Imagine being in a German language classroom when your teacher says the following word and you are able to spell it correctly: ‘Lebensversicherungsgesellschaften’! (If you don’t know what is means, google it.)
Now why am I sharing this particular memory, you ask? It is because, when I was learning German, I had many problems but spellings weren’t one of them. Apart from few exceptions, it is a little easier to learn and remember spellings in German because you basically write what you hear. It is not the case with English at all. And French, while I love the language, is completely out of the orbit. Fun fact: the French word for birds is ‘Oiseaux’ which is pronounced as ‘wazo’. I am not joking; check it out if you don’t believe me.
So, as I was saying, spellings can be a difficult thing for students when they are trying to learn English or improve it. All of us face some or the other difficulty while learning a language. This can cause a lot of fear and anxiety among language learners. But we can’t let these fears stand in the way of language learning as it is an amazing adventure that gives so much joy. ‘डर के आगे जीत है’.
In fact, I would like to quote Frank Smith here who says:
"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way."
We Indians, if I may say so, are already in the business of speaking multiple languages. We have our regional language which is generally our mother tongue. Then we have Hindi which is considered our ‘Rashtrabhasha’ though we don’t have a national language. And finally, we have English which is one of the official languages. While the capacity to speak more than one language since childhood gives us an edge and opens doors, it can also create problems when we attempt to use all languages with equal proficiency and frequency. There can be problems while learning which then turn into fears. Last month, through one of our articles, we told you about the fear of self, teachers, ambience, and peers while learning English. Through this article, I would like to tell you about some aspects of language and language learning that create fear among students and how students can get rid of them.
Spellings: As I mentioned above, we don’t always write what we speak. It is one of the major problems faced by millions of people. I mean, imagine the word ‘vacuum’! I would like to meet the person who thought of using a double ‘U’ in this word. So, what can be done to get rid of this fear?
Use a dictionary:
Dictionaries are quite helpful while trying to learn spellings. Nowadays, we have Google and also the wonderfully terrible ‘Autocorrect’. Many of my students claim that now they don’t need to learn spellings because they have this wretched feature on their phones and computers. But from experience I can say that Autocorrect doesn’t work every time so don’t rely on it!
Rote-learning:
Another tried and tested method is rote-learning the spelling and writing it a couple of times and using it in sentences again and again. It is an age-old method which many might find boring but it works. Every single time!
Pronounce like you write:
Another thing that I did while I was learning English was pronounce the word as per the spelling. For e.g. I used to pronounce the word ‘environment’ as एन वि रॉन मेन्ट. But there is a danger in using this method as you might get used to the wrong pronunciation. So, if you use this method, make sure you check the correct pronunciation as well. If you are going to open this particular can of worms, make sure you have something to catch them. You have been warned!
Grammar: This particular thing is a double-edged sword. You can’t do without it, obviously, but you can’t or shouldn’t get too obsessed with it as well. Accuracy is important but that shouldn’t come at the cost of fluency. Learning grammar rules should aid, not hinder, in using the language. Many students in India are afraid of grammar because they generally compare English grammar to the grammar of their mother tongue. ‘I am agree’ is one of the most common mistakes that we come across. That could be because students try to translate sentences directly from their language to English.
So, if the sentence in Marathi is ‘मी सहमत आहे’, how can it be only ‘I agree’ in English? This question has been asked to me by many of my students. One of my students asked, “Where do I put the आहे?” I don’t blame him. Grammar can be tricky. So, what should be done?
Stop comparing grammar of one language to the other. Bilingual method can be used while learning vocabulary perhaps but not while learning grammar.
Grammar is not the only important thing in language learning. Don’t let the fear of grammar stop you from using the language. The more you use it, the better you will get at it.
Vocabulary: A common concern of my students is “I know what I want to say but I don’t know how!” This generally happens because the students don’t have enough vocabulary. You may be perfect in grammar but if you don’t have words, you won’t be able to speak at all. Often, people complain that they have been using the same words again and again and they want to describe something in different words. This leads to people not talking at all. So, what to do?
