G'day and kaya, and welcome to the Australians Teach English Podcast, the podcast by language learners with language learners for language learners. My name is Glen and I'm the owner and director of the Australians Teach English Institute. And it's the start of the year or still towards the start of the year. And it's a time when we we set goals for ourselves, especially for our language learning throughout the year. And then when we when we achieve one of these goals, we might give a bit of an Onya to yourself, or to someone else. Maybe even an on your Onya Sonya, or an Onya Oriana, how are you Oriana?
I'm great. How are you, Glen?
I'm well getting getting better all the time getting better all the time. So when it comes to goal setting, and language learning, what are some of the common goals? Do you think people people set?
I guess gain more fluency or have better vocabulary give an exam or things like that.
Good. Probably getting more fluent is perhaps the number one thing people say. But compared compared to the other goals that you just mentioned, what do you what do you think is the main difference between saying I want to get more fluent, I want to be more fluent. And say learning I want to learn more vocabulary. What do you think is the difference between them?
And practice, I guess, I don't know what what is fluency? It's a good question, I think that most people think of fluency like talking as a native or things like that.
Okay. So when, Yeah, exactly. So when people say they want to get more flluent, or they want to be more fluent, we sort of have an idea of what it is that they are talking about. Speaking perhaps with less of an accent, maybe being more clear in their pronunciation, maybe speaking more rapidly, maybe having a bigger vocabulary. But being fluent itself is very, very, very difficult to measure. Compare that to I want to learn more vocabulary. Can you can you measure some other goals with language learning compared to saying, I want to be more fluent? Can you measure being more fluent? Do you think?
No? Well....
It's really, it's really difficult.
It's difficult. Well, it depends if you don't speak. I don't know how to say this. If you are not, like if you talk like trabado, how do you say that?
An idiot.
No. That's.....
Like, like, if you if I was thinking you are you as tarado? No, no, you're well, well, I mean, yes. Well, I mean, yeah, it could be it could be. But talking sort of in a very uneducated, uncivilized manner, I guess you could probably say that politely in, in English. I mean, probably a very classist view would be to have, say, have a very working class, or have a very working class accent or manner of pronounciation. I mean, but my.... Okay, so yes, speaking more clearly with better pronounciation. This is all, or these are all things that we think of when we want to become more fluent. But my counter question to this is if you learn more vocabulary, will you be more fluent?
Maybe? Yeah.
I think I think by definition, if you make an improvement with your vocabulary, you're probably going to be more fluent, aren't you?
Yeah, yeah, it's true.
So why do you think people say I want to be more fluent, and not I want to learn more vocabulary?
That's a good question. I don't know. I think it's, they want you to the whole combo of speaking and learn vocabulary or maybe improve their grammar.
Yeah, all of these things count towards, you know, this mythical becoming more fluent, right?
Yeah.
But if you want to work on your language skills every day, and you sitting there at the start of the day going, I want to become more fluent. How are you going to achieve that goal at the end of the day?
I think it's studying and practicing. It will be all. But what?
Sorry?
But what? Practicing what? Everything speaking
So, how are you going to practice everything? Maybe you are at home all day? How are you going to practice everything?
I don't know different resources, videos, songs.
I'm getting on your nerves. Now I can see that. So I'll stop. I'll stop and I'll stop interrogating you.
You're asking weird questions.
Well, that's the idea with this episode. So anyway, the the idea is that when we want to improve something, yes, we have a bigger goal, for example, you know, becoming more fluent in something. But if you're thinking about that every day, then how are you going to get that first step that's going to get you to become more fluent? And if you have an idea of what fluency is, but it actually includes a whole lot of other things. Are you going to miss some things along the way? Okay, so becoming more fluent might mean, practicing my conversation it might mean practicing my listening my grammar, building, my vocabulary, all of these sorts of things. But you might think at the start of the day, okay, I want to become more fluent. Therefore, I'm not going to read this book. But you might be neglecting the fact that building your vocabulary is a part of becoming more fluent. So then, how do you think we can set goals to in the end become more fluent? If we're thinking at the start of the day?
I think you said that goal be more fluent. It is.
You have failed me as a student.
Ah, okay. Yeah, but if we think of fluency as this improving vocabulary, improving grammar, just try to speak on this being. I don't know. Another thing with fluency.
I mean, there are all sorts of like other words that we use, like automaticity that, your response time to different things, all of these count towards fluency, but they are not what people are automatically thinking of when they think of fluency. So my response to this would be how do we set goals to become more fluent? Well, practicing to start with anything, it doesn't matter? And the difference between saying I want to be more fluent, and I want to increase my vocabulary, well, how are you going to do that? How can you measure? I'm improving my vocabulary compared to I want to be more fluent?
Well, I think it's more measurable the vocabulary thing. Just because you start using new words, and you can get more things about context. I don't know it's,
It's measurable. That is that is the key. So if I sit down and read a book in another language for 10 minutes or do a lesson, an online lesson or do whatever, then I know okay, yes, I am improving my vocabulary down the track that will improve my fluency. But my fluency today is not measurable. But my vocabulary improvement might be. So then when we're setting goals, what are some of the important things needs to keep in mind do you think, when it comes to language learning?
