I didn't expect this to happen when learning a new language...

[@earendil3466]

The learning process can be exhausting but once you learn a second language to an upper intermediate/ advanced level your confidence will grow like crazy and you feel like you can do anything and learn any language. For me the second language (English) journey was full of doubt and insecurity but now with Spanish I'm a lot more patient and confident because I already know I'm capable of learning. Although I have to mention, the problem with losing/forgetting words never really went away for me and I even experience it with more intensity as I'm learning a third language. I even forget words in my native language frequently and I believe it's normal for language learners because you have a bigger vocab to choose from and it takes your brain a second or two to decide which one is appropriate at the moment. Be patient and kind to yourself, I'm sure you're gonna achieve native-level fluency if that's your goal💖 (Also reading helps A LOT)

[@SheaJordan]

That's very interesting! I wonder if I would feel similar if I tried to learn another language eventually. And I agree, I often forget words in English too ahah. And yes, I definitely need to get back into reading more!

[@Minnie_Robbie]

Thanks for this post!

[@peternotarstefano528]

Thank you for this insightful video. I am retired and spend 2 to 4 hours a day on learning italian. I have a one hour per week online private lesson on Preply with a wonderful teacher from Sicily. I have been studying italian for 30 months. I have had three different teachers. I usually have two one hour per week lessons in the winter. Each teacher gives a different perspective to grammar and learning new words. I agree with you that learning a language is not linear. I find that I may have learned a grammar rule a year ago and I still need to have a refresher class on the rule a year later. All my teachers give homework. I find that having a routine helps. I test myself with flashcards using the quizlet app every day. I have over 2700 verbs in three files on quizlet. One hour of working with testing myself with the flash cards every day helps me keep the words in my head. Then I do my homework. I spend a couple of hours watching italian news, TV shows and movies and italian youtube videos on subjects that interest me and listening to italian music. When I hear a new verb, I add it to my Quizlet folder. I also keep a list of new nouns and adjectives. Writing sentences with a theme is also helpful. For example 25 sentences on going to the supermarket, or going to the doctor or driving an automobile. I am at a B1 level now. I want to get to the C2 level. My vocabulary and comprehension are improving, but the grammar is still a challenge. Also comprehension is a challenge when someone is speaking quickly or they are from a different region of Italy. I would like to take private lessons in Italy one day. Your videos have been helpful.

[@kuu8770]

Incredible insight. I'd like to add something that actor's struggle with (learning lines, lots of lines). No matter how perfectly memorized everything is, the first time you hold a stage prop in your ends, your memory empties out. The first time you're in the costume, you can't believe how you can't remember the lines. The first time you're on the stage set, you will struggle with what you had down pat. Every new layer will taunt your memory no matter how practiced. Meeting a new personality is also meeting a new environment. Keep up the good work. My wife thinks I learn a new language by watching the local TV the night before.

[@avery3668]

Thank you for being so honest! I’ve been going through the same thing and it’s super scary (been studying for 7yrs)! I’ve learned to accept though that you’ll have good and bad days…it’s just part of the learning process.

[@marcodb65]

Dear Shea, I can relate to everything you said. I've always been extremely passionate about learning English, I can't say exactly why and that's the cool thing! It requires a lot of effort especially at the beginning when there's very little reward; but if you can keep going and reach an intermediate level, where you can sustain meaningful conversations with natives, it's absolutely amazing and rewarding! Speaking a second language has to be a much broader experience than just studying a topic: the most endearing side of it is getting to know the culture of the country where the language is spoken, people, habits, history, lifestyle, all things that make us grow as human beings. So, I agree with you when you say that there's no proper end to the language learning process and, as many say, you have to enjoy the journey. Speaking of which, I'd like to share a couple of things from my experience. First, I don't agree with the effectiveness of watching TV series or movies int the target language unless you are at a really high level; I can understand every single word you said in this video but still struggle a lot when I watch movies and TV series. It can be frustrating and so daunting realizing we can't understand those materials, but it's totally pointless if we can sustain a natural conversion with native speakers. Another phenomenon that all learners experience is the unbalanced levels of our listening skill and our speaking skill; again, it can be extremely disappointing finding out that we can understand the spoken language way better than how we can express ourselves, while it's totally normal, it happens to every language learner. Thanks for your interesting videos that, btw, I'm used to practicing my English with! 🙂👍