READ! There’s a reason I have written the first word in this line in capital letters. It is absolutely imperative that you read. It is one of the best ways to improve vocabulary. You not only learn the word but also the context. Through this method you can come across many new words. Now, you won’t know or understand every new word that you read. So, keep a dictionary nearby and use it when you come across a new word. Better yet, have a diary or a notebook and note it down.
Though using a dictionary every time, you stumble upon a new word is ideal, it is not practical. Some people even find this activity boring and disruptive. Imagine opening the dictionary 17 times while reading one page! Phew! To solve this problem, rely on the context. Try to guess the meaning of a new word based on the sentence or the paragraph.
For e.g. She was a quintessential Punekar. She preferred shopping in Tulshibaug to going to the mall.
In the above example, you can guess the meaning of the word ‘quintessential’ with the help of the second sentence. It means typical.
Watch English movies or serials. I don’t need to elaborate much on that. It’s both fun and learn.
There are many word games that you can play alone as well as with friends. Take any theme or topic and note down all the words related to it. You can generate up to 200 words in about 10 minutes.
Look for word families, synonyms & antonyms, suffixes & prefixes, etc.
If you follow the suggestions given above, slowly and steadily, you can have an impressive Wortschatz (German for vocabulary which translated literally means treasure of words!)
Comprehension: One may learn spellings, practise grammar, build a nice vocabulary, and still have problems with comprehension. As I said above, reading is one of the most important aspects of language learning. Often students complain that they don’t read because they can’t understand what is written. That makes them afraid of the entire activity of reading. The same thing can also happen while speaking. If you are not able to understand what the person is saying, you are not going to be able to respond. It could be because of accent, speed, or use of difficult vocabulary. It could make anyone uncomfortable. Some may also feel ashamed. I know many fluent speakers of English who might feel like dumb ogres if they had to have a conversation with Shashi Tharoor. Unfortunately, society judges a person based on how well he or she can speak English. That itself is a huge pressure and a cause of panic. Many people believe that they will become successful only if they know English. This adds to the pressure and then the pressure becomes too much to handle. It turns into fear which then leads to anger and finally to suffering according to the Jedi Master Yoda. So, what should be done to stop our journey to the dark side? (Google it, if you are not a Star Wars fan!)
Keep your eyes and ears open. Be inquisitive about the things you don’t understand. Ask questions. Ask the person you are talking to, to repeat himself. Try to remove the pressure and try having fun instead.
We are blessed to have so many resources at our disposal. Yes, you have your teacher. But you also have books, magazines, songs, movies, documentaries, etc. There are many news channels. YouTube is a treasure trove that contains riches more that Alibaba’s cave. Loot it!
Make word lists according to the topics and themes. Another trick is to make a mind map. It’s visual so it is even more helpful in retaining words.
Expose yourself to different accents. You can easily do that with the help of videos that are available on the internet.
I have said it before; I’ll say it again: Language Learning is fun. Sure, there are moments of frustration and irritation but if you keep the fear at bay, you can be successful.
Another important thing to remember is do not compare your language proficiency with others. You are cruising at your own pace. Fix your goals for yourself that are achievable. For e.g. if I decide that I want to have vocabulary like Shashi Tharoor has, in a few weeks, it is going to make me cry every day. There’s nothing wrong in pushing yourself and trying to do more but that shouldn’t become the reason for your distress.
We all meet ‘Grammar Nazis’ on the internet and also in real life. Don’t let them demotivate you but be open to corrections. If someone corrects your grammar or pronunciation, try to accept it. They might know more than you do.
Last but not the least, please read something every day in your target language. It is a skill that is probably the grandmother of all other skills. And it is highly underrated. Trust me as I have been one of those people who have improved their language largely through this wonderful activity. I owe my language to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. If you don’t read every day, it just means that you haven’t found what you like to read. Keep looking! It’s like looking for a life partner. If you don’t stop there, why stop here? Asking for recommendations is fine, but you don’t have to read a book just because everyone is reading it. If you like and feel comfortable reading comic books, read them! If you like murder mysteries, delve into them! If you are a mythology-loving person, you have a treasure waiting for you! Just because everyone is reading self-help books or classics, doesn’t mean you have to! Find your joy!
Let me know in the comments if any of these suggestions helped you in getting rid of your fear of English.
Happy Learning!
Surashree Joshi
Visiting Faculty