Learning a new language as an adult can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. One of the main difficulties adults face is being very aware of their mistakes. When you watch kids learning a language, it seems like they breathe it naturally. They make mistakes, but they don’t stop; they just keep going. As adults, we tend to be much more conscious of our errors and the learning process, which naturally involves making mistakes.
It’s important to acknowledge that learning a language does become a bit harder as we get older. However, this shouldn’t discourage you. Keep reading to understand what you can do to stay motivated in your language learning:
1. Embrace the Challenge:
- Be Kind to Yourself: Learning a new language is a journey. Focus and celebrate your progress, no matter how small.
- Stay Positive: Keep a positive mindset and remind yourself why you wanted to learn Hebrew in the first place.
- Embrace Mistakes: Don’t let fear of making mistakes hold you back. Every mistake is a step closer to fluency.
2. Set Realistic Goals:
- Small Steps: Break your learning into manageable chunks. Focus on mastering a few words or phrases each time. For example, if you hear a new song and learn even one word, but it sticks, it was worth it!
- Fluency comes from practice: Keep practicing, even if you feel that people talk too fast or switch to English instead of being patient with your Hebrew. Remember, it is up to you, not anyone esle. persevere.”
3. Incorporate Hebrew into Your Life:
- Combine Hebrew with day-to-day life: Label household items in Hebrew, listen to Hebrew music, radio channels, or podcasts. Change your GPS to Hebrew. Read the product labels in the supermarket. Even if it is in the background, some of it will definitely penetrate.
- Find someone to speak with regularly. It can be a teacher, but even a co-worker or a neighbor. I have a student who asked a co-worker to have a 5-minute conversation with her every day in the kitchen while drinking coffee. This is a very good way to ensure you get some practice.
- Talk to Yourself (this one is my favorite!): Practice speaking Hebrew to yourself, narrating your daily activities or thoughts. It is fun and if people think you are crazy… well, crazy people rule the world and, so it is actually a good thing 🙂
4. Seek for community:
- Connect with other Hebrew learners for support and motivation.
- Hire a Tutor: Consider working with a Hebrew tutor who can provide personalized guidance and feedback.
5. Enjoy the Process:
- If you don’t enjoy learning now (but AT ALL!) just stop. When you suffer more than you enjoy, it won’t help your progress in the long run.
- Call it an advanture: Explore new sounds and culture through the language, food, music, and people around.
To conclude…
Learning Hebrew as an adult is a journey filled with challenges and triumphs. By setting realistic goals, embracing mistakes, you can make steady progress. Remember to enjoy the process and celebrate your achievements along the way.
