My name is Thais, and I am working remotely this semester, so you probably won't see me around the office. In response to the prompt, throughout my life I have dabbled in learning various languages from my early childhood into adulthood. However, I never really was as passionate about learning a language until I got into a relationship with my now fiancé. For context, his first language is Spanish. Therefore, I connected better with language learning that felt applicable and useful in my own life and to speaking with him and his family in their native language. I also greatly appreciated learning about cultural topics because they were more engaging to me and allowed me better insight into his culture. Language teaching practices that have a focus on using language as a way to connect with people is highly effective in my perspective. I prefer that over vocabulary drilling for things I may or may not ever need to use. For example, if I don't have my ears pierced, my brain is unlikely to feel the need to remember what the word for earrings is in Spanish. I have never connected as much with repetitive language learning such as Dualingo or other online programs as I feel it doesn't prepare you for using language for personal connection even if it is great for vocabulary and grammar practice. I hope you take something from the experiences I have shared and can't wait to see what everyone writes as well!

I'm Bree, and I've been learning Japanese for about 3 years now. Honestly I chose Japanese because it was so different from English and I thought it would be quite a challenge, and I was definitely correct. For me I think I view learning a language a lot like putting a puzzle together, and at first I was just trying to learn enough pieces to put basic sentences together. Since then, I've read a lot of Japanese blogs and one of the biggest pieces of advice I've seen has been to try to think in your language instead of translating. I try to make this into a game and try to say as much in Japanese in my head whenever I think about it, and honestly it has helped a lot. I find recalling words in useful situations to be a lot more effective than just running through word lists. What I've struggled most with is listening and speaking skills. Teaching labs actually has increased my confidence in speaking a lot, but I've struggled to find opportunities to really practice my conversational skills. The most important thing I've learned though is that it's way better to try to say something and be wrong, than to say nothing at all. When I'm wrong I usually end up learning something. When I'm quiet I just end up feeling worse about my language abilities.

My name is Annika and I am from Germany. I grew up on the French border, which is why French in particular has always played a big role in my life. I started learning French when I was 8 and English when I was 10 and I have loved them ever since! After high school I decided to become a French and English teacher. As part of my studies, going abroad to an English-speaking country is mandatory and that is why I am here in Boise :) For me sometimes I feel embarrassed of my accent or grammar mistakes I make. I have to remind myself that these things are totally normal and happen to everybody who is trying to learn a language. What I like about learning languages is that it opens up so many new possibilities in life. If I had not learned English at school, I would not have been able to come to Boise.

My name is Elanor, and I've been learning French for about 12 years! I began my education at a dual-language school in California, and have been fortunate to find opportunities for learning everywhere I go. Growing up, being bilingual was a relatively universal skill: almost everyone I knew spoke another language besides English. It wasn't until later in life that I realized what an immense privilege it is to be able to learn another language and gain competency with it. Of course, there are aspects of language acquisition that are extremely difficult and even frustrating. One thing I disliked about learning French was the constant emphasis on grammar, which can be tricky to grasp because the structure is so different to English. I would recommend contextualizing the grammar as much as possible within readings, videos, or music. Learning grammar is harder when it comes from a list or a recitation, but it can be fun! To make learning enjoyable, I've found it can be really helpful to participate in the culture as much as possible by spending time engaging with media like books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, and songs! The most helpful thing a learner can try and do is to speak often and out loud. It doesn't necessarily need to be to a native speaker- it can be to a pet, to a voice recording, to a friend or family member, or even to yourself! Plus, it's so rewarding to connect to a new culture. All of a sudden, things like food or history or celebrities that didn't catch your attention before bring on new meaning and joy when you have a connection to that language. There are so many positives to learning- it's worth a try!

I'm Taylor. I have been learned American Sign Language my whole life because my aunt is deaf. I first started learning when I was around 3 years old and have continued to look into the language as I got older. Due to starting at such a young age, and my chronic talking with my hands, I've been able to pick up and retain ASL fairly easily. If I had to give one piece of advice for learning ASL it would be to use it often even if no one else understands, it could be as simple as fingerspelling words that you find interesting or challenging to remember. This will help you become more comfortable with fingerspelling and help you retain information. However, the biggest challenge for me when learning ASL has been finding people to practice with outside of class. No one in my family knows sign language beyond the basics so I have to do a lot of self practice or signing to myself. While this is a struggle, it also encouraged me to connect more with my classmates so that we could practice together outside of class. This has allowed me to make many friends and allows me to better understand how my signs are being received.