[@capri8872]

Very wise, valuable advice so thanks for sharing. It is setting realistic expectations

[@languageluv101]

Fun fact this is something called language pitfalls- it tends to happen two or three times on an extreme level when acquiring a language, and it just means your brain is transferring it to your long term memory and has no extra room for new information. It means you’re on your way to fluency!

[@SheaJordan]

Wow, I had no idea! Thank you! I really appreciate this explanation, I didn't realize it had a name!

[@languageluv101]

@@A13JMC Personally I work 3 jobs and go through schooling full-time, while studying 4 languages (stacked them gradually throughout the last few years, I wouldn’t recommend starting a bunch at once). I also major in interpreting for one of the languages, so that one is an advantage when comes to studying. For the other 3, the best I’ve found in my experience is finding motivation and utilizing that to establish habits (bc motivation isn’t consistent and doesn’t last forever). With a little creativity in these habits, you’d be surprised how much time you have for languages (think podcasts while driving, in the shower, doing chores, watching a tv show etc.). It can be incorporated in your daily life, but keep in mind that the less time you invest, the slower the progress! But don’t be discouraged, you can achieve it bit by bit over time, and you’ll eventually get there! Just find ways to make it fun and engaging so that you don’t get burntout sitting in front of the same textbook!Good luck in your language learning journey :)

[@quincy1002]

I am still learning Italian, and yes when you get to more advanced, (grammar) it gets more complicated, and I have to admit that I can relate with Spanish, since it's my primary language. Sometimes I have to remind myself the process when I was learning English (still learning), it takes time. But I wanted to thank you for sharing your experience, you r telling us that we are not alone when you get those moments of discourage, to take a break, and come back hopefully motivated 😊. In bocca al lupo.

[@SheaJordan]

Grazie! I'm glad I'm not alone. And it's nice to see my message resonated with a lot of people. Keep up the good work!

[@ElMoscas114]

Yep, you got that right cuz that happened to me when I started learning English, and once I get learning English it was like, fabulous😊, however, after two months, I started to get sluggish, and dull. So I wholeheartedly believe that it is part of this beautiful journey. so thank you ever so much for sharing this video.

[@SheaJordan]

Yes, I'm glad you shared this. Language learning is really difficult but is so rewarding when you push through the difficult parts!

[@Niloofarjamali99]

I am also learning Italian and I live in Italy I have been through all you said( Still I am!) Thanks for sharing... made me feel that I am not the only one

[@SheaJordan]

Aww I’m glad you could relate to this! That’s awesome that you’re also studying Italian here. Best of luck!

[@frisacruise3983]

You are so damn right. I also face that break time sometimes when I'm busy with work and marriage life. But it doesn't mean I quit the game. The show must go on. I still look at my flashcards, songs to recall the vocabs and I admit that grammatical cases is the hardest part (I'm learning Croatian) especially if you don't live in your target language country and you have nobody to help but your friends. I wish I could easily learn my 2nd language like I learnt English when I was a kiddo. It's best to start learning things we like at young age and take the fruit of the hardwork when we are adult. Thank you for sharing your kind words.

[@SheaJordan]

You're right! That's great that you stay motivated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Good luck with your studies ;)

[@soniamiles4553]

This video is comforting

[@SheaJordan]

Thank you, I'm glad!

[@marybeth.727]

Thank you, i needed that

[@CiaraRose-fz6qx]

I love your videos! Thanks for the content!

[@SheaJordan]

Glad you like them! Thank you!

