Overestimating & underestimating the language learning journey

Overestimating & underestimating the language learning journey

 

I remember reading a quote a while back of Bill Gates, that really got my attention:  “Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

 

This quote is absolute perfection for someone learning a language.

 

It is not that we can’t learn a lot in a year, because we can. If I think about it, a year ago I could not speak any Italian at all, and now I can carry on a conversation about basic topics for over an hour. But imagine how much Italian I will know in nine more years? If I am consistent, I will be at an advanced level, maybe even fluent!

 

Right now 10 years seems like a very long time, but the reality is that 10 years goes by very quickly! And if we have learned anything so far in life, we know that it’s all about the journey, not the destination.

 

So the next time that you get discouraged, thinking that you’re not moving along fast enough in your language learning journey, take a moment to remember where you started and look forward to what is to come in the future!

 

Besos,
Caro