Autumnal Granada is simply stunning. In fact it's very similar to how England SHOULD be at this time of year: golden-brown leaves litter the parks and pavements, the sun shines in a cloudless, perfect blue sky and the fresh mountain air from the Sierra Nevada is nothing short of invigorating. Although at the time when I'm up during the week it's nothing short of freezing, (1.5 degrees on Tuesday morning...) I've missed my winter jackets and scarves: it's nice to know that I can get them out again. Moreover Christmas decorations are shooting up everywhere and El Corte Ingles is already fully kitted out, stocked up and raring to go for the festive season- much like myself, as only 16 days remain until I fly home to spend the holidays with family and friends. There is, however, one slight hitch...
Lately, I've been feeling like my Spanish has hit something of a rough patch, with a few more off days than I'm happy with. I've been through spells like this before, and I'm sure many others have too. For the non-linguistically-initiated, on occasions of this kind I struggle to string together anything vaguely coherent- too many uncertain pauses, hesitation. Nothing flows as it should: you often feel as if you can't remember the simplest word, phrase or conjugation to make your point. Engaging native speakers in a foreign language, I've found, requires you to constantly be prepared to step into the breach. You have to be prepared to make mistakes, like in any area of life, in order to improve. I recently read a personal coaching column on this very subject- perseverance.
It's safe to say that I take myself too seriously at times. Many times have I been told that I'm too hard on myself, expecting too much too soon- not only in academic pursuits but also in athletics and also other things, like relationships. Inevitably such an 'all-or-nothing' approach more often than not sets you up for disappointment- such as my extensive history of injury problems on the one hand, and also being constantly single on the other! As Language Assistants, before going on placement much of our preparatory correspondence with the British Council encouraged us to be patient with our students, many of whom had just started bilingual education and had never before studied a foreign language. That's all fine, but I'd also add a footnote, encouraging all LA's to be patient with themselves too. We're not going to become qualified teachers overnight, and there'll be plenty of stumbling blocks to overcome even after you've fully settled on your placement. Furthermore I think a great many people would benefit from treating themselves as they ideally treat others, at times.
What I mean is this: whenever we learn a new skill, be it academic, linguistic or an important life skill like driving, we also temporarily practice a far more important quality before forgetting all about it upon achieving mastery of that skill. I'm talking about perseverance. Think of a toddler learning to walk for the first time: more often than not it's a fairly simplistic process of stand up, walk a few steps, fall down, be picked up by Mum or Dad, and repeat until successful. We know the toddler will eventually get it right so we encourage it to keep trying. If only we all talked to ourselves like this! More often than not our default response is to continually mull over where we believe we went wrong, castigating ourselves for making the simplest slip-up and being afraid to get back on the metaphorical bike. Hopefully by now you can see what I'm getting at!
I'm sure that I am not alone in having experienced a fair amount of tough times, setbacks and rough patches over the years. What's important is not over-analysing what you believe to be going wrong, rather sticking at it and knowing that sooner or later you'll come through it. One thing I've found is that the Year Abroad can be mentally taxing at times, being almost force-fed the target language all day, every day and also having to think five or six words ahead in conversation. With me this also makes the time I get to spend with myself precious, whether that be a night in my flat at the weekends, going out for a run or down to the track or gym to train. It allows me time to collect my thoughts and gives me clarity, along with being an outlet for any built-up nervous energy that's accumulated throughout the day. Taking time to look after yourself is something I'd always recommend to anyone at anytime, but in this type of situation it's importance is paramount.
Ultimately the Year Abroad is a shared experience- not only among those going away on it, but also our families, friends and administrative staff at our various universities who are all involved in logistical planning, financial and even emotional support when needed. And I believe the fact that this year is such a major operation is the best way any language student can get through any sticky periods- by remembering the bigger picture and the countless others who are more than likely in the same position as you, a fact I remembered during a phone-call from Trent recently- moreover it's a very strange thought that things in Nottingham continue as usual, and there are a lot of times when I need to remind myself that I'm out here for university purposes: but importantly without the pressure of having to get at least a 2:1 in every essay, presentation and exam that I constantly put on myself. In fact, my sister often tells me that she thinks I must enjoy putting pressure on myself to do better, and I don't hesitate to agree with her. Lucky, as she'd have some stern words otherwise!