[@ronaldjohnson_ita]

A very encouraging image for me is viewing the Italian language as a person. One doesn’t ask, “How long will it take to know you?” So, it no longer because a matter of being bad or good or progress or regress. There is a movement towards knowing but this knowing is not quantitative and measurable but qualitative and explorative. Perhaps it is a movement of proximity and not progress.

[@TourdionInstrumental]

This is so true! I am at a C1 level in French, but I have times when I cannot remember words, when my sentences are stilted. Especially now that I am learning another language also. It IS frustrating!

[@SheaJordan]

Yes! You understand! It's so frustrating!

[@VeraPriymenko]

I have the same situation with English from time to time! I’ve been learning English for 11 years and I’m reading historical articles and listening to American bloggers talking about policy but sometimes I find myself with a thought like “I can’t speak English AT ALL. I’ve forgotten all words and I’m gonna make terrible mistakes in simple sentences and gonna get executed for that” 😂 It seems like there is no point where you can say “I KNOW the language that I learn”. But when I feel too frustrated I try to analyze how I speak my native language and I find myself being not satisfied with it as well. Like I use the same words all the time, do stupid mistakes, may forget a simple word, etc. But for some reason I don’t criticize myself for that as much as I do it when it comes to English 🙃

[@Minnie_Robbie]

You have no idea how much I needed to hear this.

[@SheaJordan]

I’m glad I could help!

[@Minnie_Robbie]

@@SheaJordan your videos are very helpful. And I’m very happy that you have a path to citizenship! I’m glad it will work out. I tried that but my great grandfather though he never naturalized, had a son with a Black woman who he never married and we are unable to find birth records. I’ve met a couple of my Italian cousins, they tried to help but couldn’t find records either. Oh well, I’ll keep learning the language and visit often until we figure it out. But this is soooo awesome for you!! You deserve it!

[@mystique0226]

Thank you for your honesty! Im just as hard on myself but watching your videos and your progress keeps me motivated and hopeful❤

[@SheaJordan]

Yay! I'm glad to hear that! I'm happy that I can help motivate other language learners!

[@francisdpcolangello7310]

_I speak 5 languages English,Portuguese,French Italian and Spanish,but i cannot tell you exactly that i speak all of these languages correctly ,but one thing i know for sure ,i learned them all for fun._

[@SheaJordan]

That's great!

[@killua9369]

Shea is shining as usual :) tomorrow is my presentation at 14th ASPACC2023 conference in English and I didn't practice a lot but I feel confident; wish me good luck 😢

[@SheaJordan]

Oh wow! You can do this, I wish you lots and lots of good luck!!! 🎉🎉

[@killua9369]

@@SheaJordan You are so kind and lovely 😊 thank you so much :)

[@foreverlearningfrench]

I get so frustrated when I forget basic French conjugations. 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@SheaJordan]

Yes! It happens :/

[@hyb_harriyoungboii9673]

The exact thing is happening to me with my German learning journey That’s just weird when you are learning a language,it just sometimes make you feel like you're not learning at all, out of a sudden your mind goes blank and feel like you have to start over from scratch.

[@SheaJordan]

Yes! It really is so crazy, and it even happens when you become more advanced. It's just a sign to me that my brain is overwhelmed and I need to relax for a bit.

[@issamy]

Thanks so much

[@SheaJordan]

Thank you for watching!

[@issamy]

@@SheaJordan you'r welcome

[@georgex5959]

Great video.

[@SheaJordan]

Thanks!

[@abyouda167]

I've learned English for 3 years and I feel comfortable using the language however I still study for 2 hours per day in English,and I've decided to learn German I've already started and I think I can speak it in 15 months and I'll dig deep into Italian language 😅

[@SheaJordan]

Wow that's amazing! You're doing a great job, you should be proud!

[@tahoelp]

The most difficult situation for me is keeping my attention to what is being said. I have noticed that my mind wanders and then comes back and picks up on familiar words. Then I've noticed I get very tired trying to pay attention. Shea, do you have any suggestions as to how to stay attentive? Are you finding this troublesome while living in Bolgona? for example... zoning out while riding in a car with your Italian friends as they talk to each other. My other question has to do with our American accent. Have you discovered a way to practice enunciation so our accent sounds more ... italian?

