A Language Learner's Guide to Mindset, Mantras & Emotions

When was the last time you felt discouraged by a language learning setback?

Discouragement and insecurity get the best of everyone from time to time, but the worst part is that we’re afraid to admit it. Even in a community of language learners, we have a bad habit of hiding in fear during our setbacks and comparing ourselves to those who are experiencing success.

Think back to a time you doubted yourself. Did you ever wonder:

• Am I learning the right way?

• Why am I not making more progress?

• Why does it seem like everyone else is having an easier time progressing?

• How can I stop making so many mistakes?

• Will I ever be able to learn this language?

If so, you’re not the only one to feel trapped in this sort of negative mindset. It’s a part of life.

What really matters is the steps you take to keep moving forward.

On The Podcast

Listen to this podcast with me and Lindsay Williams to explore more about creating a mindset that will help you learn another language:

What is a Mindset?

Maybe you’ve heard about mindsets before, but what does it all mean?

Like a narrative, a mindset is the mental filter you add to everything that happens in your life. It colours the way you look at the world. For example, when you’re in love, people say you have rose-tinted glasses. You’re so happy and full of endorphins that it doesn’t even matter if someone cuts you off in traffic.

But when you’re having a bad experience in the morning, it can also make you more aware of the next sub-ideal thing. Then, before you know it, you’re having a bad day.

This is a form of priming, which happens when your response to something is shaped by a previous influence. It can affect multiple aspects of our lives including our language learning efforts.

That means, when you find yourself in a negative mindset, it can change the way you view your language learning progress.

Having Negative or Limiting Thoughts?

Now that you’re aware of those pesky negative mindsets, it’s time to change them.

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

One of the first questions you might want to ask yourself is whether you’re being held back by a fixed mindset.

What does that mean?

In learning and education, there is a theory that the presence of either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset can change the way children process difficult tasks and deal with failure. The Growth Mindset theory has been researched by psychologists Carol Dweck and her team.

In short, a fixed mindset is one that believes you cannot change. It’s the idea that insists that you aren’t capable or intelligent enough to conquer the difficulties you face.

Meanwhile, a growth mindset is the idea that you can develop your intelligence to improve and that your continued efforts will lead to success.

Now, think about your own doubts. Are they a part of a fixed mindset that’s keeping you from feeling like you have the ability to succeed?

Do You Believe Language Learning is Difficult?

If you’ve ever thought...

• "__ is a hard language. I don’t think I can do it."

• "Am I studying enough? Is my method effective? What is my learning style and what is everyone else doing?"

• "I’m just not at the level I should be. I’m just not doing well enough and I keep trying but I cannot get the concepts right. Everyone else is progressing more quickly."

• "I’m too old and forgetful now, my brain isn’t what it used to be."

• "I’m never going to get to the point where I can effortlessly understand. It’s never going to be easy."

..what you might really be saying to yourself is this:

"I’m not smart enough."

"Can I trust myself?"

"I can’t get there."

"I’m not allowed to have fun. Learning this is suffering."

Obstacles can be very real. Depending on your access, opportunity, disability, education, etc., you might not be progressing as quickly as someone else. You might not know about a different method that would suit you a bit better or have the ability to use other resources.

However, the theory behind adopting a growth mindset is not an assumption that your thoughts can magically make everything better. Instead, it’s a way to improve your own self-image and begin recognising your worth and celebrating the skills, talents, resourcefulness, and grit that you do have.

By consciously changing these negative thought patterns, you acknowledge that you are always capable of becoming the best version of yourself and that you’re not the only one.

How to Challenge Your Negative Ideas

Working against a negative mindset, is its own challenge. So, where should you start?

Remember that if you find yourself stuck in a negative, fixed mindset, the only way to start making progress again is to create a new perspective for yourself. Your first step is to promote a growth mindset within yourself by remembering that intelligence is not a fixed, limited capacity that cannot be changed.

In other words, it’s impossible to not be smart enough because you can always learn and improve.

For example, in a school setting, educators and parents are encouraged to use open language that highlights effort and removes the idea of natural talent. This way, children are less likely to adopt a fixed mindset about their abilities and intelligence.

You can use a similar strategy for our own language learning efforts with the help of mantras.

Let’s Make Some Mantras!