I think that the thing we all must know, it's the same thing that we speak all the time, you are not going to speak as a native and. It's just it doesn't work it just, you're going to try and try and try and dry and it's not going to happen. And if you don't need that.
So setting yourself up for achievable realistic goals. So so this is what are the keys. So okay, I in the last six months, I've had, you know, some really, really crazy experiences with with my with my circumstances. And I've been able to apply my language learning philosophy to getting through this as well. And, you know, when I was in hospital, I would talk to would talk to people, and they would, they would say, I'm not getting I'm not leaving this hospital until I'm walking again.
Woah, woah, yeah.
And so, and so I liken that. I compared that with, I want to speak like a native speaker. Okay, yeah, well, it can happen. I'm not saying that it's, it's not going to happen. But it's a very, very, very, very small percentage of people that can achieve that, or that are lucky enough to be able to do that. I mean, even living in Argentina for for many, many, many years, and practicing and practicing every day, I was never ever, ever going to be able to speak like a native, even though I could adopt different slang terms and whatnot, and reduce my accent and all the rest. So setting yourself realistic goals. Because the danger with this is the people that told me they're not leaving until they're walking again. What do you think happened to them two months after that? And they were no, no closer to walking?
Super frustrated?
Yeah. Exactly. So my injuries were very, very severe. And so I actually it's kind of a bad thing, but in the hospital, comparing yourself to other people's injuries, and you go, okay, so they have more function than than what I do and whatnot. So, so therefore, they should recover more quickly than me. But I was released from hospital much faster, than than a lot of these other people were, and I put that down, and I put that down to the fact that I said to myself, "Well, okay, you know, if you walk again, then that's kind of a miracle. But I'm not going to, I'm not going to wake up each morning and, and go, "Okay, I'm going to try and walk today". And then at the end of the day, be really upset when it inevitably doesn't doesn't happen." So my goals literally were to do a little bit more today than I did yesterday. And that was how I got through it. Okay, so I couldn't wash my hair today. Well, okay, tomorrow I'm going to try and wash my hair. You know, really, really, really simple things like that. Rather than going "well I'm not walking today, therefore I'm not going to do anything the whole days a waste of time". Yeah, so that was that was my method of actually getting through it. And keeping in mind, okay, you're open to this, this possibility that you might walk again down down in the future, but also being realistic about it. To me that is very much the same as I'm going to speak like a native with perfect fluency with perfect recall. Understanding slang all the rest. It's a very, very small percentage of people that this happens to. And so when when we're learning a language just like when you're actually I found it very, very similar to actually being in in the rehab ward for the spinal injuries. The voices that you hear from outside from other people are quite are quite similar. So when you when you hear advice from someone when you tell them that you're learning a language, what are some of the things that you hear from other people?
Mmm hmm. The first thing that comes up to my mind is getting well tell me something but
Did you ever hear things like become fluent in three months?
Yeah. Download this app and start speaking like native? Well, things like that.
So how does that make you feel? As a language learner?
I don't really get into this story. This tale, become fluent in a month. But it's kind of weird. For me, it's kind of weird.
Yeah, but does it have a neg...? It has a negative impact on you, doesn't it? Yeah.
Yeah. If I believe in this, and I download this app, and in one month, I'm not fluent. It will be like, "Okay, something's wrong with me".
Exactly. So all of the messaging that you have from outside, about learning a language, "Is there something wrong with me?" Is that correct?
Yeah. Yeah.
Why aren't you fluent? After three months, Oriana?
Why I'm not fluent.
Is it your fault? Or is it just normal?
It's normal. For me, it's normal.
100%. But we will always hear hearing this sort of, you know, toxic positivity, toxic optimism, that if that if you don't achieve something, then it's your fault. When
When I was getting messages when people started learning about what happened to me was a lot of a lot of people were saying, "oh, you know, think positively, you're going to be able to walk again, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah". And that just made me feel terrible. Because I knew that I knew the situation and in the back of my mind was, well, this isn't, isn't going to happen. And it's not and it's not a lack of positivity. That's just being realistic. And so we've sort of got in a society where achieving things or not achieving things, then becomes an actual attack on you personally. You not setting goals correctly, is a personal floor of yours. You not having really, really high expectations of yourself, is a reflection of you personally. And I think that's complete crap. Because everyone has, everyone has different abilities and different circumstances. And, and people's realities are totally different. And so I come back again, then to trying as best as ever I can to ignoring all of this stuff outside and setting goals that are realistic, and achievable. So what are some goals that you think you achieved?
Last year? I haven't done much in last year. It was a good year.
I'm sure you did more than me. I spent six months like laying on my back, basically,
I was just working and getting depressed. So it wasn't much. But in terms of learning languages, I haven't done much. It wasn't a good year. I didn't get my....I didn't continue having French lessons, for example, and I forgot everything I knew. And I'm starting again, but it's really difficult.
Did you actually forget everything that you knew?
I don't know. But it's, it's more difficult than than before.
