book, or a podcast, or a class) is not enough to reach a decent level in a language, or in any skill you wish to practice. As a middle schooler, I only had once source for the Italian language, so when I came to a grammar point, or a rule that I did not understand, the only resource I had was a book that had no ability to answer my questions or clarify my doubt.
Language learning is comprised of four skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. As children, we learn our native language by practicing these four aspects every day. And this constant exposure is what everyone (both children, adults and everyone in between) must do to make gains in their language learning. Consistency is the key to growth, and consistency can only happen if the material you have is engaging enough to keep your attention for a long period of time. In short, having a variety of new things to explore can aid in your consistency, which in turn, can aid in your progress.
This year, on my language journey through Portuguese, I’ve had a ton of resources that I could turn to. I’ve had books that tackle conjugations, books that explore the differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, I’ve seen a variety of shows like Historietas Assombradas Para Criancas Malcriadas, Disney movies in Portuguese, Bossa Nova music, and so much literature.
My father might have been looking out for my best interests when he advised me to only get one book on the Italian language, but I’ve discovered that the opposite is true. In order to understand a topic or subject, its important to have a variety of sources that explore the language. One book (or one app, one class, one film, one podcast,) is only going to teach you so much about your target language. And subsequently, the same is true for every skill one wishes to master.
And fun fact: One material source can never be (or will never be) that interesting. So don’t be afraid to try new things with the skills you are trying to master. If one book on woodworking isn’t really helping you improve, try another tactic. Perhaps there’s a Youtuber who specializes in woodworking. Perhaps there’s a documentary you can immerse yourself in. Hell, there may even be a Reddit community on the topic. Do what you can to incorporate the skill you want to master into your life, even if it seems insignificant, silly, or just plain stupid.
Before you know it, you’ll be making strides you never thought were possible. Just keep at it. Move forward, even when the world tells you to stand still.