#0 Introduction to Awareness
Understanding grammar, becoming aware of pronunciation in English, and increasing your vocabulary, is a process in time, experience and, above all, practice.
Depending on your own ability and your own willingness and, also, your own level of understanding, in time, you will improve. However, you must make every effort to do so. It will all depend on you and your own effort, if you put into practice what you learn from a tutor or teacher.
Your journey, in two languages, during your lifetime, will be, and will continue to be, toward more knowledge and more awareness in language, if you so desire.
A person's life should be a self-directed adventure.
General awareness, as a whole, but, also, awareness of one’s own self, and, also, awareness in language and the words that each individual employs, and what each individual has learned throughout his or her own personal experience in life, is fundamental to an interesting and successful journey in life. What you consider important in your life, will be your life, for better or worse. Only you are responsible, ultimately, for your own success. A tutor or teacher can only guide you or can only point the way.
Language, and its power to create experience, is of utmost importance to know.
Perception is everything, but, in most cases, it is not reality. Most are not aware of that. The use and the meaning of words that people employ can either project power, command and confidence over one's own life and experience or they can create other experiences, whether for good or not. The choice is always your own.
Knowledge of language, in this long experience called life, and in the study of one’s own mind, when learning, together with knowledge of one’s chosen language or languages, is truly powerful knowledge so as to forge one's path towards one's chosen dream. Make the path your own, or the path will be chosen for you by others. It is always your choice.
We always have a choice, moment by moment, in the words we use and in the direction we want to go in life. However, life, as it happens, will always choose your experiences, unless you take the reins to control your direction. Whether we like it, or not, there will be times when we must flow like water in the direction that life is going or taking us, i.e.,
sometimes, we must learn to flow with life, when it seems we cannot get to where we want to go, until, we wake up and take back the reigns of our own life so as to direct the flow of our own self, like water, back in the direction we are headed. Learn to navigate around obstacles you encounter on your journey in life, in order to, perhaps, avoid problems or, perhaps, to change direction. Remember, you are the captain, ultimately, of your own ship, so, take charge of it!
Giving up your dream, no matter how small or insignificant the dream may seem to be or not, is your choice. Only you can decide. No one else is going to walk the walk for you, ever! No one can walk in your shoes, so, awaken to this reality!
You will be led in the right direction, sooner or later, if your dream is really and truly strong for you and really important for you, however, the end result may not be exactly as you thought the outcome would be, but, it will certainly be what you ultimately need to learn and experience. You will arrive where you are headed for, it just may not be exactly as you wished, however, then again, it may be exactly as you dreamed. Such is the “lottery” of life.
The journey through two different languages and cultures is not an easy task. So many people are misled to think that it will be easy and instantaneous.
Constant, persistent and dedicated work is needed to enter a new language, i.e., to enter a new world, in order go in the direction the individual desires.
Without a vision of where one wants to go in life, how will you begin the discovery of the steps needed in order to get to your destination?
This knowledge and understanding is the process of becoming aware, not only in in one’s first language, but in a second one.
Awareness is the key and the tool needed to begin to know and understand the importance of not only learning but acquiring a second language.
Learning and acquiring are not the same thing!
Do you know the difference?
If not, you will need to know, sooner or later.
Go to a very good dictionary and study those two words (e.g., https://www.thefreedictionary.com)
To become aware in another language, we must learn to become aware in the world and
in the experience of our first language, then we can begin the process of becoming aware in a second language, too.
Language and culture cannot be separated, even though they each appear distinct in their own right.
Language is culture and culture is language. Both intertwine to create the world that each language’s speakers want or desire, most of the time without consciously knowing this.
Each language and culture has its own vision and understanding of this world. Together, all of its citizens take a nation forward or backward. The world is, basically, about choice in what is chosen, or not.
In order to fulfill a person’s journey towards self-realization, in this case, in language, the student must become aware of language's power to do just that.
Words, thoughts, and ideas, have power, so, choose carefully what you think.
You will go where you are in your thinking, through words and mental images, always!
Do you know where you are headed?
Do you know what do you want to do?
Do you know where do you want to go?
If you don’t know where you presently are and, more importantly, where you are going, how will you begin your journey and head in the direction you want to arrive at?
The vast majority do not know, principally, because this information is never given out openly, or even acknowledged openly, at all. Usually, it is scoffed at, even by those who should know better.
Except for the very few in this world, there are those who either have access to information from birth or, if you are among the many, there are those few who have thoroughly researched and searched for answers and then, finally, have discovered information.
Persistence usually pays off in the end, however, it is only the few who will be persistent.
The vast majority give up at the first difficulties in any endeavor. Everyone wants the easy way.
This information is out there; it is just ignored or not available, also, it depends on the country you live in and/or in what area of the country where you are in.
In order to go forward in a new venture, in this case, to learn a language, each individual must close the door to the past and walk forward through a new door of knowledge and understanding.
The new door will lead to new understanding and to new experiences in the chosen language, if one wishes. It will require you to change in some way, especially, if the individual wishes to really enter into a new world through a new language and a new way thinking in that language. Change or transformation in how one thinks in a new language that has totally new rules, new words and, in many cases, new ideas, one either transforms, or not. It does not mean that you change who you are, however, it does require you to change the way in how you express yourself through the new language in order to communicate exactly as you want, so that you are in real communication with native speakers.
___________
"What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.”
- - William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
©2019 Farley Leite de Akers | All Rights Reserved
October 16, 2019
