🌸 Learning English: Why We Should Make Lots of Mistakes

When I moved from Japan to Australia at 18, I loved English conversation and was excited about improving my English. Little did I know how many mistakes I would make along the way!

Those experiences taught me an important lesson that I still share with my Japanese students today:

“Make lots of mistakes!”

I spent my first year studying at an English language school, where I made friends from different countries.

I soon discovered that the English people spoke in everyday life was sometimes very different from the English I had learned in Japanese textbooks.

Some of my most memorable English lessons came from unexpected misunderstandings in everyday life.

🇦🇺 Why Did My Host Father Keep Talking About Blood?

When I first arrived in Australia, I stayed with a host family.

My host father frequently used the word “bloody” in everyday conversation. I heard it almost every day.

Curious about what it meant, I looked it up in my English-Japanese dictionary.

The dictionary told me it meant something related to blood.

I was puzzled.

Why does my host father keep talking about blood?

I later discovered that Australians sometimes use “bloody” as an informal expression for emphasis.

But at the time, I had no idea!

It was one of my first lessons in the difference between textbook English and everyday Australian English.

🏖️ “Come On!” — But I’m Already Sitting Next to You!

During my first year at English language school, I made friends from several countries, including Indonesia.

One day, I was sitting on Bondi Beach, chatting with an Indonesian friend.

During our conversation, my friend kept saying:

“Come on! Come on!”

I was confused.

In my English textbook, I had learned that “come on” meant something like “come here” or “come closer.”

But I was already sitting right next to my friend!

How much closer am I supposed to get?

Only later did I understand that “Come on!” can have several meanings depending on the situation. It can encourage someone, express surprise, or urge someone to do something.

That was another English lesson I would never forget.

🍳 “Foil” or “Hoil”? A Lesson in Pronunciation

Another memorable experience happened when I was cooking with a friend.

I needed some aluminum foil, so I asked:

“Can you pass me the foil?”

Or at least, that’s what I thought I was saying!

My friend looked puzzled.

“What?”

I repeated my request several times, but my friend still couldn’t understand me.

I began to wonder if my friend was teasing me, and I was getting a little frustrated.

Finally, I walked over, picked up the foil, and showed it to my friend.

“This!”

My friend immediately understood.

“Oh, Mariko! It’s foil, not hoil!”

In Japanese, we call it hoiru (ホイル), and I had been using the Japanese pronunciation without realizing it.

We had been talking about the same thing all along!

Until then, I had assumed that Japanese katakana words borrowed from English would be relatively easy for English speakers to understand because they sounded similar.

But this experience made me realize something important.

Just because a Japanese katakana word comes from English doesn’t mean an English speaker will recognize it when pronounced the Japanese way.

Japanese and English have different sound systems, and even a small difference in pronunciation can make a familiar word difficult to recognize.

It was a lesson I learned through experience rather than from a textbook.

😄 My First English Lesson About “Poo”

Later, while studying childcare at TAFE, I completed a practical placement at a childcare center.

One day, a little boy named Thomas went outside and did a poo.

I needed to report what had happened to the supervising teacher.

At the time, I didn’t know the appropriate English word to use, so I confidently announced:

“Thomas did a shit!”

The teacher gently corrected me:

“We say poo.”

That was the day I learned that although two English words might describe the same thing, they are not always appropriate in the same situation!

I had used a rather rude word without realizing it, especially in a childcare setting.

It was a practical English lesson I would never forget.

And little did I know that the word “poo” would later lead to another memorable misunderstanding involving a certain famous bear!

🧸 Winnie-the-Pooh or “We Need a Poo”?

Another memorable experience happened when I was working at a daycare center.

I asked the children to bring me a favorite book they wanted me to read.

One child excitedly said:

“Winnie-the-Pooh!”

But what I heard was:

“We need a poo!”

I was completely confused.

We need a poo? What kind of book is that?

Then the child handed me a copy of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Suddenly, it all made sense, and I couldn’t help smiling.

Of course! The child wanted a story about the famous bear, not a trip to the toilet!

After learning the word “poo” during my childcare placement, this misunderstanding was especially memorable.

Looking back, these experiences remind me why I encourage my students to make lots of mistakes and keep trying.

💛 Make Lots of Mistakes with Mariko Sensei!

These experiences have stayed with me throughout my career as a Japanese language teacher.

Whether I am teaching children in primary school or adults at the Institute of Modern Languages (IML), University of Queensland, one message is always important in my classroom:

“Make lots of mistakes with Mariko Sensei!”

In my first lesson with adult students at IML, I often share some of my funny experiences learning English. We laugh together, and I hope these stories help everyone feel more relaxed about learning Japanese.

With my primary school students, I often use myself as an example.

I tell them:

“I’ve been learning English since I was about your age, and I still make mistakes. You’ve heard me make mistakes in English, haven’t you?”

Then I ask:

“But even when I make mistakes, you can still understand what I’m saying, can’t you?”

That is what I want them to remember.

Language is about communication, not just perfect grammar or pronunciation.

Of course, learning correct grammar and pronunciation is important. But when someone understands what you are trying to communicate in another language, that is already a wonderful achievement.

When I understand what a student is trying to say in Japanese, or can read the hiragana they have written, I remind them:

“I understood your Japanese! That’s a great achievement!”

I want them to feel proud of those moments.

But I also believe that simply telling students to make mistakes is not enough.

As teachers, we need to create an environment where students genuinely feel comfortable making them.

I remember when a Chinese language tutor at IML joined my Japanese class as a student.

She was surprised by the positive atmosphere in my classroom. She noticed how comfortable students seemed to be making mistakes, having a go, and participating without worrying about getting everything right.

Her observation meant a lot to me.

It reminded me that a supportive classroom environment doesn’t happen just because a teacher says, “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

It is something we create through the way we teach, encourage students, and respond when they get something wrong.

Students need opportunities to speak, write, ask questions, and experiment with language. Simply sitting quietly and listening is not enough to build confidence in communicating.

When students feel comfortable making mistakes, they are more willing to participate and gradually become more confident and independent learners.

After more than 40 years of teaching, I still believe that some of the most valuable language lessons come from having the courage to try.

Making mistakes is part of learning. Being understood is an achievement. And every attempt helps us grow.

And that brings me back to a belief that has guided me throughout my life:

“You never know until you try.”