Sunflowers and German: Always Turning Towards the Light

I recently visited a sunflower field near me, and it was beautiful: rows of tall yellow blooms all facing the sun (but can you spot a 'funny looking sunflower' among them all, too? :-) And as I stood there, I realised how much we can actually learn from sunflowers about our journey with German.

Sunflowers are always turning towards the light. They don’t waste energy twisting back to the shade. They move forward, day after day, following what nourishes them. What if you treated your German learning the same way?

It’s easy to get stuck looking at the shadows: the mistakes you keep making, the grammar point you “still don’t get,” the long words that look impossible. But focusing only on what feels hard can sap your energy and motivation. You end up stuck, circling the same problems instead of growing. Like a sunflower, you need to turn towards the light: the things that give you energy and confidence.

What does “turning towards the light” look like in learning German?

• Celebrate small wins: Did you manage a short conversation at the bakery? Did you understand a headline? That’s progress worth noticing.

• Enjoy the fun parts: If you love music, listen to German songs. If you enjoy reading, find a simple article or book. If you like chatting, practise speaking. Learning feels lighter when you do what you enjoy.

• Use mistakes as signals, not setbacks: A sunflower doesn’t stop growing because of one cloudy day. Your mistakes are signs of learning in action. Stay consistent. Sunflowers grow tall by following the sun every day. Even five minutes of German daily can keep you moving forward.

  
  

August is the perfect month to embrace my new-found "sunflower mindset". Life feels lighter, routines are looser and there’s space to enjoy learning in small, positive ways. Instead of stressing over everything you don’t know yet, focus on the light: what you can do, what you’re curious about and what makes German enjoyable for you.

So next time you see a sunflower (in real life or in an image), let it remind you: learning German doesn’t have to mean fighting your way through the shadows. Turn towards the light, even in small ways and let your learning grow tall and strong - all in its own time.