Thank you for sharing your experiences before a new language learning.
It’s very interesting to reflect on your article from different angles.
I would like to focus on the aspect of “immersing yourself in a completely different language and culture”. In my view, the new language environment tends to be overwhelming, of course. At the beginning, it’s common to exist some “swapping” between the new language and our native language. But gradually our mind is getting used to the new language frames, and it starts processing every part of speech, I think. At this step it occurs some sort of “discovery” that ends up fascinating us…
I still remember some particular words that fascinated me when I travelled to Britain for the first time in 1980, and stayed there for two weeks or so . Words like “gorgeous”; “absolutely fabulous”… still echoe in my mind .
Best wishes,
Maria