Shoulds And Musts When Learning New Languages

A feature article by an Alumbo member, Aug 13, 2007         

Before we discuss about learning foreign languages, here's a fact of life for you.

People don't always do what they "should" do, but they almost always do what they "must".

That's right... We ALL get what we MUST have.

But the fact is, when most people say "I must do something", they don't actually mean it.

I hope you're not one of them.

I could present to you the dictionary definitions of the words "should" and "must" but I'm pretty sure you know what they mean so there's no need.

Look, the word "should" refers to what you ought to do or rather, the "right" thing to do; the word "must", on the other hand, suggests no possibility for compromises... In other words, it's a requirement or an obligation.

People do what they really consider "must"s, while they might "try their best" to (but do not necessarily) do their "should"s.

Mastering a new foreign language is a "must" not a "should" for you. Remember that.

Repeat this to yourself three times.

You see, motivated individuals are the kind that give themselves no other choice but to achieve their goals. They would not settle for anything less than the best they can do, while the vast majority just hope for the best.

Don't just "hope" for the best. Stop just "wanting" to achieve the language goal that you have set for yourself, and I want you to stop saying things to yourself like "I'd very much like to achieve my language goal", "It would be good if I can achieve my language goal" or "I'd rather achieve my language goals".

Instead, imagine the following scenarios in your mind:

• I smile to you and tell you, "I would be really happy for you if you can achieve your own language goal."
• I look at you encouragingly and tell you, "If you achieve your goal, you'll get a great gift from me."

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• I threaten you with a gun pointing to your head, "You don't have a choice. If you don't achieve you language goal, I'll kill you."

Don't take the above as a joke.

Let your imagination run wild. Imagine that's really happening... Which scenario would cause you to take decisive action?

You know it's the third one!

Now say the following out loud

"I must achieve my language goal. It is not just a hope. It is not just a wish. It is a must for me, because I have no choice."

Say it out loud. I am serious. Don't just say it in your head!

Feel it yourself.

To REALLY feel it. Stop after reading this paragraph and imagine yourself talking with complete fluency in the foreign language you've always wanted to learn well. Notice the look on the face of the person you are talking to. Pay attention to your own posture, breathing. Visualize every little detail around you. Do it now, with your eyes closed, perhaps.

Also, you must eliminate the possibility of failure from your mind.

Look, you don't need to be a Star Wars fan to remember the famous line that master Yoda told Luke.

"Do, or do not. There is no try."

For a little green guy, he knew what he was talking about. He did not want Luke to even think about the possibility of failure.

Once you have decided to learn a new language, do it. Don't try learning it while thinking about the remote possibility of falling short of your language goal. If you're already thinking that you could fail, chances are, you will.

Don't even consider failure as an choice when learning foreign languages. In fact, don't even think about it. The only result that you should be getting is mastering the foreign language... and nothing else.

Owen Lee teaches people around the world how to slash the time, effort and cost to master any foreign language. His countless students can attest to his ability in both speaking foreign languages as well as teaching how to learn them. To take a free "Ultimate Language Secrets" course, visit http://www.UltimateLanguageSecrets.com

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