So starting again, its's very difficult. I've noticed that. So starting my lessons and things like that, again, it has been extraordinarily tiring. For me. And again, this is another thing people will say to me. "Oh, it shouldn't be so tiring for you just sitting down". Please. Again, again, here is sort of a toxic positivity that Toxic Optimism in coming, coming.
who's telling you that.
Exactly. Exactly. You know, but good on you for coming for coming back to it. So I would say good onya.
Good on. Ya. What's that? Good on ya.
I mean, yeah, exactly. So that is our expression for today. Onya. What do you what do you think we say when we say on onya, when I say onya, Oriana for giving it another crack?
Well, now you're using it in a phrase, I would say that it will replace the word congratulations. But at first, when you gave it to me the word with not with no context, I've thought about onion, or things like that.
Onya, and onions, I can see I can see how, yeah, that I can see how you get that just like I got the tarado from the other. Yeah.
It is kind of like a substitute for congratulations. So when when do you think we would say onya.
When you say congratulations.
Could you give me an example?
Onya for washing your hair Glen
small, small victories. I mean, no one else was was saying onya, when I first was able to wash my hand wash my hair. But certainly, like I was saying, you know, onya, because getting my hands above my head was actually one of the first goals that I actually set for myself, getting the strength back in my shoulders to be able to actually do that, because it was really hard work. So no, no one else was saying onya to me, but like after I did it. And after each time I do something small again, I do say, you know, onya Glen, well done. And so, we do have to do this for ourselves, because no one else is sitting there doing it for you. Yeah, so we would say it like in congratulations. And then in typical aussie style, we'd like to rhyme things. So then we might say onya, Sonya as a name, and in this case, when we use on onya, Sonya, we might actually use it in kind of a bit of a sarcastic way as well. I'll give you this. If you do something wrong. What might what might I say to you?
Well, you won't say onya
I'd probably say onya, son.
Yes, son.
I would. I would probably say onya Sonya. (speaking like an idiot) that's probably exactly that. That's how you might actually hear it. So are there are there any similar similar things that you do in Argentina and castellano in Spanish? For saying congratulations.
Um help me with this one.
I don't speak Spanish.
Yes. You do? Yes, you do. I spoke Spanish with you. I can't think of any of them. I don't know why. I'm sure there is one. There has to be one. We have words for everything.
Que copado
Yeah.
Sos lo mas.
Piola
Que flash.
Well, yeah, that can be used for many things, I think. Yeah, you
could use that in or, you know, in sort of to express surprise, like weird, weird stuff as well. Yeah. I mean, that might be sort of the one that would be most equivalent to like that on your Onya Sonya. If you do something weird or someone does something kind of weird. And you kind of want to talk about it in a sarcastic way all the que flash, maybe there might be sort of most similar way of expressing that. So what are some of your takeaways from from goal setting and things like this? For this year to come? What are some of your actual concrete goals that you can measure?
That I can measure lose weight? That's my goal. It's common, but I really need that.
I found it I found an easy way of losing weight, you want the tip?
I don't know
It's called paralysis.
No, I don't want that.
I lost 25 kilos in six months. It's just from all my muscle mass from my legs. Yeah, you huge amount. Yeah, my, my core muscles and my legs basically lost all of the muscle from there, unfortunately. So you'd be surprised how much all of that weighs. So I wouldn't recommend that as a weight loss treatment. That's for sure.
No, no, I don't think that's the way.
No, it's definitely not the way. Definitely not the way. So anyway, I mean, yes. But, again, I think weight weight loss is sort of like, is sort of like becoming fluent, isn't it? What if you were to say, what if you were to say, I'm going to, I'm going to get fit, I'm going to run, I'm going to run longer and faster compared to saying, I want to lose weight.
Because I think I'm involved with everything, I want to eat better. I want to start going to the gym, and things like that. I
Do think people, but do you think people experience the same thing when they say I want to lose weight?
If you want to get to 20 kilos in three months, you're going to get frustrated. But for me, I want to lose five in three months.
But I think I think saying I want to lose weight, and I want to become more fluent leads to the same thing. If if you don't feel like it's happening, then you get frustrated, don't you? But maybe you are actually fit or maybe you are actually eating healthier. But you haven't lost any weight.
Yeah, it's true. Right.
So I think there are all of these comparisons that we can make. And we have to be very, very careful with our goal setting and making sure that it is actually realistic, and is achievable. And it is actually healthy as well, that it doesn't have a negative effect on what it is that we're trying to achieve. And so my advice through all of these experiences is actually, you know, set small, achievable goals that will eventually get you to where you want to be at the end of the day. Because if you're only thinking of that end result, and you're not thinking of the steps along the way how to actually get there, then you probably won't get there. And you will end up frustrated and probably further behind than where you should actually be. So that's my advice. So all of the people out there, send us send us through what what your goals are. Tell us about your little achievements and we can send you a little ONYA about what it is that you're doing what it is that you have achieved what you would like to achieve. So from us here at the Australians Teach English podcast the podcast by language learners with language learners for language learners. It's us saying good onya to all those out there achieving goals. See you later guys, hooroo
See you bye bye.
For more information about the Australians Teach English Institute, go to AustraliansTeachEnglish.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at Australians Eeach English