Resilience or endurance?

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Do you have a secret to share about breakthroughs in your learning?

This is a good example of a language learning question that never gets old,and you can always come back to from different angles. For me, it hasturned into something almost philosophical to reflect on.
I’ve been teaching languages (I teach English to native Spanish speakers,too) for over 10 years. I think between group and 1-1 lessons I must havetaught over 500 different people from at least 30 different countries.

Lots of faces!

Each case is different, of course, but the Resilience vs Endurancediscussion is especially relevant for the ones who’ve just decided to explorethe Spanish jungle and those who have been in an on-and-off relationshipwith Spanish for years.

Here’s the problem: language learning is sugar-coated. Too many peopleout there talk about it as if it were as easy and pleasurable as taking abubble bath. And too many learners buy that!
It’s just not true.

First, because learning is not generic, and no two learners walk exactly thesame trail. But also because, more often than not, the opposite is true.

That’s where the buzzword resilience stops making sense as the rightmindset. Resilience understood as being okay with not being great only getsyou halfway there.

What you should nurture -and perhaps is more elusive- is endurance. Howdo we define endurance? The capacity to keep pushing forward even whenthe ghost of failure hovers over you.

I haven’t met a single student who hasn’t felt discouraged, confused orunmotivated at some point in their learning. That’s unavoidable. The criticalskill is being able to focus on your bigger goal.

Once again, the timeless wisdom of sayings: You can’t make an omelettewithout breaking a few eggs.

How do you see it? Would love to hear your thoughts.

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