There is nothing quite like getting yelled at in Croatian by a toothless bus driver.
I’m a huge proponent of professional trainers studying additional languages. I’m not just talking about using Duolingo, although I love that app; I’m talking about finding opportunities for full immersion, whether online or in person.
Why? Well, if you’re instructing on a topic, there’s a good chance you’ve done that particular thing for a very long time. The subject is old news to you, but for your learners, it may feel like a completely different language.
Standing at the Dubrovnik bus station, I faced an interesting challenge trying to navigate my way to Herceg Novi: the only English-speaking employee refused to tell me where my bus was (she was over it), and my only other option for help was a toothless bus driver who was screaming the same Croatian words repeatedly at the English speakers. I was going in.
Language learning constantly reminds me how vulnerable it can feel to practice something new in front of a group of people. It also reminds me what people need under that circumstance: emotional safety.
My best language instructors have created "emotionally safe" learning environments in a number of ways, including:
Being transparent about their own knowledge gaps
Also making themselves vulnerable by taking some sort of personal risk (i.e. miming a word in a really ridiculous way)
Describing the strength in students’ thought processes, even when the output isn’t quite right
Exercising discernment when determining which mistakes to correct and which to let go (for the time being)
Injecting lessons with playfulness and comedy
Utilizing components of games to transport learners into an "alternate reality,” which comes with its own set of rules and very often a different appetite for risk from those who are engaging with the game
What they don’t do is "pull a bus driver" by:
Responding to confusion with anger, frustration, or indifference
Repeating the same type of communication when the message isn't being received
Conditioning others to take less risk due to a fear of a negative response
To be clear, it was not the bus driver's job to help me learn Serbo-Croatian. I really just needed a ride from Point A to Point B (which eventually happened, and it was beautiful; see photo). But what I also got was a reminder of how it feels to be publicly unsure of yourself in the midst of skill acquisition- and how important it is as a trainer to make those in that situation feel safe and supported. And for that, I'm legitimately thankful.
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