Feb 26, 2025
Me: studying to become an engineer at the technical university
Also my four states of study:
... yes, being a biophysicist is quite difficult😅🥲
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Me: studying to become an engineer at the technical university
Also my four states of study:
... yes, being a biophysicist is quite difficult😅🥲
Crosshair just reflects my attitude towards Saturday classes🥲
3 Ways to Learn Any Language By Taking it Easy
Learning a foreign language is arguably one of the most rewarding things that people can do in their lifetime. Language learners stay healthy for longer, they’re more attractive, they earn more money.
There are over 6900 languages spoken in the world today, and in fact the World Economic Forum recently cited research showing that languages can be picked up at any age, and that bilingual workers and managers earn more in the workplace.
Learning languages is a smart thing to do, but a lot of people worry about whether or not it’s effective to learn a language without teachers, classroom, or in-country immersion.
How can you become organised, consistent, motivated, and effective as a language learner?
Full Disclosure: I Started as a Bad Self-Teacher
When I became a self-teacher, I had already learnt 5 foreign languages at school and university, and taken a postgraduate degree. I thought I was totally set for life as a language learner.
Safely supported by the structures of school, exams, language classes, I never really wondered what happens when you’ve got to think up your own routine.
After I left university, I took a job in international marketing. In my new job, nobody needed me to speak any other language than English. I still loved languages, and maintained my level in French after begging my employer to let me attend classes…but I was entirely dependent on those classes.
One day, a local teacher I knew decided to offer a single Polish class. I attended, loved what I learnt. The class never picked up enough students to become a course, and it was cancelled. So I decided I was going to “learn Polish” by myself. Simple!
That Polish class was in 2007, 10 years ago today. I consider it my first attempt at learning a language by myself. And I totally failed. I can’t say much more than “czesz, nie mowie po polsku” (and that means “hi, I don’t speak Polish”).
I can’t say it any other way: I was a bad language learner. My Polish project ended the way so many other people’s attempts end: I ran out of motivation and ideas after a few months. I didn’t know where to look for good materials. The language just fell off my radar.
If You Gave Up Before, You Haven’t Failed
At this point in language learning, many people feel that they have failed, or have “no aptitude for language learning”. But sadly, I already knew lots of languages. Aptitude wasn’t the problem. There must be something else I don’t know.
I didn’t really try another new language for a few years after that. I was interested, but had no need to learn…until my job started sending me to Kazakhstan: a country where English wasn’t the norm.
In Kazakhstan, I was surrounded by Cyrillic script and unusual sounds, and I totally wanted to talk to people. The radio, the maps, the street signs: Everything was in Russian (and Kazakh!). I felt like I just had to talk to more people in Russian.
So I did what I had not done for years: I started from absolute zero and I finally figured out “how to learn a language”.
Russian From Zero
Starting small was what mattered the most at this point. I didn’t need to be perfect, and I had to shake off any ideas about where I “should” be with my new languages. I bought the simplest, most encouraging book I could find: Russian in 10 minutes a day. And with this book, I found my first techniques of self-learning.
There were lots resources to play with: visual, aural and even kinaesthetic learning. There were even stickers and flashcards and role play ideas, giving me the kickstart I needed to feel entitled to discover my own style.
And slowly, I continued on my path and started learning the language. I didn’t get lost, and I didn’t “give up”. Instead, I developed language learning routines that put me head and shoulders above most friends I knew who studied in evening classes.
Learn How to Learn Languages With Ease
If you want to reap all those benefits of language learning that I mentioned at the start of this article, it’s important to learn how to learn. At some point, any group class will end and leave you with a cliff edge. The following tips will help you take things easy while growing your self-teaching skills.
Tip 1: Make it Just 10 Minutes a Day
Let’s not kid ourselves here: 10 minutes every day is not enough for you to learn a language “fluently” in under 2 years.
But what matters here is not how little you plan to study. This one is all about overcoming your internal resistance. If you feel like you have to study for 2 hours “or it won’t count”, you’re on your way to giving up too early. Instead, aim for the smallest possible effort, and make it consistent.
