Why would you hate spring?

Let’s start with a silly question… would you hate spring? If you are like most people then your answer would be probably no! Why should I? Chances are high that you even love spring. Most people are so excited about it. It is the beginning of something new and something fresh. Who could resist that?

Sure… when trees start to get their leaves it is a slow process right? But… somehow it doesn’t matter, don’t you think? As a matter of fact, spring is just a beginning… After some time, also summer will come and that is even better…. So the fact that everything looks small and tiny in spring is exactly the charm of it!

All right then, here is a new idea to play with…. if you try to speak a new language, then the whole process will be exactly the same. First, it will feel like winter when everything is dark and that nothing seems to be possible. But then… all of a sudden there is spring, the exciting promise of a new beginning. But… now comes the strange thing… when it comes to speaking a new language, then many people don’t like it!

2 Things that can help

The irony is that most people don’t feel any delight when the first results show up. First of all, most people don’t see progress in the first place because in the beginning it tends to be small. But… even when people know  that they have made progress, many people still feel dissatisfied. Often they complain that it does not go fast enough, or that the progress is so small. Here is the irony… right at that moment that great things start to happen, many people already quit. It just doesn’t worry they say, and then they stop. That is a pity, don’t you think?

You can compare the process of learning and speaking a new language with other natural processes, such as trees and flowers in spring. At first it seems that nothing is happening, but then all of a sudden you see some small changes. But then, only if you are patient enough, you see that great change is taking place, also at a first pace.

There are two thoughts that can help you. First, it is good to realize that it is all about ontvouwing (unfoldment). Before your Dutch really starts to blossom it will be revealed to you, and for some time you will notice new insights and increased skills that will be presented to you gradually, as long as you continue your efforts of course…..

Just let the grass do it’s work…

A second thought that may help is a Dutch proverb. It says: je kan het gras niet uit de grond trekken, which roughly means that you cannot  pull the grass out of the grass. Believe it or not, there is no need to be impatient. Just relax and when you continue learning and practicing Dutch in a gentle way, you will notice that it grows with ease and that you are getting better and better

Therefore make sure that when you like to speak great Dutch that you also master these skills…. first of all be patient and trust that good things will happen once you start your Dutch language adventure. Secondly, make sure that once there is progress you know how to see it and how to appreciate it. Once you start to appreciate your first progress, even if it is small, you will soon notice that somehow confidence is growing. And once confidence is growing, you will find it easier to learn more things so that gradually bigger results are also possible. Thefore, if you notice your first results, then never quit, even if you think that the result is too small… Just relax and enjoy spring!