Confidence in language learning is huge. Those who think they can and those who think that can’t are probably right.
This mindset episode of the podcast is part 2 of a two part interview I did with a close friend of mine, Ruan De Witt.
You can listen to part 1 here.
Ruan is an extremely confident person, even if he doesn’t like to admit it. As long as I have known him, he has had the ability to start a conversation with a complete stranger. This includes doing so in a language other than this first—regardless of his skill level.
In this part of the interview:
- I ask Ruan where does his confidence come from?
- How can other language students find confidence, even if they are starting out.
- What is a good target to set yourself for the number of words you should learn each day.
- How to find time for learning language.
- How to improve your pronunciation.
- Finding the high value parts of the language.
What is the biggest lesson for you in this part of the interview?
Podcast: Play in new window
¡Hola Andrew! The second part of the interview is great too.
The biggest lesson for me in this part of the interview? I think it was in the part when you speak about confidence and the story about the “performer’s face”: acting in spite of fear. It can be applied when starting a conversation in a foreign language, or any other challenge in our lives.
¡Gracias!
Hola Jorge, like many things in language learning creating a “performers face” is easier said that an done. But, it does get easier with practice.