You are a beautiful writer, Anne. I love how you discussed these two subjects side-by-side to elucidate the struggles and hazards of learning something new. Both skiing and language have a huge learning curve. It took me 6 or 7 attempts at skiing to actually enjoy the experience. As for language, I took 2 years of Spanish at BYU and retained very little. I think you are doing it the right way to achieve fluency. Don't give up on either! You have the valuable trait of facing challenges undeterred. This has and will serve you throughout your life. Age sometimes tempts one into complacency. Don't let it happen!
This was a fun read. Thanks for inviting me onto your substack. I look forward to reading future posts.
Holy smokes! This really is a story born of experience! Learning to ski and learning a language are two skills that are talked about so often in the world at large, that it's easy to forget that they take a lot of effort and determination. I admire your willingness to jump in so bravely.
This may or may not be the appropriate place to mention this (appropriateness is also a learned skill that I never mastered). But the language challenge reminded me so much of my mission experience. The language alone was daunting for me, but the pressure to learn within several weeks, not only to converse, but to teach gospel principles, was overwhelming. True, I had all kinds of moral support, and backups in the field. But, like you said, the realization of being put on the spot repeatedly (along with my pre-existing social phobias) was brutal. Like you, I also had a stark revelation of just how much I'd taken the ability to communicate for granted! But it sounds like you are in the thick of it, and fighting hard. Easy for me to say, but I believe you will prevail. Good luck! (as if luck had anything to do with it).
Haha, I am indeed, had a class today in fact, and one tomorrow. I gave up on Duolingo months ago--I found it useful for basic exposure to some building blocks and giving me a little leg up before I could start more formal classes, but you're right, it doesn't go very far toward speaking, and once you're actively learning/in the speaking environment it moves much too slowly in what it DOES do.
Congratulations for trying and for making progress on two difficult learning experiences! I felt your pain and frustration each time you expressed them. But you're a stronger woman than I am. I never went back to skiing after my first attempt, when friends who agreed to help me skied off and left me to get to the bottom of the hill by hook or crook. May you conquer the snowy hills and the beautiful language in no time!
You are a beautiful writer, Anne. I love how you discussed these two subjects side-by-side to elucidate the struggles and hazards of learning something new. Both skiing and language have a huge learning curve. It took me 6 or 7 attempts at skiing to actually enjoy the experience. As for language, I took 2 years of Spanish at BYU and retained very little. I think you are doing it the right way to achieve fluency. Don't give up on either! You have the valuable trait of facing challenges undeterred. This has and will serve you throughout your life. Age sometimes tempts one into complacency. Don't let it happen!
This was a fun read. Thanks for inviting me onto your substack. I look forward to reading future posts.
Thank you Debi!
Holy smokes! This really is a story born of experience! Learning to ski and learning a language are two skills that are talked about so often in the world at large, that it's easy to forget that they take a lot of effort and determination. I admire your willingness to jump in so bravely.
This may or may not be the appropriate place to mention this (appropriateness is also a learned skill that I never mastered). But the language challenge reminded me so much of my mission experience. The language alone was daunting for me, but the pressure to learn within several weeks, not only to converse, but to teach gospel principles, was overwhelming. True, I had all kinds of moral support, and backups in the field. But, like you said, the realization of being put on the spot repeatedly (along with my pre-existing social phobias) was brutal. Like you, I also had a stark revelation of just how much I'd taken the ability to communicate for granted! But it sounds like you are in the thick of it, and fighting hard. Easy for me to say, but I believe you will prevail. Good luck! (as if luck had anything to do with it).
Thank you Karl!
Glad you're going to actual French classes. As a linguist I'm not a fan of Duolinguo for actually learning to speak a language.
Haha, I am indeed, had a class today in fact, and one tomorrow. I gave up on Duolingo months ago--I found it useful for basic exposure to some building blocks and giving me a little leg up before I could start more formal classes, but you're right, it doesn't go very far toward speaking, and once you're actively learning/in the speaking environment it moves much too slowly in what it DOES do.
Congratulations for trying and for making progress on two difficult learning experiences! I felt your pain and frustration each time you expressed them. But you're a stronger woman than I am. I never went back to skiing after my first attempt, when friends who agreed to help me skied off and left me to get to the bottom of the hill by hook or crook. May you conquer the snowy hills and the beautiful language in no time!