LanguageLearning阅读原文(3)

I realized that this is actually how I learn languages myself. When I was learning Spanish, I was bored with the text in the textbook. I mean, who wants to read about Jose asking about the directions to the train station. Right? I wanted to read Harry Potter instead, because that was my favorite book as a child, and I have read it many times. So I got the Spanish translation of Harry Potter and started reading, and sure enough, I didnt understand almost anything at the beginning, but I kept on reading because I loved the book, and by the end of the book, I was able to follow it almost without any problems. And the same thing happened when I was learning German. I decided to watch Friends, my favorite sitcom, in German, and again, at the beginning it was all just gibberish. I didnt know where one word finished and another one started, but I kept on watching every day because its Friends. I can watch it in any language. I love it so much. And after the second or third season, seriously, the dialogue started to make sense.
I only realized this after meeting other polyglots. We are no geniuses and we have no shortcut to learning languages. We simply found ways how to enjoy the process, how to turn language learning from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity which you dont mind doing every day. If you dont like writing words down on paper, you can always type them in an app. If you dont like listening to boring textbook material, find interesting content on YouTube or in podcasts for any language. If youre a more introverted person and you cant imagine speaking to native speakers right away, you can apply the method of self-talk. You can talk to yourself in the comfort of your room, describing your plans for the weekend, how your day has been, or even take a random picture from your phone and describe the picture to your imaginary friend. This is how polyglots learn languages, and the best news is, its available to anyone who is willing to take the learning into their own hands.