Familiarising for Dummies

Familiarising is a word that we use when we want to understand or become comfortable with something new. It's like when you meet a new friend for the first time and you want to get to know them better, so you spend time with them, talk to them, and learn more about them. It's about making something unfamiliar feel more familiar and easy to understand.

When we say we are "familiarising" ourselves with something, it means we are trying to make it less strange and more familiar. For example, think about playing a new sport that you've never played before. At first, everything might seem confusing and difficult, but as you spend more time learning the rules, practicing the skills, and playing the game, you start to become more familiar with it. Eventually, what was once unfamiliar and confusing becomes something you understand and can participate in with ease. That's the process of familiarising.

In a way, familiarising is like exploring a new place. Imagine you go on a vacation to a different country, where people speak a different language and have different customs. At first, everything may seem strange and unfamiliar to you. But as you spend time there, talking to the locals, trying their food, and experiencing their culture, you start to familiarise yourself with the place. The language might still be difficult, but you might pick up a few words and phrases here and there. You start to understand their customs and ways of life. The unfamiliar becomes familiar, and you start to feel more comfortable in that new environment.

So, when we talk about familiarising, we are talking about the process of making something new or unfamiliar feel more comfortable and easier to understand. It's about taking the time and effort to become acquainted with something so that it becomes familiar like an old friend. It's an important skill that allows us to adapt to new situations and learn new things in a way that is enjoyable and meaningful.