Language learning motivation

Here is a little language learning motivation:

I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE NEVER MARRIED THE LOVE OF THEIR LIVES OR HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THEIR DREAM JOB IF THEY HADN’T SPOKEN THE LANGUAGE THEY LEARNED.

Don’t give up on your language studies, who knows what it could bring into your life!

Now let’s see what you be the problem and let me give you practical things you can do to motivate yourself on lazy days.

1. Too ambitious goals

2. Lack of consistency

3. Criticism

ARE WE THERE YET?!

Everybody who has a long-term goal has experienced periods of discouragement. We focus so much on our final goal (for example, to be fluent) that we fail to notice how much we improved already.

We get frightened by the idea of having to take an exam when we are still scared of making a phone call or talking to a native speaker. It is also frustrating to know that we’ve been learning a language for some time now, but we still aren’t what we consider fluent, or to realize how much learning is still ahead of us.

It’s crucial to set small goals as well. So if your final or long-term goal is to pass a language exam, set small goals that lead to it, such as reading a text without the help of a dictionary or understanding an entire episode of your favorite show.

WHY DO I EVEN DO THIS?!

Maybe you wouldn’t hate it so much if you did it for the right reason. If learning a language to have a language exam, because it is mandatory in school or to keep or get a job is not the right kind of motivation for you, find other means of motivation!

Let’s say, you should learn Spanish to get a raise, but you are not really motivated. Make up a prize, like a trip to Spain from the first paycheck, or get other sources of motivation, for example being able to read Spanish authors in original, or to be able to understand your favorite reggaeton songs. DON’T GIVE UP, CHANGE YOUR MOTIVATION.

I CAN SKIP A DAY

When you are feeling lazy and don’t feel like doing anything at all the last thing you want to think of is to study.

Try to make it a rewarding experience. Take a bubble bath while reading a book in the target language. Make a coffee or tea and enjoy it while you are studying. Sit out on the balcony, or cozy up in a blanket. Watch an interesting movie or prepare a recipe in the target language. Even a little practice is better than no practice. Don’t let a day pass by without using the language. You will feel so much better for using your time wisely.

Practical things to lift you up

• Make a motivational mood board. Make a collage of pictures and photos that represent your motivations to learn the language. Hang it on your wall, save it in your phone, and you can take a look it when you feel too lazy.
• Look through older vocabulary books and tests, even messages and texts you’ve sent to see how far you’ve come to keep you going.
• Whatch videos of polyglots like DamonAndJo  to get you in the language learning spirit.
• Watch YouTube videos of countries, cities where they speak the language. Or go to Google Earth and “walk around”.
• Go to a restaurant where they serve food of the country or order from them. Or prepare a meal at home and enjoy it it while you are studying.
• Listen to music of the country you want to learn the language of. It never fails to motivate me on lazy days.

CRITICISM

It’s very difficult to pick yourself up after being criticized for your language skills in any shape or form for example after getting a bad grade on your word quiz.

Let me share a personal experience. Even though it’s not related to languages, it is related to the topic: I went to an art school, and I was criticized e v e r y. s i n g l e. d a y. The only way for me to survive was to understand that criticism is what makes you even better. I have to be criticized to improve. I also learned to identify constructive criticism even if was disguised as a nasty comment. When someone says:” Your dance routine is so boring!” or, to give a language-related example: “The way you say this word is so funny.”

Your first thought is probably not that this person is helping you, even though it is exactly what they are doing. They are mean and they should word their opinion nicely, but you can still get something out of it for yourself. Who knows, maybe if you take their ‘advice’ and put more elements in your routine you can win the cheerleading competition or if you work on your pronunciation you can speak your target language better. I have been criticized about so many things so many times, but I always made sure it built me up instead of tearing me down. You should do the same. 

Hope this gave you the language learning motivation you needed,

Zsófi

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