Does learning a new skill (e.g. a new language!) make you feel energised and excited, or frustrated and anxious? Or perhaps you’ve felt a combination of both?

In this episode of Language Chats, Penny & Bec are chatting about the earliest stages in language learning and all the feelings that come with it - good and bad! - after Penny saw this article in The Guardian which talks about how to embrace being a beginner. We discuss our own experiences of being beginners in different languages, tempering the very real anxiety and insecurity that we can all face in the struggle of learning something new, as well as the joy and satisfaction that can come from developing new skills, which can be especially enhanced by being in the company of other learners.

This episode is sponsored by Clozemaster - an app which aims to help bridge the gap from advanced beginner to native level content and help you to rapidly expand your vocabulary in another language. It’s free to sign up and get started! The paid version, Clozemaster Pro, gives you more advanced features such as unlimited sentences, more stats and customised review - use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off your Clozemaster Pro subscription.

Can you relate to these feelings when you’ve been a beginner too? Have you embraced and experienced a ‘beginner’s mindset’ (or will you aim to in future)? Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community and let us know your thoughts!

• Clozemaster - Download from the App Store | Google Play (use the code LANGUAGELOVERS to receive 10% off Clozemaster Pro!)

• Learning new skills can be daunting. Here are four ways to embrace being a beginner - The Guardian

• The Bureau (French-language series - currently available to watch in Australia on SBS On Demand)

• Join our Facebook group Language Lovers AU Community to chat and share with other like-minded language lovers in Australia!