If you’ve ever tried meditating, you might already know about mantras. Whether in the form of a word, a phrase, or simply a sound, mantras help us focus our thoughts. They can help change our perception.

This makes them valuable for turning our negative, fixed thoughts into ones that can help us progress.

Mantras can promote overall self-esteem to boost confidence:

• I approve of myself and feel great about myself.

• My high self-esteem enables me to respect others and beget respect in turn.

• I accept others as they are and they in turn accept me as I am.

• It matters little what others say. What matters is how I react and what I believe.

• I have high self-esteem as I respect myself.

• I am solution-minded. Any problem that comes up in life is solvable.

They can also speak directly to your language learning difficulties:

• I am a smart and capable language learner.

• I grow with every word I say in my new language.

• I am soaking up new knowledge like a sponge.

• If you believe you’re going to fail, you are probably going to fail.

• If you believe you’re going to succeed, you can.

These are just a few examples of mantras you can begin to use. You can also create more personalized mantras by:

• Adding the word "yet" to a negative sentence. I’m not prepared to speak yet.

• Thinking of what you are worried about or afraid of and imagining yourself overcoming that.

  • What is that situation like? How do you feel? How do you move and sound when you’re getting there? Put that feeling into a sentence that you can say to yourself again and again.

Remember that there are no rules for what your mantra has to sound like. Some people like a long mantra while others prefer a single line. You can even search online to find something that speaks to you.

Affirm Your Progress

There will always be setbacks and challenges. Just as making mistakes helps you learn a language, these difficulties and mental blocks can help you grow.

No matter what you face during your language learning journey, tell yourself that:

• Yes, you do get to decide that you are good at this. It’s not an outrage. No one will check.

• You are working hard enough for the results you are getting. Give yourself some credit and allow yourself to play with and enjoy your new language.

Then, the next time you hit a roadblock, you can ask yourself, "What can I do to get around this?"

Because you will get around it.

Need a bit of help?

Keep some positive affirmation cards handy for those days when you don’t feel very motivated. You can get a free set of language learning specific affirmations here.

How to Stay Motivated in Language Learning (Even When You're Not Feeling It)

In our latest podcast episode, my co-host Lindsay Dow and I found ourselves discussing one of the big topics in language learning: the ultimate struggles, good moments and bad moments.

These are true for every language learner we've ever spoken to, so if you're suffering from one of these issues, you are most definitely not alone. And since I've recently spent a bit of time hitting the books to learn more about the science of language learning in linguistics and psychology, I've added 4 research-backed motivation tips to help you love language learning again.

The Ultimate Good In Language Learning

1) Understanding Something You Didn't Expect to Understand

No matter if it's a few words of an overheard conversation or the name of a shop, there is magic in that moment when you realize you know this language. When you understand something new, you participate in unlocking the world around yourself - truly a moment worth waiting and working for!

And as Lindsay points out, this is one reward that never goes away after you cash in. Language learning is an eternal project, and that good feeling is going to be yours time and time again as you improve your skills.

In scientific research, the good feelings and sense of joy you gain from using your intelligence and learning something new are called intrinsic motivation. This describes actions you undertake out of interest, curiosity or because you find something personally rewarding (and not because you're getting paid or instructed). Those moments of feeling smarter and experiencing your personal growth are the internal payment you give yourself for all the hard work of language study.

Becoming aware of them and making a note when you do feel awesome is a great way to stay motivated later in the game, so try keeping a learning diary or sharing your achievements with others whenever you understand something new. You can even start today by commenting here on the blog!

2) Showing People That You Can Speak Their Language

I had this moment in an airport café once. My waitress was just dropping off the bill and as I that noticed the little Polish flag on her name tag, I said "oh, you speak Polish!" She stopped for a few minutes and we started chatting about Poland, Germany and languages, with me demonstrating the very few Polish words I know. But as soon as I even said czesz (hello), her eyes lit up. She said she was so excited and pleased that someone was learning her native language, and how rare it was for this to happen in London. I was excited too, so happy that I'd managed to make her morning.

Even when you can only say 5 words in someone's language, your interest and respect for their home can really make their day. Have you ever found yourself in that feeling? For me it's one of the most wonderful things that can happen to a language learner, and it always keeps me going and trying.

