Hello and Happy 2020! 

I am writing to you a little late this month because I have had a hectic start to the New Year. I am taking my language learning even further this year by attending a school in France to study naturopathic medicine. Let me tell you, studying science in a foreign language is not easy. I’m only a few days into the course and I know that this course is not only going to fill me with knowledge about naturopathy, it is also going to greatly improve my French skills.

This is a whole new environment of French-speaking for me. There are literally no other English speakers, which is a first. Everything I’ve done in France up till this point has had other people who speak English if need be. This time, I am on my own. This idea is a bit scary at first, but it becomes quite exciting and empowering at second thought. There is no safety net and that is when we grow the most. This is why I always say if you can go spend a significant amount of time in another country to learn their language, that will be the best way to learn fast. Get uncomfortable. Feel like a fish flopping around on the beach. And be amazed by how quickly you find yourself back in the water, swimming smoothly, and easily around again. Or, if you prefer to not use a fish metaphor, then you’ll be amazed by how quickly you start communicating in your target language.

Here’s what I’m learning so far in 2020: there is always more to learn. It’s a bit humbling to realize that there are so many subjects that I have never read about or considered or learned about in French, which means there are significant gaps in my knowledge of words and concepts as they’re expressed in the French language. So while I have a high enough French level to be accepted into a program to study here, I still have so much to learn. But here’s the other side of it: even when I have a new subject to learn in English, I feel out of my depth. There are new words to learn and new concepts. It’s challenging as well. So why not challenge myself a little bit more and study a new subject in a language I want to continue to improve in?

We will not learn without being challenged. There is safety in sitting in a classroom, learning how to say short phrases in a new language. There is ease in doing this because you know that you will not be walking down the street later that night and need to suddenly use the phrases you learned. You can learn, but you don’t have to push very hard.

Classroom learning is very valuable, don’t get me wrong. It’s a great way to learn the basics and to learn grammar (difficult no matter the language). But if you really want to learn a language in 2020, push yourself harder. Put yourself in situations where you might need to pull out that new phrase you learned. Join me in finding a subject you want to study in a foreign language and do a little independent study yourself. You’ll be amazed at how fast you increase your knowledge and improve your language production!

That’s my challenge to you for 2020. Put your language learning to the test and step outside your comfortable box. Doing is the best way to learn. So find something you can start doing or learning in your target language and allons-y!

À bientôt!

Shannon