There's a saying 'This too shall pass' and I'm convinced I'll get my confidence back in due course- maybe as early as next week. In this kind of situation it's important to focus on the things you've already accomplished: moving abroad, surrounding yourself with people who don't speak your native language, spending hours in the foreign office and bank to complete the relevant paperwork and then the 12 hours a week you are required to spend entertaining and engaging with your students and the planning of the weeks' lessons, to say nothing of the impressions you need to leave with other members of staff and people in your immediate social circle. It's no wonder many of us need a break or have a down period once in a while- we're only human after all, and no one can perform at 100 percent all day every day without breaking down, either physically or suffering a mental dip, or even complete burnout. Proof of this for me has come in the past week, although on the brighter side, it's given me time to consider the causes of this self-induced pressure and appreciate every opportunity that comes my way.
I'm lucky to have got the balance right so far and am loving every minute that I'm spending out here. Though I can't lie about being seriously excited to fly home for the holidays in 16 days' time. I think one of the most important things university life has taught me so far is to not see everything as one enormous, insurmountable challenge, but rather break it down into smaller chunks. In terms of the Year Abroad, I'd say it's much the same. Upon arriving at your placement, the numerous administrative procedures can seem overwhelming, but if you draw up a plan of action then you'll be much better served in the long run. But remember to relax and, crucially again, don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's how we respond to these mistakes that defines whether the experience has been a success or not, and that comes back to perseverance.
And on that note it's time to sign off. Good luck with whatever challenges come your way this week, and since everyone seems to be talking about Star Wars at the moment, may The Force be with you!
*Edit: For any who studied my previous blog on the lack of British coaches in Spain's La Liga and the perceived problems adapting to a foreign culture, you'd be interested to know that Gary Neville has been named the new head coach of Valencia C.F., replacing the wonderfully named Nuno Espirito Santo, and joining his brother Philip who was already working as assistant coach at Los Che. The Nevilles will be hoping that the Big Man is indeed on their side in Gary's first head coaching role. On this sensational development Guillem Balague says: 'What a brilliant move. We are talking about two guys who could have made a career in England at the top end of the scale, but instead they are stepping out of their comfort zone, go to Valencia and try to impress in a foreign country.' High praise indeed, and exactly what my previous blog, Lessons Being Learned tries to encourage. Let's see how the Nevilles fare!*
'We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet along the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling. Don't overlook it.'- Unknown
Sunday 29 November 2015
Friday 13 November 2015
Chapter Five: Lessons Being Learned
Throughout the course of this blog so far, I've been banging on about comfort-zones, routines and adapting to a different culture, and how these are so important when you're preparing to move abroad. However, I've spoken about them at great length without really explaining what these fancy terms actually mean. There are two reasons for this: the first being that without an example to use to illustrate the point, I'd be able to send even the most chronic insomniac to sleep by trying to define what exactly I mean; and the second being a lack of such an example. Until a few days ago, that is.
I'm sitting here writing this having learned, on Monday, of David Moyes' sacking as coach of San Sebastian's Real Sociedad CF. Obviously any sacking in the hyperactive media of the football world is big news but I couldn't hep but feel especially drawn to this one in particular, as I believe there are various challenges with which my classmates and myself can identify, as we soldier on through our quests to adapt, learn and improve. Learning a foreign language at University is like drinking from a straw, whereas the minute a lot of people arrive abroad the metaphor shifts to that of a barrel being emptied over one's head. Thankfully as ERASMUS students we are given all the time that we need to feel settled, not to mention being already well-versed in the lingo and certain aspects of a country's history and cultural traditions. In the mad world that is top-level football however, newly-hired coaches and managers are often not afforded this luxury.
Despite this difference, judging by the reaction of the Spanish press to Moyes' sacking the Scot's efforts to adapt to a different culture left much to be desired. According to Guillem Balague, Sky's Spanish Football expert, "he needed to work harder at adapting to a culture that is not Spanish, or even Basque culture, but Guipuzcoa. It's a part of the Basque country which, like everywhere in Spain, has a different mentality to the rest of the country. People think, speak and act differently."
