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.
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