Many believe that our environmental influences have nearly full control over our rate of success. I challenge this belief with the fact that our acceptance of failure, our grit to persevere, has a stronger impact on how (and whether) we succeed in life.
The Eagles group continuously impresses me with their enthusiasm to improve their English skills. Keep in mind that this is an optional opportunity for them to take on, on top of their regular classes and other commitments. Moreover, I am impressed by the comfortable environment in which they are learning with one another.
Specifically, the pronunciation of certain English words is a very difficult concept to comprehend to non-native speakers (ie, not pronouncing a strong E at the end of ‘fine’). Regardless of the vowel / consonant agreement lesson my partner Azadeh gave to the girls, it is a skill that is improved with time. From my own present experience with learning Spanish, mistakes in my personal pronunciation are incredibly frustrating. This especially holds true when I say the word incorrectly out loud, and I hear a couple laughs from other students that can properly pronounce the words. It is a feeling of shame that washes over me when I hear my classmates judge my learning and it discourages me from wanting to practice and speak out loud (aka, the only way for me to get better at it).
However, the Eagles group is one of the most supportive learning environments I have worked with in all of my educational volunteering experiences. They love to show me their verbal skills in English and appreciate when I give them tips on how to improve their readings. Even when one girl makes a mistake that the stronger speakers knew, they laugh it off as a group and correct their pronunciations as a team. I am far more cautious of making mistakes and become embarrassed when my own Canadian accent fails me, but what is the point of being embarrassed about learning? They have taught me the art of laughing off mistakes and finding joy in learning something that is foreign to the way I have grown up. In other words, they teach me to embrace mistakes rather than hide from them.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein
After much reflection on this experience, I decided to research some of the best methods of learning. Below, I have linked a Ted Talk by Angela Lee Duckworth regarding the ‘growth-mindset’ and how grit contributes to success in life. Duckworth explains how grit is crucial to learning anything in life, regardless of your IQ, physical appearance, wealth, etc. It is a quality that science has yet to explain but is the base of a person who can see long term goals and have an abundance of endurance to work to achieve said goals.
The Eagles group has a long-term goal of having the ability to share their messages on an international platform. They also wish to teach others in their community how to speak English. These are both goals that are being achieved as a team. In my opinion, they have immense grit and are improving their English skills by staying dedicated to these objectives. It takes dedication and discipline to take on extra hours of lessons to maximize their English skills. I believe that this is one of the many reasons why they are so accepting of mistakes and have growth mindsets (aside from their mutual respect). Their long-term goals are group oriented and they wish to see one another succeed. They are encouraging one another to make it to the end of the marathon. This is contrary to being in competition and shame when practicing the lessons that I give to them.
Overall, the Eagles group inspires me to make some environmental changes within my Spanish class to see how the growth mindset affects my own improvements until April.
I would highly recommend watching the ted talk and reflecting upon your own reaction to failure: Do you let it expand your brain or do you quit your goals in shame?
If you would like some tips on goal setting, check out my previous blog post – https://aecclestonewhe.wordpress.com/2021/11/02/getting-started/
Ash Ecclestone - Western Heads East 