You’ll soon find yourself starting a 10-minute session that turns into an hour-long one.
If you want to get ahead in your language and build a simple language learning routine, try the Language Habit Tracker included in the Language Habit Toolkit. Simple system, monthly reviews, and you no longer have to worry about what counts.
Tip 2: Play
The best thing that happened to me when I started self-teaching languages was the flexibility that came with the “10 Minutes a Day” book. I had so many options: flashcards, images, role plays, stickers.
You will learn better when you break through your own limitations and shake up the routine every now and then.
Play around, dabble, try a new language or a new book, discard what you don’t need. It’s good to try out what experts recommend, but never feel like someone else’s path is the only way to do this.
The line here is this: If it’s not working for YOU, then it doesn’t work.
When you’ve played for a few weeks, use something like the “Your Month in Review” worksheet from the Language Habit Toolkit to find exactly what works for you and what you can safely discard.
Tip 3: Continue.
Looking back, persistence was one of the most significant actions on my way to becoming the multilingual person I am today. Had I stopped after that cliff edge of classes and exams, I would be on my way to average, knowing very little and regretting how much I have forgotten.
But if you continue on your language learning journey and make persistence one of your core values, you’ll never go wrong. You can forget a lot of what you learnt, but you cannot really go backwards!
It took me a while to hone these self-study skills, and nothing helps more than a good tracking routine. If you want to find out how to plan, track, and optimise your routine, check out the Language Habit Toolkit.
Do you love self-learning a language? How long have you been at it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Can't Get Into Language Learning At 5AM? Here's Another Way
Today I have a guest post from Kirsty Major who's both a learner and teacher. If you've been rolling your eyes at ideas of all-nighters and miracle mornings for language learning, her post will give you the perfect solution to that problem. Over to you, Kirsty!
The alarm sounded 2 hours before I was due to get up. I resented its intrusion into my sleep and grumpily turned it off. No, this was not going to work. I'd heard of people having great success with early morning language learning, but on this cold, winter morning five years ago, I knew that it wasn't going to work for me. You see, I hate mornings! I can't have meaningful conversations until at least the third cup of coffee and I know from experience that this isn't the best time for my brain to absorb knowledge. I could do it at midnight, or later, but not first thing in the morning! I'm a night owl.
I'm interested in language learning because I teach English to adults online. I've been learning German since I was at school and, although it's taking a back-seat at the moment, I'm also learning Turkish.
When's The Right Time of Day to Learn a Language?
I honestly believe that there is no definite answer to this. The right time for you to learn depends on the type of person you are, whether you're an early morning lark or a night owl. The other responsibilities you have throughout your day also play a big role in taking that decision.
Some people love to be up early when nobody else is around. They can fit in their language learning when the house is quiet and nobody else is awake. If they get up early, they can learn at a time when their mind is fresh, rather than struggling to keep their eyes open after a long day at work.
Other people like to work at the other end of the day. I'm definitely one of those people!
Unlock More Time In Your Day For Productive Language Learning
There are plenty of langauge learning activities that you can do on your commute or during your lunch break. It doesn't have to take long, but it means that if you're prepared, you can put that 10 or 15 minutes of spare time to good use.
I work for myself now and have much more freedom in terms of organising my day. But back when I had a full-time job, I used to work long hours and spend a long time commuting in and out of London. Let me tell you what I did to fit language learning into my day, so that it wasn't left until last thing at night.
I've also picked up some tips from my customers who are learning English. The biggest problem that some of them have is that they're really motivated, but they have really busy schedules and need to find the time to squeeze in the language practice.
1. Take Your Phone With You
Phones can be used in so many different ways to help with your language learning. The good thing about using your phone is that it's always with you and it doesn't take up room in your bag in the same way that a bulky book would.
