Learning English is like climbing a mountain

Have you ever climbed a mountain? Have you ever even been to the mountains? Do you even like the mountains?

What the ?*#$ does that have to do with English, Claire?

EVERYTHING.

Have you ever found English difficult? Have you ever even been to an English speaking country? Do you even like English?

Now you see where I'm going with this, right? Today's post is going to be a beautiful, motivational post, comparing learning English to climbing mountains, so keep reading, especially if you need some motivation for your studies!

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A sneak peak into my life

I happen to be a huge fan of the mountains, so much so in fact, that I convinced my husband to move to the mountains with me so that I could enjoy them more than just 2-3 weeks out of the year. I didn't grow up going to the mountains, in fact, the first time I actually experienced the mountains was at university, but my love for them has grown as I've gotten older. Some things I love about the mountains are:

• Discovering new places and things, even on the same mountain

• The challenge of walking in them

• The satisfaction of completing a hike, even if I didn't make it to the "top"

• Feeling free

Now, if you ask me to hang out on the beach during August, I will politely decline and run the other way as fast as possible. Why? Because the beach just isn't my thing. Water just isn't my thing. I don't mind going to the beach every now and then, but ask me to stay longer than a few hours and I'm not happy.

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English vs. Mountain

So let's apply the above formula to English (or learning another language). You don't have to start learning as a child to learn English well, how fast you learn will depend on how much time you dedicate to it. Just like you can't go out and climb Mount Everest if you've never been trekking before. What really matters is that you enjoy the learning process, and that you take every opportunity that you can to improve your level. Now, if you don't like English, which is fine, languages aren't for everyone, keep in mind that your level might not improve as fast as someone who really enjoys learning languages. Just like the beach and maths is not for me, languages, or just English, might not be for you, and that's totally ok! Here are some ways that I think learning a language is like climbing a mountain

• It's challenging yet rewarding.

• You might never climb Mount Everest (or pass the C2 proficiency), but who cares? You can still enjoy climbing/learning without having to reach the very top.

• You don't have to run, you can walk, stop and take a break, even give up and start again another day.

• What matters is your personal journey and that you get satisfaction from reaching your goals, not someone else's goals or the goals someone has set for you.

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So there you go, your "go learn English" motivation for the day. If you're struggling to get to the next level or just feeling a bit unmotivated, take a second to think about your language goals. Do you have any? What were your goals when you started learning? Have you already reached them? Maybe it's time to set a new goal, or to just relax and enjoy learning at your own pace.

Have a good rest of the week, and try to stay out of the heat!