This, I think, sums up a lot of what I've been trying to put into words so far in this blog- the term 'Spaniard' is misleading, as Spain is, and has been previously, filled with a range of cultures, where each region has a different form of the language. Furthermore people introduce themselves not as Spanish, rather as Madridista, Sevillano, Granadino or Valenciano. This sense of community fuels the different mentalities touched upon by Balague, who also asks the question of what one can learn from Moyes' failure to adapt. Was it to do with him personally, or the result of being unable to answer the questions put to him by a new culture? More importantly, does the culture to which one already belongs prepare them sufficiently for these challenges?
I'm a firm believer in getting out what you put in. This probably doesn't surprise many people, and it's a mentality that took it's time to harvest. Since then I've become converted to the principles of hard graft over a long period of time in order to achieve the goals I set for myself, whether athletic, linguistic or academic. I'm sure I don't need to give examples, but the most important part of this principle is, in my opinion, staying humble and accepting that the way I view the world is unique to me, hence others will more than likely not share it. In other words I must compromise or surrender control to others in order to progress. At times this is easy, at others not so. But it has done wonders for me so far on many fronts. Curiosity and self-honesty are also key, and it's a combination of these two, along with humility, that I believe makes one fully equipped. I also don't particularly consider these to be skills, more characteristics that can be acquired and instilled- there are subtle differences.
Going back to the example of Moyes, something that has been made clear to me from reading various columns and articles by people far more qualified in the field of Sport's Journalism than myself, one thing has been made abundantly clear: the biggest barrier to successful cultural integration depends on your point of cultural reference. It takes a lot of hard work to be ready for this challenge- 8 years in my case, solely based on learning the language, which is far from the only key factor, though it clearly has a huge role. As I listened to Balague's thoughts on Sky's La Liga Weekly podcast, one thing that struck me was the similar nature of the challenges faced by David Moyes and myself and my fellow ERASMUS students.
According to Balague, before making the move abroad "you must build sufficient layers of understanding to prepare yourself, with enough skills, including the language. Many people don't go abroad to learn and challenge themselves often enough, meaning that they continue to do things as they've always done them and like everyone has done them in England and Britain for a long time. Then when they go abroad and try to adapt to a new culture like Spain, they crash." I think this explains perfectly why being open-minded and humble is so important to making the best of a Year Abroad, certainly better than I ever could. Moreover for one to be prepared for the challenge, Balague cites curiosity and self-criticism as fundamental traits to aid cultural adaptation. Sound familiar? Incidentally, I consider these traits as important pre-requisites for success in any field, not just for travelling and adapting during your time abroad.
These thoughts are echoed by Diario Vasco journalist Inaki Izquierdo, who wrote that "Moyes still bears the impression of someone who has only just arrived and still doesn't understand the club, players or league, but more importantly the city, languages or even timetables."
As I have also said before, myself, my classmates and my fellow LA's have been learning the language for many years. However just learning for the sake of it does nothing- it sounds obvious but I do believe it's very easy to sink into this mentality, simply trying to force-feed yourself too much language in the hopes of obtaining a 2:1 or 1st, and losing track of the bigger picture and, more importantly, their love for the country whose language they have chosen to study. This also means that, therefore, you aren't challenging yourself and lack the necessary hunger to learn, whilst appreciating the stimulus you can get from studying or working abroad if you have the right attitude and go about things the correct way. Again, Balague echoes this when talking about the lack of British football coaches succeeding in Spain.
I've written on numerous occasions about the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone- yet another phrase used by Balague when discussing the decision of another British coach to move to Spain. Philip Neville has been working as an Assistant Coach for Valencia CF since July. He has also begun to learn the language on the job and can, in his own words, "get by." But Balague commends Neville for "stepping out of his comfort zone and being willing to learn. He still doesn't know enough to be fully adapted yet but he is willing to learn and challenge everything he already knows. In Britain the mentality revolves around shortcuts to success. People just want to come, take the picture and go. Learning and putting in the hours takes a huge effort- hours of working, travelling and, particularly, questioning yourself and being self critical, are key." I'm almost tempted to put this one in huge black letters.
