Language Learning Is an Art, Not a Science — So Why Do Schools Teach It Like One?

What we can learn from artists, musicians, and chefs — besides just how to order food abroad

Photo by pure julia on Unsplash

The Big Realization

A few days ago, I decided to finally learn how to draw. I’d always wanted to, but like many people, I let the fear of being bad at it stop me before I even started. If you’ve ever tried to learn a language, you probably recognize that same fear.

So, I did what any self-respecting beginner does in the internet age: I binged YouTube tutorials. I jumped from video to video, trying to find the “right” way to start. Then, I stumbled upon an artist called pikat explaining struggles in the drawing community. What she described sounded eerily similar to problems I’d seen in different language learning communities.

• Beginners are completely lost on where to start and get overly simplistic advice like “just start drawing” (sounds like “just start immersing”)
• Experienced learners forget what it’s like to be a beginner and give advice that’s too advanced or unhelpful.
• Many people get good in spite of their learning methods, not because of them.
• A perfectionist mindset leads to…