I didn't know you and Amy were friends, Imola! I get so tickled when I see the same people in the communities here on Substack. Let me just reiterate what I love about you: that you are unabashedly YOU. I am still laughing from the comment you made on one of our recent voice messages via WhatsApp about my experience at the writing conference. Knowing you and reading your incredible writing is like a sigh of relief, truly, for me. You give me permission to just show up as I am and not feel like I have to conform to some stuffy ideal in the literary world. Love you, friend! XO
Hi Jeannie! So happy to see my favorite people finding each other. And I am super excited to meet Imola soon in person when she comes to Barcelona and we get to practice Spanish together! (Well, I practice, and she gets me to laugh over my mistakes 😀).
You both are SO LUCKY! May I say I am a tad bit jealous? I would LOVE to meet both of you in person! Enjoy, and I can’t wait to hear how the meeting goes. Please post photos, too! XO
This essay really resonated with me, especially your point about how "the best thing about learning another language is that it humbles you! Feeling like a complete idiot, or at the very least, a complete beginner at something is (in my humble opinion) a very healthy thing!" It's such a freeing perspective, isn't it? We spend so much of our lives trying to project an image of competence and knowing, especially as adults. But there's a unique joy and accelerated growth that comes with letting go of that need and truly embracing the beginner's mind, even if it feels a bit silly. I've found that some of my most profound learning experiences have come when I've willingly stepped into a situation where I know absolutely nothing and have to rely on raw curiosity and a willingness to make mistakes. It strips away the ego and allows for a more direct, unfiltered engagement with the new material, or in this case, a new language and culture.
What a wonderful post, Imola. You more than exceeded my expectations with the prompt I gave you and as I learn Spanish, still very much a beginner, it is your advice on focusing on humor, enjoyment, and humbling myself to make lots of mistakes that will stay with me. Your specific language mistakes—oh, how they made me laugh! That made me feel so much better as I stumble through Spanish, and yes, how humbling it is to be reduced to ‘I need, I want’ etc the very simplest form of communication. Yet as I go back to basics in embracing a slower life due to physical limitations it makes sense that my new language should also come slowly. A little bit at a time. Once upon a time I learned to speak Swedish fluently so I know I can do this. You’ve inspired me!
Oh, I am so happy to hear Amy!! Yes, you can absolutely do this!! Slowly, compassionately and with a sense of humour. The mistake I made in Spanish was to assume that “bebe” was a drink, like so many of the nouns in Spanish that come from the verb. “Beber”… well, this time I was so wrong! But we had such a laugh when I asked this guy straight faced if he wanted to have a baby when free….!
Another remarkable part of your journey, Imola! Six languages! So impressive. Those awful high school English teachers tried to ruin a lot of us. My tenth grade English teacher told me I couldn't write because? Who knows. But he was so wrong!
I just came back from 16 days in Portugal loved the trip. I bit difficult to learn the language but if you have a base in the Latin languages you are already ahead of the game. Yes the s is not snake but a shhh as if shhh you will wake the baby. Makes for strange sounding words. I speak 3 languages and can say thank you , hello how are you, in 8 more. but not yet more. I think like learning music, it helps to have an attuned ear to the rhythm of the new language. Thank you for this post it has given me a boost to keep learning and the guts to let myself make mistakes.
So happy to hear Michael! Yes, absolutely make those mistakes. It’s part of the fun :) and good luck either way learning Portuguese. It’s a beautiful language!!
I didn't know you and Amy were friends, Imola! I get so tickled when I see the same people in the communities here on Substack. Let me just reiterate what I love about you: that you are unabashedly YOU. I am still laughing from the comment you made on one of our recent voice messages via WhatsApp about my experience at the writing conference. Knowing you and reading your incredible writing is like a sigh of relief, truly, for me. You give me permission to just show up as I am and not feel like I have to conform to some stuffy ideal in the literary world. Love you, friend! XO
Aww. This warms my heart! Love you back my friend.
Hi Jeannie! So happy to see my favorite people finding each other. And I am super excited to meet Imola soon in person when she comes to Barcelona and we get to practice Spanish together! (Well, I practice, and she gets me to laugh over my mistakes 😀).
Any, my Spanish is pretty funny now as it is heavily influenced by my Italian! :) so we can laugh together as we order babies in à bar…
You both are SO LUCKY! May I say I am a tad bit jealous? I would LOVE to meet both of you in person! Enjoy, and I can’t wait to hear how the meeting goes. Please post photos, too! XO
Of course! And once my apartment in Budapest is ready….
We will certainly post and share photos! And I wish you could join us, Jeannie. One day, hopefully!
This essay really resonated with me, especially your point about how "the best thing about learning another language is that it humbles you! Feeling like a complete idiot, or at the very least, a complete beginner at something is (in my humble opinion) a very healthy thing!" It's such a freeing perspective, isn't it? We spend so much of our lives trying to project an image of competence and knowing, especially as adults. But there's a unique joy and accelerated growth that comes with letting go of that need and truly embracing the beginner's mind, even if it feels a bit silly. I've found that some of my most profound learning experiences have come when I've willingly stepped into a situation where I know absolutely nothing and have to rely on raw curiosity and a willingness to make mistakes. It strips away the ego and allows for a more direct, unfiltered engagement with the new material, or in this case, a new language and culture.
Yes, yes, yes!! Alexander, you’ve said it better than I did here. Exactly that. It’s such a gift!!
What a wonderful post, Imola. You more than exceeded my expectations with the prompt I gave you and as I learn Spanish, still very much a beginner, it is your advice on focusing on humor, enjoyment, and humbling myself to make lots of mistakes that will stay with me. Your specific language mistakes—oh, how they made me laugh! That made me feel so much better as I stumble through Spanish, and yes, how humbling it is to be reduced to ‘I need, I want’ etc the very simplest form of communication. Yet as I go back to basics in embracing a slower life due to physical limitations it makes sense that my new language should also come slowly. A little bit at a time. Once upon a time I learned to speak Swedish fluently so I know I can do this. You’ve inspired me!
Oh, I am so happy to hear Amy!! Yes, you can absolutely do this!! Slowly, compassionately and with a sense of humour. The mistake I made in Spanish was to assume that “bebe” was a drink, like so many of the nouns in Spanish that come from the verb. “Beber”… well, this time I was so wrong! But we had such a laugh when I asked this guy straight faced if he wanted to have a baby when free….!
Another remarkable part of your journey, Imola! Six languages! So impressive. Those awful high school English teachers tried to ruin a lot of us. My tenth grade English teacher told me I couldn't write because? Who knows. But he was so wrong!
I hear you Mary! My third grade English teacher told me I had no talent for learning English. And here I am writing in this language. Wild.
I just came back from 16 days in Portugal loved the trip. I bit difficult to learn the language but if you have a base in the Latin languages you are already ahead of the game. Yes the s is not snake but a shhh as if shhh you will wake the baby. Makes for strange sounding words. I speak 3 languages and can say thank you , hello how are you, in 8 more. but not yet more. I think like learning music, it helps to have an attuned ear to the rhythm of the new language. Thank you for this post it has given me a boost to keep learning and the guts to let myself make mistakes.
So happy to hear Michael! Yes, absolutely make those mistakes. It’s part of the fun :) and good luck either way learning Portuguese. It’s a beautiful language!!