One step forward...two steps back...

I think that I’ve written before about how learning a new language often feels like an endless circle in which any sign of accomplishment is inevitably overshadowed by a humbling setback. Tonight in my French class I had such an experience following a couple of weeks in which I felt like I was really making positive progress.

During the class, we read an article about people who had made significant life-changing decisions (e.g., quitting a high powered job to start a non-profit organization). After discussing the text, the teacher asked us each provide a real life example involving someone that we knew personally and to provide the class with some related details.

When it came to my turn, I completely blanked. As I didn’t have an example that immediately popped into my head, I tried to provide a general example and it proved to be a big mistake. As if speaking in a foreign language isn’t difficult enough under pressure, it’s much more difficult when you’re effectively ad-libbing and trying to manufacture a story.

The sad thing is that I had the perfect example but didn’t think of it until too late – me. I think it’s safe to say that moving half-way across the world is a fairly significant life-changing decision…