When learning a foreign language, mistakes are inevitable—you will make them all the time. And that’s a good thing.

Think of mistakes as viruses. Once you’ve caught a virus, your body fights it off and builds immunity, meaning you’re much less likely to get it again.

Language mistakes work the same way. Once you’ve made an error in your target language, and you've noticed it, you’re far less likely to make it again.

I can still remember plenty of times when I was learning a language and I made a mistake. I tended to notice it immediately after the mistake had left my mouth, and then I was instantly filled with frustration. But that frustration is like a vaccine—it strengthens your understanding, makes you a stronger speaker and makes you less likely to repeat the mistake.

Many language learners fear making mistakes. They worry about sounding silly or being misunderstood. But the truth is, every mistake you make is an opportunity to improve.

✔ The more mistakes you make, the more you learn.
✔ Mistakes help you recognize patterns and rules.
✔ Every mistake corrected is one step closer to fluency.

If you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not pushing yourself enough. The best learners are the ones who dive in and embrace the errors.

Mistakes can be embarrassing, but embarrassment is a powerful teacher. If you’ve ever said something hilariously wrong in a foreign language, chances are, you’ll never forget how to say it correctly next time!

Instead of seeing embarrassment as a bad thing, use it as a tool:

✅ When you make a mistake, take a moment to notice it.
✅ Go back and reflect on what went wrong.
✅ Look up the correct way to say it.
✅ Say it again—better this time.

Every mistake corrected boosts your confidence, and makes you more comfortable using the language in real conversations.

Mistakes might feel frustrating in the moment, but they are only temporary setbacks. What truly matters is your willingness to keep going.

If you stop speaking every time you make a mistake, you’ll never move forward. But if you push through the awkward moments, your fluency will skyrocket.

So next time you say something wrong, laugh it off, correct it, and move on. The mistake is just a stepping stone to becoming a better speaker.

As Maya Angelou wisely said:
“When you know better, you do better.”

Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re proof that you’re learning. Just like your immune system gets stronger after fighting off a virus, your language skills will grow stronger with every mistake you overcome.

So catch the mistake virus early, embrace the process, and watch yourself become more fluent than ever!