Some of my customers have a long list of apps that they use for language learning. Some help them remember new vocabulary, others are to find language tandem partners and chat with native speakers. The point is that they're easily accessible and you can do some language practice even if you only have 10 minutes while you're waiting for the bus, or a bit of time during your lunch break.
If you have a tandem partner who's waiting for your answer, you have a higher sense of urgency or motivation than if you had a vague idea about needing to learn a few more words.
There are plenty of language app reviews online, and I'm not going to go into too much detail here (find Fluent's review section here - ed.). When it comes to my own language learning, I am more likely to use the native or standard apps to learn languages.
Here are some examples:
A Podcast app – to listen to podcasts in German and Turkish. Some of them are specifically for language learners, others are just about things that I find interesting. If you want help choosing an app and learning how to download podcasts, check out this article here on Fluent.
Facebook and Twitter – to keep up-to-date with news in my target languages and to talk to my language partners.
Skype, Viber and Facetime – for having realtime conversations with your language partners.
A radio app such as TuneIn – so that you can listen to live radio broadcasts in the language that you want to learn.
Audible – for streaming audio books.
The native news app on iPhone, the BBC news app, or another news app of your choice – more useful for people who are learning English if the app only supports English content, but you can subscribe to particular publications or add areas of interest.
The Music app – for playing my German and Turkish music. Trying to understand the lyrics is a great way to learn new words. Also, if you listen to the tracks again and again, you are more likely to remember the words.
Some of these apps are only useful if you have a good data plan or free wifi. Try checking if your provider offers free hotspots, or pop to a free wifi café. Even if you are using your normal data plan, podcasts can be downloaded at home. This means you don't have to stream them, and the Facebook and Twitter apps aren't too hungry for data.
2. Go For a Walk
It's easy to spend your lunch break stuck at your desk, particularly if you have a lot to do. Whilst you may not want to go for a walk in the rain or snow, a walk on a nice da can really help you to clear your head and come back to your desk feeling refreshed.
Some of my customers like to listen to podcasts when they're cycling or walking. I don't like to wear headphones when I'm walking because I feel it cuts me off from the rest of the world, but I often used to go to a nearby park so that I could read my German books or listen to podcasts and eat my lunch away from the distractions of the office.
3. Are There Any Language Exchange Partners Nearby?
To be honest, this was usually something that I did after work, so there was no need to rush back. However, a couple of times I found out that one of my German or Turkish friends was going to be in the area, and I would meet for lunch or a quick coffee with them in my break.
This was an enjoyable way to meet email contacts face to face and to get in some language practice. These opportunities need to be organised, so it's good to be present on forums where language learners in your area spend time. For me, as someone who does a lot of online socialising, meeting people face-to-face added great variety to my language programme.
4. Find a Good Book
It doesn't matter whether you like reading traditional paperbacks, books on your e-reader, or audiobooks. Try to have a book with you in the language that you want to learn.
One of my customers likes to read English books on the bus. She reads them on her Kindle and can quickly look up new words in the built-in dictionary.
If you don't know what to read, ask some native speakers for recommendations. Just make sure that it's the kind of book that you would be likely to read and enjoy in your own language, and make sure that the language level is right for you. If it's too hard, it'll feel like a chore and you won't want to pick the book up. If it's too easy, you might enjoy it, but you won't learn very much.
5. Build Your Vocabulary
There are so many ways in which you can do this, such as using an app to test yourself or creating your own lists of new words. One of my students carries a set of flash cards around with her because she says she spends long enough staring at her computer and her phone. I have a spreadsheet with new words, example sentences translations and a filter for whether I've learned them.
As with choosing the right time of day, I believe you have to find what works for you in terms of learning new words. Try out a few systems and decide which one works best for you. Then incorporate that into your day. For a deeper examination of the best methods for learning new vocabulary, check out Kerstin's book The Vocab Cookbook.
Planning is Key. Don't just hope that you'll find time some time in the evening. The one thing that applies to everyone is that the best way to keep words in your long-term memory is to use them, so try and create opportunities to do that as well.
