Expectations can play a huge part in language learning. Set them too high and your language training can end in disappointment. Set them too low and you can find yourself progressing too slow.
That’s why we’re always told to:
- Set reasonable expectations.
- Maintain reasonable goals.
- Go after activities that are achievable within your current level of skill.
One area you should definitely set reasonable expectations on is making mistakes. We’ve been conditioned, for the most part, to avoid showing faults, lest be penalized, especially in school settings. Bringing the same attitude to your language learning can be disastrous.
In the acquisition of languages, whether you use a language study software or take a class, being open to committing mistakes is easily one of the most important mindsets to adopt. Rather than a negative learning indicator, committing errors by trying to speak or write with a target language is actually a very positive development. It’s a very natural, completely predictable part of the language learning process.
This will be especially true in the beginning, when everything that comes out of a native speaker’s mouth just sounds like gibberish. Your listening, processing and speaking abilities will take time to adjust – give it room to catch up at its own pace.