We are all Gloria: Why Learning a Language Is Difficult (and How to Make It Easier!)
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I Am Gloria. You Are Gloria. We Are All Gloria! And guess what? None of us are alone in this feeling!
Gloria Pritchett from Modern Family is one of the most iconic and relatable characters for anyone learning to speak another language. Why? Because it’s hard to express yourself authentically in a new language. And Gloria says the words we’ve all been thinking. Let’s be real— feeling stuck or ‘stupid’ sucks! But here’s the good news: it’s normal.
It makes sense. We go from feeling capable and accomplished in our work, lives and with family... to suddenly juggling grammar rules, vocabulary, sentence structure, mouth positioning, AND all the while trying to sound educated and confident AND not letting on that you are nervous so people don’t know it is difficult for you.
It’s no wonder we sometimes want to yell, “Do you even know how smart I am in my first language?!” … just like Gloria!
[If you don’t know Gloria, take a quick pause to watch her in action: Watch Here. It’ll make everything I’m about to say so much more relatable.]
Let’s look at three of her best lines and why they hit so close to home:
“Do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?”
... Yes, Gloria we know!
Because we all feel the same way!!!!
It is humbling and very vulnerable to try anything new but especially something that requires you to put yourself out there on display like speaking another language.
💡Remember, you can do hard things— and learning a language is one of those things!
“Do you know how frustrating it is to have to translate everything in my head before I say it?”
Oh, Gloria. We feel you.
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My first teacher-instinct is to reply: “Well, this is why we don’t translate directly!” But my second, more empathetic reply is: “YES! THAT IS EXHAUSTING!” Long language classes or full days of speaking a different language leave me completely wiped out. Language learning takes a lot of mental energy.
💡Remember…. You can build up your stamina. Start practicing with longer conversation classes or go to an activity that requires you to interact with the language for a longer than normal period of time.
“I know what I meant to mean.”
Amen, Gloria. We’ve all been there—losing your train of thought mid-sentence or mixing up words you usually know. It’s frustrating, but it happens to everyone. When we get nervous or start to feel silly, it’s easy for things to go downhill fast. 🥴
💡Remember in those moments: ‘I am Gloria. I am learning. This is okay.’
Languages are hard, exhausting and frustrating, that’s why we all identify so much with Gloria. But at the same time there are practical steps we can take, not to eliminate the Gloria moments entirely, but to reduce their occurrence.
Gloria moments will happen, but they don’t have to stop you and you don’t have to feel like that in every situation. Pinpoint when and why you feel like Gloria by asking yourself questions like:
Once you figure out your patterns, we can create a strategy to work on those weak spots.
💡Remember: it’s not magic —it’s strategy. 🪄
So next time you’re feeling like Gloria, take a deep breath and remind yourself: you’re not alone. You’re Gloria. And with patience, a laugh, and a strategy, you’ll keep getting better.