| “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin | | | | truly devoted and diligent English learners are not |
| again, this time more intelligently” | | | | afraid to pay their dues: to soldier on in the face |
| -Henry Ford- | | | | of setbacks. Pragmatic-English learners are likely |
| I am a firm believer that failure is an important | | | | to fail, learn from their lessons and only then be |
| part of any learning cycle. In the case of English | | | | able to come through as winners. |
| as a Second Language, many capable non-native | | | | Such motivated learners try to reach a healthy |
| English speakers become withdrawn, shy and | | | | state of mind through developing a good sense of |
| even scared when faced with the prospect of | | | | humor. It might take a while, but eventually you |
| having to converse with non-native English | | | | will see some comedy in what happens. When |
| speakers. This is simply because many language | | | | you can laugh at your own mistakes you know |
| learners are afraid to dare. They worry | | | | you have made a leap forward in the learning |
| constantly about not meeting expectations, | | | | process. Accepting mistakes as an inseparable |
| making a mistake, or failing while trying something | | | | part of the learning process is one of the most |
| new. In that vein, were they to adhere to | | | | valuable pieces of English advice a teacher can |
| Ford’s advice and take the plunge; (dare to | | | | give to a non-native- English speaker. The best |
| make mistakes, and learn from them,) non-native | | | | way to gain confidence is to simply talk to other |
| speakers would benefit greatly from the learning | | | | smart, capable and well-meaning people who have |
| process. | | | | made similar mistakes to the one you have made. |
| Henry Ford’s quote runs counter to cultural | | | | This will put learning in a realistic context and |
| assumptions we have about failures and mistakes; | | | | remind yourself that you are going through a |
| namely that they are shameful things. We are | | | | process. With English language learning, there is |
| taught in schools, in our families, or at work to | | | | rarely obvious immediate gratification. Instead you |
| feel guilty about failure and to do whatever we | | | | are aiming for deferred gratification and a |
| can to avoid mistakes. This sense of shame, | | | | lengthier learning curve for longevity: life-long |
| combined with the inevitability of setbacks when | | | | learning. |
| attempting difficult things, explains why many | | | | A persistent learner should also engage in |
| people give up on their goals: they are not | | | | self-deprecating antics; be a touch foolish; make |
| prepared for the mistakes and failures they will | | | | errors which will bring forth laughter from your |
| face on their way to what they want. | | | | friends or colleagues. Moreover, the benefits of |
| What’s missing in many people’s | | | | humor in education have been accessed in recent |
| beliefs about success is the fact that the more | | | | research and have been proven to enhance |
| challenging the goals, the more frequent and | | | | performances; simply because it puts the learner |
| difficult setbacks will be. | | | | at ease. Having slightly embarrassing moments |
| For many reasons admitting mistakes is difficult. | | | | and laughing about your language oversights |
| An implied value in many cultures is that our work | | | | always makes a great story, (in English of |
| represents us: should you fail a test, then you are | | | | course.) It is important to note, that the dedicated |
| perceived as a failure. Should you make a mistake | | | | learners always expose themselves to the world |
| then you are labeled as unusual. We are taught | | | | of critics. Unfortunately, the world is full of critics |
| not to appear weak or to look bad in the eyes of | | | | who play no ball, nor fight no fights. They make |
| others. Thomas Edison, on the other hand, would | | | | no mistakes because they generally attempt |
| have never invented the light bulb if he did not | | | | nothing. The person who makes no mistakes may |
| take the principle of daring to heart. He failed | | | | lack boldness and the spirit for a learning |
| more than 10,000 times before he found the | | | | adventure. This type of person puts the brakes |
| filament that would create light for a sustained | | | | on the wheel of progress. Theodore Roosvelt, |
| period of time. Edison did not view his attempts | | | | former President of the United States, |
| as failures. However, he saw every situation as an | | | | passionately pointed out in Paris, in 1924: |
| opportunity to learn, refine and narrow his search | | | | “It is not the critic who counts… who |
| which brought him closer and to his goal. In his | | | | points out how the strong man stumbles, or |
| own: “I failed my way to success”. | | | | where the doer of deeds could have done better. |
| In the same light as Edison, it is important to | | | | The credit belongs to the man who is actually in |
| embrace the principles of failure in an English | | | | the arena, …who strives valiantly, who errs |
| language learning context. Similarly, it is important | | | | and comes up short again and again, because |
| to take linguistic risks, and it is equally as | | | | there is no effort without error or shortcoming, |
| important to be systematic while trying to | | | | but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great |
| analyze what went wrong. This is the dynamic | | | | devotions, who spends himself for a worthy |
| learner. In the tradition of this process you may | | | | cause; who, at best, knows…the triumph of |
| find it tiresome at first because you may not | | | | high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, |
| know where to begin. Even if you do not | | | | at least he fails while daring greatly. |
| recognize the cause or causes of your mistakes, | | | | |