6. You Could Even Have a Lesson!
The idea is not as crazy as it may sound. A number of my customers use their lunch break for an English lesson when they are working from home. Sometimes, I used to meet my Turkish teacher in a nearby café for a lesson at lunch time. We did conversation practice whilst we were eating, then ordered coffee and saved any reading or writing activities for later in the lesson. It helped me pick up Turkish quicker and more easily.
Take Action In Your Lunchbreak
These are just a few ideas about how you can improve your language skills on your way to work or during your lunch break. I'm sure you can think of more.
If you try to do them all at once, it will soon feel overwhelming and you'll probably want to give up! I don't mean that you should use every break for these activities – you no doubt have plenty of other things that you need to do.
However, why not pick out one or two of the ideas and try to fit them into your daily routine? I've found that I make more progress when I fit language learning into what I'm already doing, than if I only work on it during times that I've tried to set aside for it.
I'd love to hear how you get on! Let us know in the comments what you've tried and how well it has worked for you.
About Kirsty
Kirsty Major provides online training and support for adults who want to improve their English, and feel confident about using their language skills to communicate in everyday situations. Her main focus is on business English and she also speaks German. You can check out Kirsty's classes at English with Kirsty and she's a fellow podcaster too.
Podcast Episode 32: Discover Your Language Learning Tendencies
Brought to you by Lindsay's course Successful Self Study - save $20 with offer code FLUENT.
This episode is about habits and how we build and create them. Listen to find out what our tendencies are and how we use them to make our language routines.
What motivates you to do things?
What motivates you to keep going?
Do you set yourself goals and always meet them? Or do you hate goals?
Are you likely to spend weeks just looking for the perfect textbook before you start?
Or are goals only meaningful when others set them for you?
Or do you only set them when they make sense?
So many questions! And in this podcast, we promise you some proper answers.
DO THIS:
In the episode, we dove deep into the Four Tendencies Framework developed by Gretchen Rubin, which is all about how you motivate yourself to keep going and to do things.
Take this quiz before or during the show to get the most out of it. Can't wait to read about your results!
Finding Your Language Learning Style
How can you use your tendency for language learning?
What is the best ever way of researching language learning methods?
Which tendency is perfect for the ultimate self-guided language learner?
Do some tendencies profit more from classes and masterminds than others?
LINKS AND RESOURCES FROM THIS SHOW
Successful Self Study with Lindsay - save $20 with offer code FLUENT.
Happier Podcast
QUIZ: What's Your Tendency?
Kris Broholm getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning
Terrifying Little Girl with a Clown
Big TV Show Library from Episode 31
Parkrun
TAKEAWAY OF THE WEEK
Try and be aware of the four tendencies and look for how they influence you, but also people around you.
We Want To Hear From You!!
Please comment or tweet us (#cllp, and we're @kerstinhammes and @ldlanguages) and tell us what your tendencies are.
Do you think your tendency influences how you learn a language?
Do you have ideas for how you can work with the tendency?
Teach Yourself a Language Quicker & More Cheaply With This New Online Course
Quick Newsflash before you dive into this in-depth review. The course in question is currently in pre-launch until Jan 31st. This means pre-order it now and you'll get the best possible price. So if you like what you hear, don't hesitate to join Successful Self-Study today and save yourself some cash..
Hi everyone, and strap yourselves in for today's review post all about a new course released by Lindsay from Lindsay does Languages. The course is called Successful Self Study, and it's all about every single step you need to follow for teaching yourself a language.
If you're a solo language learner hoping to meet an ambitious goal this year, read on to discover how Successful Self Study makes language learning easier.
About Lindsay in General
You'll already know that Lindsay is my co-host on the Creative Language Learning Podcast. Lindsay is British, but she's one of the language-craziest people I know. She has studied over 8 foreign languages,.
Last year, she completed a self-directed university degree at the Open University. This means the end of 6 years doing a distance-learning course - the pinnacle of self study! And at the end of those 6 years, Lindsay has mastered a skill that so many of us struggle with: how to focus on your language studies and make real progress.
