Ok so after looking over some advice I got from my last post, I still feel like I’m not making any progress. My first method of using lingq was to 1.make lingqs for lesson 2.Listen 3.read 4.listen 5. read 6. listen and read 7. then do flash cards and occasionally go back to a lesson and read it again. That method wasn’t ideal for me because I found flash cards to be to time consuming and I felt like I was just memorizing words and not really internalizing them. I racked up alot of words on my counter but it felt unnatural and unenjoyable. So next I tried: 1. make lingqs 2. listen to the same lesson for 45 or so minutes 3. read it for 10 or so 4. do flash cards or multiple choice, This I feel has had an even worse outcome. I pay really close attention when listening but no matter how many times I listen and read to a lesson I don’t seem to learn any new words (unless they’re cognates or I make a lucky guess) and even so I end up racking up about 15 words a day it seems (the bulk words I’ve learned in the last couple of days are mainly words iv’e already knew or from flash cards) I was given advice both to not really check the definition of new words in your language and on the other hand that I should while I’m reading and listening, I can’t seem to find the motivation to click on a highlighted word while the audio is playing in the background or stopping my reading to click on an unknown word. I also don’t seem to be able to absorb any meanings of the words without at least getting some clue of what they mean. So basically I feel incredibly stuck and I was hoping somebody could give me a precise layout of a study plan for me to try, whether it be the way you study or just a way you thought up. It doesn’t matter if the method involves using some flash cards, I just want to feel like I’m making progress. Please be as clear and concise as possible. Thank you
Note: I try to study at least a 3 hours a day, sometimes more
The one thing I recommend, a lot, is Steve’s 90 day challenge videos for Korean, they can be applied to any language, and there is a lot of great stuff in there.
Wow, just reading your ‘routine’, Jordan, put my brain to sleep! No wonder you’re having frustration.
I’d go bonkers if I tried to listen to 45 minutes straight, as you did! Instead, I try listening & reading along to new comprehensible material (ie. translation is available) for only 20 mins, aiming to understand what’s going on, pausing as required, by comparing L2 & L1 + dictionary meanings.
Regardless of “methods”, I get the impression for starters, that you are trying to learn when your brain has become tired. Sessions longer than 30 minutes are a waste of time, as the brain seems to stop absorbing information. I had that problem, but my new routine seems to be doing wonders for me. I learn more in 20 minutes of quality time than I did from 2 hours “study”! I also divide my sessions, making sure there’s a break between them.
So for me, quality is better than quantity. This is what I actually do:
1 choose study times when your brain is freshest
2 when this isn’t possible, take a “power nap” for 20 mins using your phone’s alarm - it really works!
3 learn in 20 or 30-minute blocks at a time (I use 20 mins)
4 use timer on your phone to count down (or use an App) eg set for 20 mins
5 if possible, divide your time eg an hour, into morning & afternoon times, but regardless, make sure you take a 20 minute break between sessions
6 keep a language log eg. in diary (but I type in a Word doc) - brief notes eg. date & lesson, what you did: R & L x3 (eg. read & listened 3 times), practised writing characters #816 -826 :)~
7 review material learned on previous days by “attacking” the same info deliberately in a different way eg. this time listen to L2 while reading L1, or write out L2>L1 translation looking only at the L2, etc.
Hope this helps. Everything iaing says is always good, too
I believe your mistake is that you in your both ‘methods’ make lingqs before listening and reading. These Lingqs have no sense for you, only a mechanical action, nothig keeps in your brain.
I listen once a new text (only one time- it’s 3-5 min) for general conception, then I READ+LISTEN+MAKE some Lingqs at the same time. In this case I needn’t make all lingqs, a half or more of all new words I can understand from the context!..
After that I read+ listen again.
Finally I only listen.
And next day I repeat it with only listening.
And it works.
I am not a great fan of flash cards, although I play with them from time to time. The key word here is “play”.
I also know that flashcards made of whole sentences or specific expressions tend to stick better, partly because you put personal effort into creating a meaningful hint when you save an expression or a sentence and secondly because you have a lot of context.
You have to enjoy what you are doing or at least not resent it Good luck!
Thank you, I’m gonna try this. Just a couple questions 1. Do you each of these steps only once? 2. Do you ever do flash cards? 3. the next day do you only listen once?.. Thanks
The biggest challenge when learning a language is the phase where you working really hard, but don´t seem to get paid. One way is to just start using the language, read it, speak it etc. Look up words in order to understand what you are reading, not to understand the word itself. Import interesting stuff. Put up a goal, like 10 000 word. Simplify. I like to import todays news, first in Finnish, and then in Russian, and sometimes also the same story from different newspaper. Sure, it´s not the road to fluent in three month, but at least a advanced level within three years. Thats fine with me, if I can enjoy every step towards my goal.
It depends on the difficulty of the text, maybe several times if I need it to understand more exactly.(the same - about the next day). I seldom use flash cards, but I use multiple choice if I have time- not every day, 2-3 times a week.
And I have never put a cerftain goal - to learn 500 or 700 words, to make 7000 or 1000 lingqs - the most important is just to go ahead -step by step, text by text, word by word.
So You’re saying that occasionally you will repeat all of the above steps? Sometimes doing these steps the day after for the same texts? what is your process for moving words up in status?
I never move the words up or down. I just look them through if I have some time.
But I have to say: there isn’t an universal method. Everyone has to find his own method that suits to him/her best of all.
