You do not need to learn all the LingQs that you create. You should be overwhelmed by the LingQs that you create and find that you cannot remember the LingQs that you thought you already learned. You are on the right track.
The question you should ask, after a while, is whether you find it easier and easier to read the texts that you are studying, and to understand them. Not every day and every time, but in general.
I go through the same process and suddenly find that I am able to read and understand much more than before, although some days are down days.
One more thing Angela, at times you may feel you’re not making progress. That is when you need to give yourself credit for what you have already achieved. Think of Nat King Cole’s famous song. “Pretend you’re happy when you’re blue”. Lyrics and MP3 available here.
Okay, Steve. Since you said you’ve gone through the same thing, I will trust your advice. I do know that I am improving, although certain things frustrate me, such as not remembering LingQs I’ve previously learned, as you mentioned.
Thanks for the lyrics to this song. I had never heard of it before.
That’s my experience (about 2 years and a half): at the beginning, I was quite obsessed about the activity score, and I was frequently at the top 25 users. Then I had a kind of a shock when I achieved a certain number of points that an older LingQ version associated with the top of the last advanced level.In some way, I believed that when I would reach that level, I would be an “almost native”, but I wasn’t (am not) that at all!!
I brought up a discussion about this, and since then I became Steve’s model for the ever-unsatisfied-over-perfectionist learner (yes, my name appeared in a couple of English LingQ podcasts, some of them as such an example… lol)
A lot of things happened meanwhile. I had a number of successful experiences in the real world last year. I had a lot of papers accepted, I talked to a lot of foreign colleagues, I did interviews, I presented my work to English speaking audiences a couple of times. In a way, I can say my professional goals were largely achieved. And then I got ill and need to stop studying English for a while.
Now, I came back to my English (and French) studies, but this time much less worried about scores or dead-lines, and much more aware that it will take a long, long time until I get “there”.
And the good news is: I’m ok with that. I love studying English: by doing this I get up to date with my study field, I learn something about history and geography of other countries, I learn a little of philosophy, I know about movies and books much before my colleagues are even aware of their existence, I discover new artists, new foods, and so on. In other words, I guess I finally got the point Steve was trying to make to me the last 2 years or so: the most important, or at least the best part of all that is the amazing lot of fun that comes together with language learning.
So, that’s my advice: have fun, study a little bit of flashcards when you feel like, and forget about the rest.
i have been wondering why you get more points for creating LingQs than learning them. Especially when there is nothing to stop you deleting a bunch of LingQs that you realise you can’t be bothered to invest in learning.
A good way of “feeling” that you are making progress is to take a day or more off from learning, then pick up a book that you have tried to read and failed, and realise that you can now make much more headway with it.
Alternatively, sign up for a half hour one-on-one with a tutor and spend it grumbling that you can’t speak the language. it’s amazing how much better it makes you feel, especially when you get the conversation report saying how fluently you were grumbling!
Hello all together and thanks a lot for all comments. Starting with my question I was really a bit puzzled. Uncertain whether activity points reflect the right way of learning I know now that it is “only” a game. I love sport contests and so our high score list is a wonderful way bringing additional fun in my learning. But now I have understand that the high score list is “only” a game and shall not affect my learning. So, for my part I am calm and happy and furthermore I will play the high score list only for fun.
Well, Steve, I guess I’m missing about 8 or 9 languages to be like you… lol
Anyway, you have a couple of decades of advantage over me, so it’s not a fair comparison…
cheers.
ps: have you given up on Maceió?
You get more points for creating LingQs because that is a definite action that cannot be undone. If you are a paying member you will see them highlighted, you will see your statistics grow, you will have them to review in your vocab section etc. I consider this to be the most important action at LingQ, as long as these LingQs are acquired through reading and listening to lots of content.
I personally do not pay much attention to the “learned LingQs” number. I learn some,and forget some. I learn most of them incidentally in any case. If I keep LingQing I will eventually understand more and more of the language.
Ha-ha-ha, Helen, you are great! “…one-on one… spend it grumbling that you can’t speak the language. It’s amazing how much better it makes you feel, especially when you get the conversation report saying how fluently you were grumbling!”
For long I thought about just cut-and-pasting something into the “Comments” window of all the conversation reports, but could not come up with an idea. Thank you so much!
