Caroline Jestaz
Mar 29, 20222 min
Updated: Aug 28, 2023
The one thing that prevents learners from speaking, despite being bright and applying themselves, is their perfectionism.
They’re waiting for the perfect sentence to speak, not realising that you learn a language by speaking and making mistakes, which is what I keep reminding them.
In fact, I also tell them that their mistakes help me teach them, because they highlight the grammar or vocabulary points which need consolidating.
Making mistakes is an integral part of the language learning process but, of course, we’re not meant to ever make any, let alone acknowledge them. Society tells us so repeatedly and from a very early age.
While you can read every book written about a specific topic before talking confidently about it, with language learning, you have to interact, expose yourself to potential misunderstandings/mistakes and figure out a way to make yourself understood.
Language is not about perfection, it's about communication. The more you speak, the more you will know and the more confident you will feel. All you need to do, is get started!
More about my teaching approach
Don't hesitate to send me your questions.
#1. Is it too late to learn a language?
#2. Not knowing the word is not the end of the conversation
#3. Is learning vocabulary lists a good idea?
#4. Should I use bilingual books?
#5. Practising all four skills equally
#6. On the importance of making mistakes
#7. You know more than you think you do
#8. Can everyone learn a language?
#9. With or without subtitles?
#10. Should I use a dictionary?
#11. What's the main obstacle when learning a language?
#12. There's no such thing as perfect sentences
#13. Learning French when English is your mother tongue
#15. Language learning does not mean translating
#16. The right tools to learn a language
#18. Leaving your linguistic comfort zone behind