[@DEUTSCH-kurzundknackig]

Yes, language learning is like that. Periods of motivation and frustration. Never give up and be patient! And never believe anyone who pretends to have learnt a language in 7 days, one month, three months... It's BS.

[@SheaJordan]

Exactly. Thanks for watching!

[@milonnaturalsinaryinbangla5318]

wow nice video

[@SheaJordan]

Thank you!

[@milonnaturalsinaryinbangla5318]

@@SheaJordan welcome

[@AgusGumilar-j8j]

How many hours do you spend your time for studyng a new language?

[@leroux-ianni]

Ciao bella ragazza, a question, have you ever felt like "to throw in the towel" learning a second or third language?.. second, it's said that motivation is the key to achieve many things so how do you manage yours? Or how do you keep motivated because as humans we all have ups and downs? And third, do you study every days? 😊

[@SheaJordan]

Ciao! Yes definitely, even with Italian I had some times where I thought it would just be too much to do. I honestly don’t know that I could take on a third language, seeing how difficult Italian is for me and how long it’s taking me. I think I would be more at risk of giving up on another language because I wouldn’t be as connected to it. I really am passionate about Italian and living in Italy. I don’t know that I would have that same passion and determination for another language. As for motivation, yes it’s very important but no I’m not motivated all the time. In fact, I feel like more often than not I have days where I’m not motivated to do anything. It may seem like I’m always motivated in my videos, but I get burned out easily and my motivation comes and goes. I try to make sure I find ways to reward myself for getting things done but also make sure I don’t do too much all at once, otherwise I’ll have one super productive day and the next I’m burned out. I study probably 4-5 days a week. But since I live in Italy, I use the language everyday and talk with Italian friends so I’m basically studying every day. But when I lived back in the US I tried to study maybe 3-4 days a week, but sometimes my sessions were just 30 minutes if I couldn’t find much time.

[@ignaciomoro1814]

Someone who lives abroad for a while is likely to learn even less than someone who reads and writes every day in her home country. Let's discard the myth that living for a while in another country makes you fluent. Greetings from Argentina!

[@SheaJordan]

Interesting, although I think it depends on the situation. My Italian level progressed dramatically since moving to Italy, whereas in my 2+ years studying at home by reading, watching TV series in Italian, writing in a journal, and occasionally doing speaking practice didn’t help me progress much. I think if you come to another country purposefully to study the language and speak it, you learn a LOT very quickly. Because now you’re surrounded by native speakers and use the language every day. However, for example, when I went to live in Korea for 4 months, I didn’t go to learn the language and therefore didn’t learn anything even though I was around the language all day. Is that what you meant?

[@ignaciomoro1814]

@@SheaJordan I actually agree with you, I said it to emphasize that it is a myth that one learns to be fluent quickly in a foreign country. Once abroad, there are people who only talk to the cashier at the supermarket and some passerby so they learn slower than the example I gave. But obviously if you are surrounded by all the things you mentioned and are willing to learn, you will learn faster.

[@SheaJordan]

Ah ok, I see what you mean! That’s very true. You still need to make an active effort. You can never just “pickup” a language like many people think. You’re correct 👍🏼

[@pulse4503]

are u a model by any chance?

[@ErwinDulmin-tw5th]

MY WIFE..... MAMI.... SHEA JORDAN... MISS YOU.... MAHATMA GANDHI.........

[@ankiyoutube660]

Can you friendship. Iam indian

[@espanol_pbx7]

Tu eres muy bonita

[@SheaJordan]

Gracias!

[@darioxbrow9223]

did your boyfriend start this new chapter of your life with you? or did he remain in the states?

[@SheaJordan]

We ended things a while ago, I'm no longer with him and he's back in the United States.

[@ErwinDulmin-tw5th]

MY WIFE.... MAMI..... SHEA JORDAN.... MISS YOU... MAHATMA GANDHI.............