When it comes to language learning, finding the right resources is crucial for success. However, many language learners struggle to discover the resources that work best for them.
There are usually two groups of people:
Those who thrive on exploring new resources and those who prefer to stick with what works for them.
The former are the Curious and Innovative Language Learners, always seeking new tools and approaches, while the latter are the Focused and Insightful Language Learners, mastering their chosen resources.
As an Innovative Language Learner myself, my phone is filled with different categories of language learning apps and materials. And my shelves are overflowing with books for all of the languages I’m learning.
So I get it.
Years ago, I used to think that I wasn’t making the progress I wanted to see because I didn’t have the “right” resources.
I spent countless hours researching textbooks, apps, and reading reviews from other language learners. App after app was downloaded, yet I still felt something was missing. I was convinced that there had to be a “magic solution”, an elusive secret that would fast-track my fluency.
But I completely misunderstood what I needed.
Through my journey, I realized that three key reasons were hindering my ability to find the right resources for myself.
In this blog post, I want to share these challenges with you, so that you can avoid the same pitfalls and navigate the vast world of language learning resources with confidence and clarity.
Whether you’re a curious and innovative language learner or prefer to stick to what works, understanding these challenges will help you find the resources you need to achieve your language learning goals.
So let’s jump right in!
Reason #1 – You’re Striving For Perfection In Your Language Learning Resources
The first reason you might be struggling to find resources for your language studies is because you’re striving for perfection and avoiding “failure”.
When you’re prioritizing perfection, you end up fixating on avoiding failure or being seen as a failure. You don’t want to make mistakes, and you’ve heard a lot about what resources to avoid and what to use, but it’s… a lot
We’re often led to believe that there must be one resource out there that will guarantee our fluency.
That will make everything effortless, seamless, and FAST.
In reality, language learning is a journey, and absolutely takes real effort to get from knowing zero to being able to communicate and use the language.
It takes consistent effort and practice.
But perfectionism is standing in the way between you and taking that first step, because you believe that if it’s not perfect.. why bother?
“There’s no point in trying this out if it’s not guaranteed to work.”
But you’re wrong.
Because right now, your focus on perfectionism is leading to you constantly comparing your progress or lack of results to someone else’s journey, and it’s getting you nowhere.
And in the process, you’re losing clarity, and detaching yourself from the fun and play that comes with trying out resources, making progress, and learning languages.
You’re losing your “why”, and forgetting why you started in the first place.
Progress over Perfection
In order to overcome this, you’ll want to shift from striving for perfection, to striving for progress.
Find one resource you can consistently rely on to give you some wins, teach you what you need to know and stick to it.
Choose a main study resource and only a few supplemental ones to help support your overall learning journey.
Keep it down to no more than 5 in total.
More is not better.
More is confusion and overwhelm.
Embrace the idea of experimenting with resources to learn what works well for you and what doesn’t. You won’t know any of this until you actually sit down and take action.
Accept that mistakes are signs that you’re learning. We all make mistakes and experience setbacks, and it’s okay.
And above all else, keep it simple.
Reason #2 – You’re Afraid To Make The “Wrong” Choice With Your Language Learning Resources
The second reason you might be struggling to find resources for your language studies is because you’re struggling with analysis paralysis.
It’s not that you want to make the “perfect” choice.
You’ve just been told by 5 different sources to use 10 different resources, and they all seem nearly the same. You can’t tell the differences and you don’t know which one to try out for yourself.
This makes you feel really uncertain about your path forward. And this leads to you fixating on all of the potential negative outcomes that could happen as a result of you choosing the “wrong” resource.
Fear is what’s holding you back.
Not a desire to “appear perfect” or succeed “perfectly”.
This fear is standing between you and your next step because you believe that if you make the wrong choice, you’ll never be able to recover from it.
“I’ll have wasted so much time, and I can’t get that back.”
But what you don’t realize is by NOT making a decision, you’re wasting just as much time, if not more. All of the time you spend waiting on the sidelines for a sign, or hyper researching for the “right” choice… you could be sticking to a resource and making some kind of progress. You could be building your consistent routine RIGHT NOW.
But you’re not.
Wins Are Worth The Risks
In order to overcome this, you’ll want to shift from striving to avoid risks to experiencing and celebrating wins.
Focus on what’s going well and what’s working for you.
When you feel like you have too many options to choose from, just choose one.
Start with one and give it a chance.
Be strategic with the resource you choose, and make sure it aligns with your goals, your vision and your plan.
Don’t choose more than 2 or 3 at a time.
Stick with them and keep track of what’s working, what results you’re getting, and adjust your strategies as needed.
You just need to start.
Reason #3 – You Doubt Your Potential And Avoid Language Learning Resources Entirely
The third and final reason is because you’re holding onto a lot of self-doubt. You don’t actually believe you can make progress in your language studies. And because of this, every time you decide to choose a language learning resource and stick to it, you immediately question whether this one is going to work for you.
“Nothing seems to work for me, so why would this be different?”
This thought is constantly chipping at your confidence and making you feel less and less capable.
You see other people making huge strides with that resource, and you immediately tell yourself that they’re different.
And you’re right.
You ARE different.
You have different experiences with learning languages and learning in general.
You have different goals and visions for your studies.
You have different needs as a learner.
And so much more.
…and this exactly WHY you can’t know what will happen until you try.
Because as the saying goes, “Whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t, you’re right.”
And your lack of belief in yourself will lead to you feeling discouraged, frustrated, and insecure.
Which means you might give certain language learning resources an honest try. You might make tons of excuses, and avoid things that could work for you in favor of convincing yourself that this is all you’ll ever be able to achieve.
And you might give up entirely.
Mindset is KEY
In order to overcome this, you’ll want to shift from striving for results to striving to learn.
Focus on the journey over the destination.
What resource can you see yourself using consistently?
Choose resources that help you to take consistent action and reinforce the belief that you absolutely CAN do this.
See each moment of shaky confidence as an opportunity to discover something new about yourself.
Set clear outcomes you want to achieve with your language learning resources, and celebrate each time you set out to reach that outcome, no matter the results.
Give yourself some resource variety and focus on the habits you want to build as a language learner over the goals you want to achieve.
Goals are milestones, and you can change those.
They are not set it stone.
They are drawn in sand.
How Do Prioritize Progress, Wins, and Mindset?
It all starts with clarity.
If you want to find resources that work for you and your language learning needs, start by getting clear on exactly what you need or want.
- Redefine Fluency – What does fluency mean to you and why are you striving for it?
- Clarify Your Vision – How do you see yourself using the languages you’re learning?
- Reflect On Your Current Reality – Where are you right now and where to do you want to be?
- Simplify Your Process – What kind of plan do you want to create? And what resource will help you make progress?
It’s really that simple!
This clarity work is going to help you narrow down your choices, select resources that align with your needs, and increase your chances of finding the resources that will actually help you make progress.
Need more support with this Clarity work? Check out my Fluency Framework Notion Template where I break this down in detail and give you even more support to get the clarity you need to move forward.
