I’m not very good at learning languages.
That’s not to say I’m bad at languages – the kid who sat next to me in French classes at school did well out of copying my answers and I can remember the words to Alouette by heart.
However, the prospect of learning languages has never really captured my imagination in the same way as History, or Geography. Learning languages didn’t give me the same adrenaline rush that I experienced when I excelled in other subjects and I quickly gave up learning French at GCSE, aged 16.
I must admit that I suffer from lazy Brit syndrome when it comes to learning languages. English is everywhere and is the world’s ‘lingua franca’. Even when I’ve travelled in far-flung places, like the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzkekistan, I’ve got by in English.
But my reluctance to learn languages is also rooted in fear, particularly in my limited understanding of grammar. As a child of British schooling in the 1990s, I suffered because the basics of English grammar were not taught as part of the curriculum. Because of this, I worry about how well I understand the rules of language and how to engage with them.
I have tried to learn other languages, motivated either by interest or travel. In preparation for a holiday to Brazil in 2014, I attended a ten week Brazilian Portuguese course in London. The course was great, but the number of people attending dwindled as the weeks went by. I have also tried to learn from books, but I’ve found that I quickly forget things if I don’t record them, or put them into practice.
Late last year, I got married to my Brazilian partner and I can no longer excuse myself from learning Brazilian Portuguese. I feel ashamed by the fact that his English has improved leaps-and-bounds and that I have made little effort to speak to him in his mother-tongue.
With this blog, I aim to make myself accountable for learning Brazilian Portuguese, by charting my progress and highlighting anything that I find interesting along the way. I will also be posting resources that I create as I try to make sense of Brazilian Portuguese and put my learning into practice.
Please reach-out if you come across my blog with any comments, suggestions, hints, or tips. I’d love to hear from people who are on a similar journey, or who have reached the destinaton of fluency.
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Great blog John! Good luck with your quest. I totally relate to this BTW “But my reluctance to learn languages is also rooted in fear, particularly in my limited understanding of grammar. As a child of British schooling in the 1990s, I suffered because the basics of English grammar were not taught as part of the curriculum. Because of this, I worry about how well I understand the rules of language and how to engage with them.”. I always thought it was just me- hadn’t really twigged it was a failing of the schooling system and not a failing in my ability to learn!
Great content! Keep up the good work!