I struck up a conversation with a lady on the train to Waterloo this morning when I spied her perusing a French Phrasebook. “Learning French?” I chirped. She laughed and we spent the entire journey chatting about the trials and tribulations of learning a new language and the difficulties of French in particular. It was a wonderfully sociable change from the usual tense commuting atmosphere.
Our conversation reminded me just how intimidating learning a new language can be once the initial excitement wears off. Not all languages have the same learning curve but in French in particular there is a vast amount to learn in the beginning. New sounds to master, new accents on letters, masculine and feminine nouns and articles, all those confusing verb conjugations and that’s not even counting the irregular verbs, new tenses to learn and so much more! Simon gave some great advice about how to keep the truck rolling, but what if you’re stopped before you’ve even started? How do you get and stay motivated?
First things first: Manage your expectations. Be realistic. There’s a lot to get through, that’s just a fact. It’s going to take time, so be ready for that and relax about it if you’re not fluent after a week.
Second: Get clear about why you’re learning. Write your top three motivations for wanting to learn a new language. When the going gets tough, remind yourself why you’re doing it.
Third: Set yourself clear goals with a timeframe. What can you have mastered by next month for example? Don’t take on too much.
Fourth: Put study time in your diary and stick to it. Whether it’s ten minutes in the morning Monday to Friday, or an hour every Sunday, find a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
Five: Make it social. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if you get a tutor or find a language buddy or group to practise with.
Learning a new language is a long road to walk. Congratulations for starting it! You will get there eventually.
Gareth
Tags: staying motivated, tips
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The operative word is: perseverance!
“It you first do not achieve, try and try again!”
Well done, Gareth and Simon!
Having lived in France now for 8 years I still find the language a chalenge. I have a class every week and during the morning we fluctuate from one subject to the next. From local politics, to news in England or films we have each been to see French or English. Watching films in French is a big help to me.I belong to a cine club.
Now at 75 I feel I have done something worthwhile and will carry on building the blocks to speaking French with the locals.
Time is all you need as well as determination.
[...] Two more things to remember: Firstly, your learning resilience is often a function of the subject matter – you may be super resilient at Piano for example, but poor at German. However, you can always build up, and learning is way more fun when your resilience is high. Secondly, just like muscle strength your resilience can go down as well as up if you don’t keep the truck rolling! If you’re struggling to even start, here are five ways to get motivated. [...]