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Written by Luca Lampariello.
"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere" -
I had never felt failure like this before.
For the past few months, I had been learning Romanian.
I picked it up on a whim, thinking that it would be easy. After all, I already spoke four of Romanian's "sister languages" (Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian) and was very familiar with several Slavic languages (Russian and Polish) from the same part of the world.
Or so I thought.
Despite all of the advantages I had when starting Romanian, I couldn't bring myself to study. I had every reason to succeed, but something was missing.
So I gave up.
In that moment, all my experience, all my techniques and all my methods to stay motivated counted for nothing. I was missing something essential, and it made all the difference between learning and giving up.
What was I missing?
Let me explain.
The Importance of Emotional Connection
At first, I didn't fully understand why I gave up Romanian. I saw it as a language like any other, and so I was completely confused when I couldn't find the motivation I usually have for such things.
Unlike Romanian, Hungarian was a language I fell in love with as soon as I heard it for the first time.
With Romanian, I had none of that.
I didn't go to Romania and experience Romanian culture.
Also, I had no Romanian friends.
Even worse, I didn't have plans to go to Romania!
I've learned my lesson since then. I know that to succeed in learning any language, you must absolutely connect emotionally with the language, its people, and its culture.
So let me teach you a cool technique to get all the benefits of an emotional connection without having to set foot in the country where your target language is spoken (yet!).
1 - The S.E.E. Technique: State
When I started learning Hungarian in late 2015, the memories of the time I spent in Budapest were huge motivators in my eventual success.
Each of these are key concepts that will guide you towards an effortlessly motivating visualization.
Your state of mind is absolutely essential to your success. Being in a positive and optimistic state of mind considerably enhances your learning process, your capacity to retain information, and your willingness to stay on track.
Are sure it is possible to learn your target language well
Believe that you can learn the language well
Are convinced that you have what it takes to overcome all obstacles in your learning path.
2 - The S.E.E. Technique: Emotion
The second step in the technique is to imbue your visualization with emotion (
Emotions are what bring energy and feeling to our lives. Often, they are what motivate you to take action towards some things and avoid others completely.
This means:
- Imagining the setting of your memory in vivid detail (Where you are & when)
- Picturing exactly whom you are speaking with and what you are doing together
- Tying the details of the scenario to your goals, desires, and the specific emotions you could feel in that moment.
- WHERE/WHEN? Budapest, Hungary. The Margaret Bridge. A late autumn evening.
- WHO/WHAT? My Hungarian friend Edit. We go to dinner and chat about Hungarian culture.
- HOW DO I FEEL? I'm in awe of the beauty of Budapest and the people that live there. I can't wait to experience the food and the nightlife, and learn more about the culture.
3 - The S.E.E. Technique: Eye
The third and final step of the
"I am in Budapest, Hungary, during an evening in late October.
Standing near the famous Margaret Bridge, I take in my surroundings. To one side of the river, in Pest, I see the massive Hungarian Parliament building in all its illuminated glory. On the other side, I see the green hills of Buda, now cloaked in the darkness of night.
All at once, I’m overcome with a wave of nostalgia. I’ve been here before, almost ten years ago...
A girl joins me on the bridge. I recognize her face; it’s my friend Edit, who’s a local, unlike myself. She greets me and smiles, and we soon decide to head to a restaurant nearby.
Over the next few hours, Edit shares a thousand-and-one details about the fascinating Hungarian culture, in a way only a genuine Hungarian can.
From that night on, I was certain that the Hungarian language and culture would be an important part of my life and my future."
Over to You
Using the
Start today.
Start now.
It will make a huge difference.
Related topics:
- From B to C: How to Become Proficient in Any Language (part 2)
- How to get ready for your English oral test?
Comments
JAYyyJuly 2020 Interesting article, trying to stay motivated my self. And it's not easy without a study partner |
lahcenbouJune 2020 thanks |
JWNashFebruary 2020 I usually use essays when it comes to such complex topics. It really helps to work with material that I usually do not have time to collect - then it pays off with high marks. |
vincentMay 2019 Thanks Luca for this article |