The water metaphor

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Let’s do this together: Can you imagine how water would make for a good metaphor in language learning?

Yeah Mati, sure.

‘A foreign language is like an angry sea of menacing beasts waiting to wreck your ship at the first opportunity.’

‘A foreign language makes you feel that no matter what you do, you’ll sink.’

‘A foreign language is like water because you can drown yourself in it.’

No no no. More bright than that!

Let’s dive in! (pun intended)

Today in class I was talking about our abilities in our native language and comparing them to what it feels when we are learning a foreign language.

I said something like when we use our native language, it’s like having water running out of the tap. Words and phrases flow effortlessly, and we don’t have to think too much about grammar or vocabulary. Speaking, listening, reading, and writing in our native language feels natural and easy (most of the times, at least!).

But what happens when we try to use a foreign language? Suddenly, the water is not flowing so freely anymore. Just like people in places without easy access to it, we experience the frustrating and desperating feeling of scarcity.

How would you have to re-write your life if water was not a twist of your hand away but 3, 4 or 5 miles away?

Speaking a foreign language can feel like carrying a heavy jug of water on our heads, and having it filled one drop at a time. We need to choose our words carefully, so we don’t spill anything.

And to make things worse, not only is the source far but also there’s a limited amount we can carry each time.

One day, after an amount of time you can’t measure, you are not sure if the River of Meaning is closer than it was or you moved to live closer to it. The thing is, you just can’t understand how far you used to go to fetch your words. Ah, sweet mistery of life!

Of course, the amount of water we have at our disposal depends on our level of language proficiency. Beginners might feel like they have only a trickle of water available to them, struggling to communicate even the simplest ideas. Intermediate learners might have a bit more water to work with, or maybe the place where they need to go and fetch it comes but still . Advanced learners might feel like they have a steady stream of water, but still need to be mindful of not wasting it or getting too comfortable.

Moreover, the water metaphor can apply to different language skills, too. Listening might be like trying to catch drops of water in the air, where every word counts and we need to pay close attention to context and intonation. Speaking might be like using a straw to sip water from a narrow bottle, where we need to use the right muscles and tongue positions to produce sounds correctly. Reading might be like using a water filter, where we need to strain the text for meaning and make sure we understand the nuances. Writing might be like drawing water from a well, where we need to dig deep for ideas and structure them in a coherent way. (This paragraph, my friends, came from Chat GPT)

So, what can we learn from the water metaphor in language learning? Well, just like carrying water learning a foreign language can be tiring and challenging, but also life-sustaining and fulfilling.

Let’s keep the water flowing, and keep learning and growing!

Liked it? Let me know your thoughts below!

Happy Spanish learning,

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