The reward of connecting with new people is a motivation for many language learners. Social psychologist Robert Gardner called this the integrative motive, recognising how language learning motivation can be affected by how much you want to talk to people, how much you want to connect and how curious you are about your target language's culture.

Does that sound familiar to you? If you're feeling like you need a boost for studying, try connecting with someone new. It could be a native speaker on italki or a friend at an event - what matters is that you remember how great it is to connect with people who speak your target language.

The Ultimate Struggle in Language Learning

We are all such busy people, and it's hard to put a foreign language up there along with other priorities like family care, paid work, or (for me) editing a podcast. Life's crazy, you guys, and that's why I have put time management at the top of all our language learning struggle charts.

Procrastination is a big issue here too. You sit around and find yourself doing the dishes or pairing your socks before you'll even look at that vocab list again.

How can we beat procrastination? My top tip is to ease off the pressure, make your language learning journey more interesting (yes! more videos - sometimes!) and set yourself smaller, more challenging goals. So forget "getting fluent" for now, and ask yourself how you can get a little bit better this week.

The Ultimate Bad in Language Learning

What could be the worst thing about language learning? There are so many great reasons for learning languages, yet something stands in your way. What is it?

For me, one of the biggest boulders in the way of your fluency dreams is feeling like you are not good enough. Research has actually backed this up, showing that low self-efficacy (that's when you think you won't be able to do it) and low self-worth (that's when you think you are too stupid or forgetful or ) really do knock the motivation out of

What solution could there be? Try embracing the Growth Mindset, in other words find the benefits of being lousy right now. It means that you've got infinite scope for improvement, and there is a lot of evidence to show that nothing in language learning is beyond you right now.

It also helps to stop for a minute and look back on what you've already achieved. Learning a foreign language to "fluency" (whatever that means to you) is a long-term game, a journey in which you are always travelling forward. So give yourself some credit. What can you do now that you couldn't do a year ago?

How to Beat Your Language Learning Demons

Fear of forgetting words, fear of speaking, fear of judgement. Is that you? If you connect to those negative feelings, scroll back up to the good parts of language learning. Sometimes it's worth investing a little time in your own mindset before you go back to the books and apps.

Two things that make the negatives worthwhile and reward you so much:

1. That moment where you understand something and you didn't expect it

2. That other moment where someone's face lights up because you're learning their language

Which good moments can you add? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below. And of course, stay encouraged and keep going. You can totally do this.

For more information about coaching and access to lots of free toolkits and worksheets, hop onto the Fluent Language Newsletter today - can't wait to say hello to you on there!

How to enjoy Language Learning more by being lousy at it

If you are a long-term follower of the Fluent blog, you might already be familiar with my love of Pinterest. I spend the odd free minute over on that website, admiring pictures, getting inspiration and using it to learn about education and teaching..

The Growth Mindset

Today I came across a really great graphic illustrating the growth mindset (previously discussed in episode 9 of the podcast), which is such a helpful way for language learners and strivers of any kind to treat perfectionism and become ongoing learners. Adopting a growth mindset has been proven to contribute to both learning success and happiness in scientific studies. In fact, it is absolutely invaluable for adult learners because it does away with this nonsensical myth of talent.

Here's the amazing core message:

Learn to enjoy being lousy.

That is all. Mind blown? Let's move on to this graphic showing how you can do it.

Thank you, Ryan Thomas

Online Perfection

When you admire people's well-prepared Youtube videos and considered posts that outline their study routines, it is all too easy to feel inferior. A fixed mindset keeps you trapped in those situations, it forces you to feel that the situation is unfair and you are lagging way behind. But the growth mindset would look at another person's success, then look at what you are accomplishing and say "I don't need approval, I want to gain more knowledge!". In fact, I cannot say this any better than Edudemic already has, so please head over and read the following article on the Growth Mindset. Inspiring, fantastic stuff.

Use Growth for Everything

If you are struggling with adopting this mindset for your language learning, think of other learning situations you have been in during your life. Driving, cooking, sewing, musical instruments. We all started out pretty terrible at those, and the more you do it, the better you get. Yes, that's all of us. German and Arabic and Tagalog are no different.

If you want to read more about using Pinterest in your language learning routine, you can read my step-by-step guide on this blog.