Make the learning harder

Make your learning harder to make it easier

Picture source: http://www.forwards.in/a-bodybuilder-with-insane-arms

With the popular tendency to make your learning process easier, my statement may sound strange. But there is nothing wrong with it. If you want to learn effectively, there are some aspect of learning you simply shouldn’t skip. I understand that for a very busy person all ready-to-use language learning resources are very tempting and time saving gadgets but in fact, they do more harm than help. Let me explain why.

Learning traps

Let’s have a look at popular flash cards. It is a very popular way of learning any language and many firms offer ready to print or already nicely printed flash cards. The dark side of using them is the fact that

Learning languages – motivation

Motivation is essential

Learning languages is not an exception to this well known truth. Yet, the questions remain: How can we motivate people to learn languages? How can you find good motivation for yourself?

There are at least a few universal reasons for learning languages. I will mention only those, the most important ones, exactly those, which drove my education since I started studying Spanish.

Travelling broadens your mind – cliché… but true!

Agave in Malaga. My first Spanish experience.

The desire to visit Spain was exactly my first, strong and decisive driving force, which made me grab a Spanish course book and start studying Spanish.

Best time to learn

When you learn, time matters

Today, I would like to write about most suitable time for learning in general. It’s not a coincidence that most of the schools are open from morning hours till early afternoon or evening if they have a long lunch break. The fact that children’s parents are at work this time is only a side factor here. Our natural biological life-cycle matters here more. We think better in the morning than in the afternoon. During the day we have more daylight too, which influences our mood and focus. Of course, there are no universal hours for learning for everybody, but there is a general rule you may follow and find out whether it suits you or not.

Self-studing secrets

Polyglots’ secret

Most of the polyglots are those crazy individuals to devote any free minute to study languages. If you happen to wonder how they could master so many (usually from 2 to dozens) foreign languages, you should look at the sportsmen. What is funny in my advice, most probably no one will be surprised that the successful sportsman is that one who trains regularly much beyond ordinary people’s limit. Why are we then so surprised in case of the polyglots? The successful polyglot, that is the one who managed to learn some languages on the communicative level never become one without regular and tough training. And by saying “tough” I do not mean painstaking but extensive, requiring a doze of effort, sometimes a lot of effort since we naturally tend to quit.

Studying languages = sport

A bit funny, shocking, ridiculous statement? No matter how trivial it may be, it simply works. Just imagine an ordinary guy taking into e.g. running. With the regularity of trainings once a week do not count on good results, on any exceptional achievement. The same is with studying languages. Do not get frustrated that you cannot master a language if you open the coursebook once a week.

Starting point

Life-time trip – starting point

It’s been some months since I decided to write a blog. I do post occasional articles on two other blogs, but it’s rather business than pure pleasure there. And I avoid heavy pictures and too many visuals there because content goes first. Here, with the more private platform I can afford to describe my personal experience with languages and anything related to other cultures, which I was fascinated by.

Barcelona, Spain

This is the place where the whole story starts. It was my destination of the first trip in 2013.