“The biggest motivating factor to learning a foreign language is similar to acquiring any other skill in life, the satisfaction of being able to see real progress from your endeavours.”

Michael Robertson started learning Mandarin in March 2019. He is enrolled in a full-time course and studies 20-40 hours a week. We wanted to know more about his motivation to learn Mandarin as well as the biggest challenges he faced.

1. When did you start learning Mandarin?

”I started Learning Mandarin from scratch at inlingua in March 2019 and I have completed the entirety of the 12-month full-time Mandarin course since.”

2. What was your biggest motivation to learn a foreign language?

”The biggest motivating factor to learning a Foreign Language is similar to acquiring any other skill in life, the satisfaction of being able to see real progress from your endeavours. This does not necessarily have to be fulfilling a pre-established goal in its entirety but just any progress made towards the goal, regardless of how little.

When learning foreign Language, progress could be recognising key words or phrases, understanding why grammar is structured in a certain why or simply just being able to response to a local’s questions. One should always think back to before they started learning a new language and on how much progress they have made since. A little persistence has gone a long way to when you look at your progress incrementally.”

3. What have been the biggest challenges so far? And how do you overcome obstacles?

”The biggest challenge for me, and I believe many other foreign language learners, is confidence. The biggest improvements are made when you challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone. It is essential that you do not be afraid to make a fool of yourself occasionally through saying the wrong word or even the completely wrong thing. From my experience, nothing beats learning things kinaesthetically (taking a hands-on approach), this could be through making a foreign friend or even attempting to talk to strangers in a foreign language. This may be a daunting task at first but with a small initial push, you can overcome this hurdle and once you have confidence on your side, its much easier to learn. I would thoroughly encourage learners to be proactive when the opportunity arises.”

4. How do you stay motivated to learn Mandarin?

”I think it is undeniable that all learners reach a wall at one point or another when learning a foreign language. This wall is usually due to the lack of motivation in beginners or complacency in long time learners.

When one starts learning a new language, they are full of enthusiasm but sometimes levels drops over time, so its important to keep your motivation up. Good ways to do this would be to find new materials, such as listening to music, watching tv shows, reading the news or books. The internet has a plethora of resources for all levels of learning. Other ways would be travelling, learning about their history or culture, or perhaps making a new friend or pen pal. Sometimes the key to learning a language is learning about the people who speak the language.

After learning for a long time, despite how seriously one has been learning, learners often encounter some complacency. It is important to keep learning regardless of how confident you are in your skills. Keep reading, writing, and speaking whenever you have the opportunity. Regardless of what level you have studied till there are always even higher-level resources available.

Nonetheless, the most important factor is your mindset, learning a foreign language should not be a chore which you have to force yourself to do. If it is, you should search for a different approach to learning. There is always a way on there which suits you personally.”

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Next blog: Make sure to read our next blog entry about Bandja Sy, Spanish learner and Malian-French professional basketball player for Andorra of the Liga ACB and the EuroCup.