As a language student so many of the key themes of this debate, and the material which surrounds it, strike a chord with me as I continue to feel more and more settled in Granada. Also as an avid follower of Spanish football there are plenty of parallels to be drawn between the challenges that are faced with adapting to a different lifestyle, culture and city. I believe that my first two years at university (and to a certain extent my Gap Year) sufficiently installed these beliefs in such a way that arriving in Granada wasn't a bigger shock to the system that it could have been. Moyes' departure from Sociedad after a year in charge served as a timely reminder that all of us, my classmates and myself, aren't doing too badly! It has also made me embrace the whole Year Abroad experience and the benefits it brings, both linguistically and in a more holistic sense.
Ultimately the biggest lesson we can learn from 'Moysey' is that success in your Year Abroad is down to you, and whether you're willing to be sufficiently honest, self-critical and open-minded to accept that things won't happen for you overnight. With luck, your first two years at University will wake you up to this important fact, as they did me. Be prepared to accept that you're in a minority in terms of the way you view things- often a minority of one, and make the changes necessary in order to improve. If you want to learn more about the Moyes debate as quoted in this blog post, then simply log on to the ITunes store or Sky Sports website and download the latest La Liga Weekly podcast- the first ten to fifteen minutes in particular are well worth a listen. Inevitably the football side takes precedence but as you can hopefully see there are many lessons that we can learn as language students. If nothing else I hope it makes you appreciate the unique nature of living, working and studying in a foreign country- it'll also more than likely make you stop and think to yourself: "I'm doing better than I thought!"
A veces la vida te pone a prueba para ver si eres lo suficientemente fuerte para seguir adelante.
Sometimes, life asks you to prove you're strong enough to keep moving forward.
I'm sitting here writing this having learned, on Monday, of David Moyes' sacking as coach of San Sebastian's Real Sociedad CF. Obviously any sacking in the hyperactive media of the football world is big news but I couldn't hep but feel especially drawn to this one in particular, as I believe there are various challenges with which my classmates and myself can identify, as we soldier on through our quests to adapt, learn and improve. Learning a foreign language at University is like drinking from a straw, whereas the minute a lot of people arrive abroad the metaphor shifts to that of a barrel being emptied over one's head. Thankfully as ERASMUS students we are given all the time that we need to feel settled, not to mention being already well-versed in the lingo and certain aspects of a country's history and cultural traditions. In the mad world that is top-level football however, newly-hired coaches and managers are often not afforded this luxury.
Despite this difference, judging by the reaction of the Spanish press to Moyes' sacking the Scot's efforts to adapt to a different culture left much to be desired. According to Guillem Balague, Sky's Spanish Football expert, "he needed to work harder at adapting to a culture that is not Spanish, or even Basque culture, but Guipuzcoa. It's a part of the Basque country which, like everywhere in Spain, has a different mentality to the rest of the country. People think, speak and act differently."
This, I think, sums up a lot of what I've been trying to put into words so far in this blog- the term 'Spaniard' is misleading, as Spain is, and has been previously, filled with a range of cultures, where each region has a different form of the language. Furthermore people introduce themselves not as Spanish, rather as Madridista, Sevillano, Granadino or Valenciano. This sense of community fuels the different mentalities touched upon by Balague, who also asks the question of what one can learn from Moyes' failure to adapt. Was it to do with him personally, or the result of being unable to answer the questions put to him by a new culture? More importantly, does the culture to which one already belongs prepare them sufficiently for these challenges?
I'm a firm believer in getting out what you put in. This probably doesn't surprise many people, and it's a mentality that took it's time to harvest. Since then I've become converted to the principles of hard graft over a long period of time in order to achieve the goals I set for myself, whether athletic, linguistic or academic. I'm sure I don't need to give examples, but the most important part of this principle is, in my opinion, staying humble and accepting that the way I view the world is unique to me, hence others will more than likely not share it. In other words I must compromise or surrender control to others in order to progress. At times this is easy, at others not so. But it has done wonders for me so far on many fronts. Curiosity and self-honesty are also key, and it's a combination of these two, along with humility, that I believe makes one fully equipped. I also don't particularly consider these to be skills, more characteristics that can be acquired and instilled- there are subtle differences.