So before I go any further, let's go full disclosure: I have a lot of time for this person, and I believe she's totally trustworthy when it comes to language learning.
Lindsay has created the new course Successful Self Study, and allowed me a Sneak Preview so I can review it for you today.
The TL;DR Version: 7 Things You Need to Know
This course is perfect if you're trying to learn a language by yourself and you struggle with
Having no time to study
Getting distracted all the time
Loneliness
Lacking the commitment to your studies
Feeling like you're stuck
Over-researching and reading too many "guides to language mastery"
It's great value when you add up 60 videos + guides + the most incredible workbook I've ever seen + a private online community + downloadable bonuses
The thing is this: If you're learning a language by yourself, this is going to save you so much money and time in the long run that it would be ridiculous to mess around on Facebook's "Polyglot Procrastination" forums any longer
I liked the course structure and found that the approach throughout is totally about the practice - this is designed to make you do stuff!
It contains 3 amazing webinars, including my excellent goal-setting class with Lindsay that we held right at the start of the new year
That workbook really is the BEST language learning book I've ever seen, and I wish I could go into a book shop and buy a printed version. Do yourself a favour and download it today
Overall rating: 4.5/5
If you're ready to find out more and see the full curriculum, head over to Lindsay's site and watch the first video.
If you want to know more about what's inside Successful Self Study, let's have a look together.
The Look and Experience
This course is a combination of videos, workbooks, audio, and some extra downloads. It's hosted on the Teachable platform, which I can only applaud as this is what I chose as your best experience for the Fluent courses, too. The video selection is 50% Lindsay's friendly vlogging style and 50% screencast videos which demonstrate how different apps work.
The audio sections are going to be downloadable so you can listen and learn on the go (I haven't heard these yet, but they are announced for the release date.)
What's Inside The Course?
This course is divided into three main section, prefaced by a cute little introduction featuring Lindsay's own story as your instructor.
Section 1: Study Skills
The first section of the course is a short tour of the best practice in studying a foreign language by yourself.
The topic breaks down into aspects like motivation, productivity and how to build a language learning habit for the long haul. This section is what you think you already know, until you find yourself googling "how to speak a language tips" because you actually don't. Nice and useful to have it all in one place, and Lindsay definitely speaks from experience.
There's a definite focus on developing a routine, and it's just perfect for you if you're someone who needs to make every minute count. She's thought of every possible question: motivation, time management, confidence, productivity. It's like a secret library of self study shortcuts.
The course section can be kind of intense if you apply it all in one go, so remember that you have lifetime access and take it step by step. But you know...if we all wanted an easy hobby, we'd be Netflixing and not learning languages.
Section 2: Language Skills
Okay, this is a strange one for me but I bet you're going to like it lots. The second part of Successful Self Study is all about getting into learning a language (not just anything). It's structured perfectly featuring the 4 core skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) together with vocabulary and grammar. Exactly how I would do it!
Lindsay is super practical She doesn't waste too much time telling you why each aspect matters, instead the approach here is this:
If we know we gotta do this thing, how can be make it the easiest thing ever?
As a result, it's motivating and very actionable. Within just a few minutes of watching these videos, I promise you're going to be excited to try out new tools and jump deeply into your new language.
She recommends the best possible tools for every aspect, so that you can come away with a roadmap for learning vocabulary, grammar, and every important language skill you need for fluency.
Section 2 is my favourite because it's the most "language-nerdy". I like background and research about what works for us from a scientific or social perspective. This isn't covered in the videos, but easily accessible with links to Lindsay's best articles around the web.
Section 3: Tech Training
The list of tech training resources is excellent - overall she's demonstrating 11 different websites, apps and tools. None of them costs any money at all, so this is like the ticket to the biggest free online playground you've ever seen. You're guaranteed to find something new to try - my favourites were Periscope and italki.
