Living Abroad, Learning the Language – Why is it Still Hard?

Living Abroad, Learning the Language – Why is it Still Hard?

So, you’ve been living in a foreign country for a while and learning its language for about the same amount of time. You expected your level to be much higher by now—that communication would no longer be such a challenge after so much time immersed in the environment. Yet somehow, despite making considerable progress, you’re still struggling. In everyday situations, you often feel uncertain, unable to express yourself clearly or follow the natural flow of native speakers’ speech.

Let’s explore the potential blockers and dive into the psychology behind this experience. Along the way, you may gain new insights, find fresh inspiration, regain your confidence, and hopefully pick up some practical strategies to help you move forward.

Aren’t you on the plateau?
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The Beauty of New Beginnings

The Beauty of New Beginnings

Writing and posting articles tagged “my diary” still feels a little tricky for me. Not just because it’s something new and not typically done on this website, but primarily because it’s personal. And the reason I’d like to continue going this personal here on my blog, which is primarily devoted to English as a second language, is that I believe what I have to share relates to learning in a broad, meaningful sense. Learning a language is just part of the lifelong learning journey many of us are fortunate to be on.

So, the purpose of this blog entry is to encourage you, my reader, to think about how our priorities change over time and how beautiful that change can be. To put this into a more practical, language-learning perspective, I’ll focus on the importance of self-acceptance and giving ourselves some slack when undertaking a challenge as big as mastering a foreign language. If you find this aspect particularly interesting, please check my post “Finding Joy in Growth, Not Perfection.” Now, let’s dive into what I actually mean by a new beginning.

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Eloquence & How to Achieve It

Eloquence & How to Achieve It

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, eloquence /ˈeləkwəns/ is the ability to use language and express your opinions well, especially when you are speaking in public. Therefore, it’s clear that public speakers would benefit from being eloquent /ˈeləkwənt/. Are you one of them? If not, you might still benefit from developing eloquence if you often need to convince or persuade others, or simply express your views in a way that people can understand and accept. That’s why virtually anyone can find value in this article, where we define eloquence, discuss its importance, and provide tips for language learners to achieve it. Keep reading to equip yourself with tools to cultivate this highly useful skill.

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