Going back to the example of Moyes, something that has been made clear to me from reading various columns and articles by people far more qualified in the field of Sport's Journalism than myself, one thing has been made abundantly clear: the biggest barrier to successful cultural integration depends on your point of cultural reference. It takes a lot of hard work to be ready for this challenge- 8 years in my case, solely based on learning the language, which is far from the only key factor, though it clearly has a huge role. As I listened to Balague's thoughts on Sky's La Liga Weekly podcast, one thing that struck me was the similar nature of the challenges faced by David Moyes and myself and my fellow ERASMUS students.
According to Balague, before making the move abroad "you must build sufficient layers of understanding to prepare yourself, with enough skills, including the language. Many people don't go abroad to learn and challenge themselves often enough, meaning that they continue to do things as they've always done them and like everyone has done them in England and Britain for a long time. Then when they go abroad and try to adapt to a new culture like Spain, they crash." I think this explains perfectly why being open-minded and humble is so important to making the best of a Year Abroad, certainly better than I ever could. Moreover for one to be prepared for the challenge, Balague cites curiosity and self-criticism as fundamental traits to aid cultural adaptation. Sound familiar? Incidentally, I consider these traits as important pre-requisites for success in any field, not just for travelling and adapting during your time abroad.
These thoughts are echoed by Diario Vasco journalist Inaki Izquierdo, who wrote that "Moyes still bears the impression of someone who has only just arrived and still doesn't understand the club, players or league, but more importantly the city, languages or even timetables."
As I have also said before, myself, my classmates and my fellow LA's have been learning the language for many years. However just learning for the sake of it does nothing- it sounds obvious but I do believe it's very easy to sink into this mentality, simply trying to force-feed yourself too much language in the hopes of obtaining a 2:1 or 1st, and losing track of the bigger picture and, more importantly, their love for the country whose language they have chosen to study. This also means that, therefore, you aren't challenging yourself and lack the necessary hunger to learn, whilst appreciating the stimulus you can get from studying or working abroad if you have the right attitude and go about things the correct way. Again, Balague echoes this when talking about the lack of British football coaches succeeding in Spain.
I've written on numerous occasions about the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone- yet another phrase used by Balague when discussing the decision of another British coach to move to Spain. Philip Neville has been working as an Assistant Coach for Valencia CF since July. He has also begun to learn the language on the job and can, in his own words, "get by." But Balague commends Neville for "stepping out of his comfort zone and being willing to learn. He still doesn't know enough to be fully adapted yet but he is willing to learn and challenge everything he already knows. In Britain the mentality revolves around shortcuts to success. People just want to come, take the picture and go. Learning and putting in the hours takes a huge effort- hours of working, travelling and, particularly, questioning yourself and being self critical, are key." I'm almost tempted to put this one in huge black letters.
As a language student so many of the key themes of this debate, and the material which surrounds it, strike a chord with me as I continue to feel more and more settled in Granada. Also as an avid follower of Spanish football there are plenty of parallels to be drawn between the challenges that are faced with adapting to a different lifestyle, culture and city. I believe that my first two years at university (and to a certain extent my Gap Year) sufficiently installed these beliefs in such a way that arriving in Granada wasn't a bigger shock to the system that it could have been. Moyes' departure from Sociedad after a year in charge served as a timely reminder that all of us, my classmates and myself, aren't doing too badly! It has also made me embrace the whole Year Abroad experience and the benefits it brings, both linguistically and in a more holistic sense.
Ultimately the biggest lesson we can learn from 'Moysey' is that success in your Year Abroad is down to you, and whether you're willing to be sufficiently honest, self-critical and open-minded to accept that things won't happen for you overnight. With luck, your first two years at University will wake you up to this important fact, as they did me. Be prepared to accept that you're in a minority in terms of the way you view things- often a minority of one, and make the changes necessary in order to improve. If you want to learn more about the Moyes debate as quoted in this blog post, then simply log on to the ITunes store or Sky Sports website and download the latest La Liga Weekly podcast- the first ten to fifteen minutes in particular are well worth a listen. Inevitably the football side takes precedence but as you can hopefully see there are many lessons that we can learn as language students. If nothing else I hope it makes you appreciate the unique nature of living, working and studying in a foreign country- it'll also more than likely make you stop and think to yourself: "I'm doing better than I thought!"
A veces la vida te pone a prueba para ver si eres lo suficientemente fuerte para seguir adelante.
Sometimes, life asks you to prove you're strong enough to keep moving forward.
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