How to Fall in Love With a Language

You may be surprised by the title of this post, and if that is the case, then there is no need to worry, because I felt the same way when I first watched Luca Lampariello’s video that is down below. I have already used this terminology before, but even so, it can be hard to explain why I “am in love” with a language, as falling in love with something is usually only applied to people. On the other hand, falling in love with a language is a passion and a drive. When you experience this feeling and have such a strong connection to one, it is hard to let it go and not be in constant interaction with it.

Although I love all 6 languages that I have studied, it was not until I started learning German that I realized what loving a language truly meant. Before doing so, I had never started a language from scratch, and therefore had never had to go through the full journey of mastering a language. Please keep in mind that I am not fluent in any language other than my two native tongues, Spanish and English, quite yet, but am close to doing so in French, German, and Italian.

To this day, it is hard for me to point out a specific moment in which my infatuation with German grew, however, the simple fact that its grammar, syntax, and ways of phrasing and putting words together was so different from anything that I had ever been asked to do made it thrilling. As I progressed in my German skills, I realized that I could no longer translate from German to English and vice-versa to fully convey my thoughts and express myself. Instead, I had to start thinking like a German and be like one. I could not think of how an American would approach a situation, but rather what a German would say to fill in the gaps in conversations. For example, it is very common for Americans to ask how someone is doing and to receive “good”, or “fine” as a response, when in many cultures saying so may be offensive, or sound exaggerated. In German, I have found it more acceptable to say how I actually feel instead of giving answers that others what me to say (ex: “I am exhausted”, or “I could be better”).

I message my friends whom I met at my language institute in Frankfurt on a daily basis. I have FaceTimed them and have made sure to keep in touch with them by asking them about their lives. Whenever I am sad, or need some motivation to complete a difficult task, I listen to some of my favorite German songs. I also have my phone in German, as it is currently the only langauge that I am not taking in college, so that I can keep it fresh. I watch German YouTube videos, and, most importantly, I keep it close to my heart. It is incorporated into most important parts of my life to ensure that it does not slip away. This does not mean that I go over tedious grammar exercises for hours on end, but rather make it be present throughout the day in whatever ways I can.

As Luca says in the video, in order for you to have a powerful connection with a language, “you have to find a reason…It’s more about the experiences that [you] have with a language, the things that are represented by that language.” I agree with his statement that committing to a language is a lifelong quest. “You have to give it daily care. In order to do that, you have to have some kind of long-term plan, or goal.” You cannot only know how to keep this love story going, but you also have to know why you are trying to do so and know how to deal with this love that you have developed over time. In other words, you have to make your language be present in your life by learning about topics that are personal to you. You have to make it exciting and make some sacrifices by doing whatever you would otherwise do in your mother tongue in your target language (ex: by watching videos, listening to music, or watching cook shows) without forcing yourself, or dreading to do so.

If you have not experienced this feeling yet, I want you to know that I believe in you. Now that 2016 is coming to a clsoe, it is a perfect opportunity for you to reassess what you have done thus far in your language-learning process: what has worked and what has not, as well as what you want to continue to do, what you would like to start doing, and what you should no longer do. Remember that the most important thing is that you enjoy the process, no matter how many roadblocks you may face. It is important to constantly remind yourself why you are learning that language in the first place and to be thankful that that language is a part of your life. Once you remind yourself of all of the people and memories that you associate with it, you will be off to a great start.

As a bonus, here is a link of a Huffington Post article titled: “Falling in Love with a Foreign Language: The Risks of a Metaphor” that you may find interesting: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/lucy-bell/learning-foreign-language_b_7488534.html.

How to Reduce Stress by Meditating in Another Language

Hello, everyone! For anyone who is returning to my blog, thank you so much for your unending support and patience. Despite the fact that I have not posted anything in a few months, I am hoping to get back on track in the upcoming weeks. If you are new to my blog, I am glad that you stumbled upon this post and hope that you stick along for the ride by following it. That being said, I am sure that most of you have experienced some kind of stress recently, because it is that time of the year again. Whether you are a college student who recently took finals, are a high-school student who is in the process of finishing up college applications, or are simply overwhelmed with work, it is easy to forget about the importance of taking time for yourself.

After years of overworking myself and not being as productive as I could be by asking too much of myself, I finally realized that I was missing one thing: practicing self-love and valuing my own worth. It may sound somewhat selfish, when in reality it is one of the most important practices that you can follow. I have learned that I cannot love others if I do not love myself, especially now that I am in college. One of the ways in which I have spent the little free time that I have in my spare moments throughout the week is by meditating. Though this practice may seem unrealistic, or even difficult to some, I hope that you give it a try by the end of this post.

Whenever I have me-time (time for myself to spend it the way that I desire), I like playing relaxing, soothing music and or meditating and reflecting. I recently realized how therapeutical it is and how much it helps heal my soul. Since I knew that it was something that I wanted to start implementing into my daily routine, I figured that it would be most beneficial if I did it in another language. Recently, I have been dealing with a lot of emotions, so I felt that it was best to find a relaxing way that could help clear my mind. If you simply go on YouTube and search "meditating", "meditation", or something of the sort in your target language, hundreds of videos will show up. I personally like watching videos of different people and then subscribing to the channels that I like the most, so that I easily check my feed whenever they post similar videos.

All you have to do is play one of those videos and follow exactly what the person tells you to do. Oftentimes, you will have to close your eyes, take in deep breaths, or simply relax your body. What makes this practice so worthwhile is that you can do it from the comfort of your bed, or home. If you are having a lazy day, but still want to progress in your language learning, you can do so and review words, such as "to breathe", "mind", and "to close" without even thinking about it. In other words, many of us would most likely meditate or relax anyways, so what better way to do so than to do it in another language. 

The video that is above is the first meditation video that I came across in Italian, but feel free to find ones in your own target languages. I hope that this post was helpful for all of you and that you start practicing more self love by healing your entire mind, body, and spirit.