Going from a Fear of Languages to a Love of Languages

Before I started studying French in high school I had a fear of foreign languages, because I had teachers say that they were difficult. I thought that if they had difficulty with them I would also. When I started French I was very relieved to learn that learning languages was something I could learn. As I started learning other languages I found that it was a passion for me. When I studied Russian one of my professors had studied several languages. He was learning Polish, and he said it was very difficult. I should have learned from my earlier experience concerning what teachers said about learning languages that what is difficult for one person to learn may not be as hard for another person. I know that it will take time for me to learn Czech, Polish, German, Russian, Polish and maybe other languages, but the Slavic languages especially seem like a part of myself that has been missing. I love the sound of these languages. When I hear them I fell like I have arrived home. I will be happier when I can learn to communicate in them.

One thing that is funny is the reason that I decided to study French instead of Spanish my sophomore year in high school. I had been told by teachers that French was the more difficult language. I am not always logical, but you know that by now.

Teachers should not scare students away from subjects that were hard for them. Students should be encouraged to find what their passions are and to follow these passions.
Addendum: I remember as a child thinking that I had not been to kindergarten, because I did not remember any gardens for children. I did not know until years later the origin of the word, but it seemed like the logical meaning of the word. I did not learn any German aside from some phrases taught to me by a German exchange student until I was in college. Sometimes I was confused by the pronunciation of my Mother's name, Margaret. I thought it should be Margarette. This was before I knew anything about French pronunciation. In studying French I followed what seemed like correct pronunciation to me instead of my teacher's pronunciation. She was a good teacher, but she spoke French with a South Carolina accent. For Russian I had a German professor and a Swedish professor. I did not let their pronunciation affect my own, but I listened to operas in Russian and also went by my own instinct.