So, I have been using this platform for a month now, My question is: How do you guys keep yourself motivated?
I am already feeling a bit tired. Like, Oh, here I go again doing the same thing (learning a language) again and again.
So, how you guys avoid boredom?
I ditched all the advice, tips and tricks I could find on the Internet only to focus on what I love doing in my target language.
I love Korean cinema and reading mystery/horror stories, so all my sessions are dedicated to that. I am not particularly interested in becoming a flawless speaker of the language. Some would argue it’s a shame, but I couldn’t care less. It’s about me and my goals, not other people’s.
I found that this has worked extremely well for me. I have been doing this for the last two years and always look forward to studying because I know I’ll get to do what I am passionate about.
Don’t hesitate to trim and adjust your language learning routine. It’s taken me time and many trials and errors before finding something that works for me.
If there is something that it benefits me to do every day (but isn’t much fun), I limit it to 15-30 minutes each day in each TL. For the mini-stories, that is one mini-story each day. If it is longer content, I only do part of it each day.
If I find content that is more interesting, I spend more time on that. That means that part of my time is searching the internet for more interesting content, and keeping track of it when I find it. Naturally, that content changes as my level changes. A video podcast that was just noise 6 months ago might be okay now.
To study spoken Chinese, I watch Chinese TV drama episodes (and podcasts) on YouTube with subtitles in both English and Chinese. If I hear a word I don’t know, I pause and look it up.
when are you coming to Germany ? it helps with your motivation when you are surrounded by language 24/7 and living in your target language country even though you still do not have a clue. You still have to put in the hours by yourself. It really helps because you receive instant feedback on your progress. People who at one point were incomprehensible now they are comprehensible. There are opportunities to hear and to speak the language so that helps with motivation.
With French it’s easy, I listen to podcasts and watch films that I like. It’s not a chore, it’s fun. Did you know that Camembert originally used a blue mould, the same species used with many blue cheeses, but gradually they moved over to using a white strain, and that there is worryingly no generic diversity in many of the moulds used by many cheeses? The benefits of a podcast education!
With German it’s harder, but fortunately I am a very boring person, so I import YouTube videos which would be suitable for young children, and use those. The early stages of a language are probably going to be rather tedious, but I enjoy figuring things out, working out why a phrase is structured as it is, and then trying to understand it, recall it, and modify it.
Also, think about what you are aiming for. I can now understand a lot of native level content in French. albeit not casual day to day language spoken rapidly. So when studying German, I am motivated to do the tedious bits because I know I will in a few years be able to understand native level content such as German radio news broadcasts. Believe in yourself and you will want to work. Which reminds me, I have an hour of German study to do now.
I find exciting books I want to read and upload them. Mystery, suspense, thriller, sci-fi. Often these are books I read in English awhile ago and loved, and have forgotten enough that they will be interesting still.
If I am stuck for a good book I google “International bestseller” as many of those have been translated into multiple languages. I find really good books have often been translated.
I usually can’t wait to find out what happens next and that keeps me reading. Typically I have about 10% unknown words but even more challenging books are easier to get through with the LingQ reader.
It took awhile to feel progress but I am reading much more naturally than before and having fun along the way.
I really just like to learn new things, so there is always a little bit of inherent drive in that respect. I also have found it really cool when I had seen someone be able to communicate with someone in another language.
I think of the learning of the language as a bit of trying to solve a puzzle of sorts. Everytime I learn a new word, I’ve unlocked a bit of that puzzle, and knowing that word also helps me to unlock the other words. So that challenge of solving something is always something that makes it interesting for me.
When I found LingQ it was a perfect answer to learning the languages. I can import things that I am interested in reading or listening to. I don’t have to do something that someone is telling me to do. I don’t have to read lessons that others find interesting, but I find boring. So that is key to me…import content that is interesting to you. Or search for it in Lingq. I find the former to be easier because I have all the sources for content that have provided me interest in the past.
I think another key thing for me…and someone alluded to it in one of their posts…I keep my sessions for learning language pretty short. Frankly, I pretty much fall asleep reading in 10-15 minutes so that is an easy break point for me =). I also will try to squeeze a little here and there…in line at the grocery store, in the bathroom. Wherever. Those are all very short. Keeping it short keeps it interesting. However, it does come at a price…learning a language will take a lot longer in years. I do do some aspects of this in longer form…in the car I will listen to a podcast, or doing chores I may listen to several youtube videos or podcasts for up to an hour or so. All things that are interesting to me.
I also have another motivation. My gf and family speak German. I also have German heritage. So the practical aspects and cultural are of interest to me.
What are your reasons for learning a language?
I fell in love with French ye-ye music, then the French language, then the French people. It was sort of a religious conversion, which I still don’t understand. I ache to learn French.
Now it’s an established habit, even a part of my identity. I didn’t realize it would take so long and how much further I have to go, but I don’t care.
I’m a quarter-Mexican and I live in New Mexico. Spanish would be a much more practical choice. My father spoke Spanish before Engish. But I have no inner motivation to learn Spanish, no disrespect to my Hispanic relatives. But if I were forced to learn Spanish, it would be pretty slow and horrible.
Personnally, I need the whole learning loop to enjoy the process.
Learning loop is:
(1) Discovering or reviewing materials mostly with Lingq.
(2) Speaking and trying new/old words I have seen with a friend of mine who speaks my target langague.
(3) Getting into the details with my teacher.
If I do only (1) I’m getting bored as I don’t have the feedbacks provided by (2) and (3).
I have tried without (3) keeping (1) and (2) and with time I loose precision. I need my teacher for quality of explanation and getting into the details.
Also when I’m back from holidays and I have stopped studying for 2-3 weeks I need to rebuild my motivation. To do so, I restore 1-2-3 and after some time motivation comes back.
Skip social media as it might manipulate your thoughts and can easily distract you from your goal. Also, give your 200% without thinking of the result. It worked for me.
Hopefully this will work for you too.
Retrospective goals. Having goals can be a good thing, but they shouldn’t be too strict. Better if you look back at your progress and extrapolate from there your trajectory. Find something you can do in any situation, preferably something that doesn’t feel like studying so that it’s easy to make it a habit.
Interesting documentaries on Youtube. The worst days I just set the goal to watch 15 minutes in total and that has almost always been easy to achieve.
The better to do anything than nothing attitude.
One part I’m routine-driven. One part I’m frequently happy to procrastinate what I ought to be doing. One part as a parent I’m often sitting around waiting to support children (homework overseeing, awaiting chauffeuring, sidelining it). One part I’m between in person classes and I’m half terrified of having no idea what anyone is saying when I return to in person.
As part of my routine spread throughout the day:
10 min flash cards
10 min reading
10 min writing and writing revision
30 min study review
It helps that I can listen to Spanish pop radio in the car, and listen in on the chattering of my community. I’m slowly starting to pick up more words here and there albeit some may be homophones I just don’t know yet.
My TL, Spanish, is part of my heritage so it’s somewhat easy for me to stay motivated. I’m surronded by family who speaks it, so it also helps.
Switching all of my hobbies to my TL helps with daily study. It doesn’t feel like studying an academic subject when you watch films or television shows.