LEARNING HOW TO COMMUNICATE IS LIFELONG FOR EVERYONE
Whenever we hear about learning how to communicate (by means of spoken and written language) it’s almost always referred to as an experience that begins and ends in our early childhood. Yet despite this experience beginning in our early childhood, it by no means ends at any moment before our life is over.
From the very beginning communication fascinated me, and I almost immediately began practicing all of the vocal sounds I would hear. Eventually I was able to say discernible words at the typical milestone age, and by around three years old I gradually reached a level where I was able to ask simple but properly structured sentences. But my experience of expanding my communication skills didn’t at all stop there.
Throughout my school years literacy lessons (as well as those where we were taught languages other than English) allowed me to learn and retain skills for improving my communication, in various areas. From all of my years at school I learned how to spell more complex words (which is essential for writing, reading and even speaking), how to read longer texts in a much quicker way, and I especially learned all of the skills required for me to research new information. This information includes that of all of the topics I’m interested in, as well as that of which allows me to learn more communication skills that I didn’t get from school.
After leaving school I was quite a mess emotionally and psychologically. However (as I’ve mentioned many times in previous blogs, admittedly) I refused to give up with my life. One of the many activities I did to improve my life skills as much as possible was to build on all of the reading, verbal and literacy skills that I was given at school. Spelling was never at all a difficulty so I didn’t waste my crucial time on that. Yet verbal and comprehension skills were major areas that needed work. After more than a decade I am by no means 100% perfect, though I feel deep within that I have become the best that I myself can possibly be. That to me means a great deal!
Nowadays I’m making sure that I don’t slip down over time by continuing to practice reading, speaking and writing (communication skills) in my career. Also, I’m forever expanding my communication by learning other languages in addition to my first (which for me is English).
Initially the primary reason for why I decided to begin learning foreign languages was for the purpose of my career. However after my very first Spanish lesson I realised that it was a very fun hobby, in addition to actually being work. Indeed learning new languages takes my mind back to that very exciting time of learning how to communicate (in all areas) as a very young child. It is true that I feel just as excited and motivated to learn new languages now as I did so when English was a novelty all those years ago.
I will conclude this piece by saying that learning how to communicate by no means ends in our infancy, childhood or adulthood. It is indeed a lifelong learning process.