Some of these videos felt pretty basic and could be a little shorter. Things like joining Facebook groups seem obvious, and many of you have done this already. Having said that, remember that I'm pretty tech-savvy, I write a blog and it's my job to know this stuff.
I don't think as a learner you need to become hung up on the two videos about the tool you already knew. Use this section in line with your own priorities, and you'll have saved yourself a likely 300 hours of googling over the next year.
The key is that you don't just find it, but you do something with it. And the way Lindsay builds in this accountability is absolutely fantastic - let me tell you more!
Now THIS Is Going To Double Your Productivity
The absolute key to a course with so much content is to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Lindsay doesn't tell you when, how, or for how long you should work on this.
But this doesn't mean that you're left alone. Quite the contrary!
The course structure and delivery are solid, and Lindsay concludes every single lecture with an actionable exercise - you don't get to be passive. As a fellow online teacher, I rate this a very good thing.
The one thing you have GOT to do right after sitting down and clicking the purchase button (if you choose to) is download that amazing workbook.
It's an editable PDF. But that description does it no justice. Let me try and say it differently.
I Love This Self Study Workbook!!!!
This workbook is the single most awesome self study language learning resource I've ever seen. If you are one of the people who liked the 3-Week Planner in Fluency Made Achievable, you are going to faint with excitement at the sight of this thing.
I would really hate for super-keen learners to discover it halfway through the course. So do yourself a favour and listen to me here: You want to download this and have it by your side as the course companion, as it contains every planning worksheet, printout, notes section, EVERYTHING.
The one thing it was missing at the time I tested it was a table of contents to help you navigate through the book, but Lindsay has promised to add this in the next edition.
You can choose to have the workbook with you and make your notes on the computer, or to print it out. In fact, send the PDF to my local printer and have it bound. The workbook is just really, really good.
Bonuses
The bonus section contains starter credit for italki and HelloTalk plus four webinars with a bunch of experienced and knowledgeable guests (spot me and my super-cool hoodie) on topics like goal-setting and maintaining motivation.
Conclusion
Yep, we've got to a conclusion stage at the end of this super-detailed review.
Successful Self Study ratings:
For structure and engagement (workbook!), it's 5/5.
For video quality, it's 5/5.
The tech training is a 3/5 in my book, because I would skip a lot of it.
For the results you can expect from taking this course, it's 5/5 because if you do the work, it is guaranteed to
help you learn a language quickly
teach you that discipline so you don't feel overwhelmed and busy
boost your confidence so you actually start speaking within a few weeks
save you money - with all the tools, a new langauge can be studied very cheaply.
Overall rating: 4.5/5 - highly recommended for anyone new to studying by themselves or struggling because life is busy. So that's all of us then.
How to Get Started
Click here join Lindsay's Course Successful Self Study today.
That's an affiliate link so you'll support the Fluent blog without paying anything extra - yay and thank you.
In fact, I want to thank you specifically so for anyone using the link above to purchase Successful Self Study, I'm throwing in a FREE audiobook of Fluency Made Achievable, my book about core skills.*
So you're getting
the world's most awesome workbook
tech training
6 language study videos
membership in a private online community of language learnears
bonus webinars
PDF guides to help you master language exchanges, YouTube & more
practical self study tutorials
my audiobook.
Compare that to $500 spent on Rosetta Stone, or at your local Goethe institute. WHOAH. Go for it.
Tell Me More!
Have you joined Successful Self Study? How did you find it? I'd love to hear what you thought in the comments below.
*This offer's good throughout 2016.
Taming the Dragon: My 3-Month Welsh Language Learning Update
Welcome to my first progress report on my own language study. It's pretty comprehensive and longer than my usual blog articles, so I figured we'll just jump in!
First of all, let me give you a quick impression of how the past 3 months have gone:
I've been spending 1-3 hours per week on my Welsh studies, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less
I've been combining a good bunch of resources and several people who talked to me in Welsh
I'm feeling really positive about my progress and where I'm headed
3 Month Progress
One of the best ways of tracking my language learning progress is blogging about it, which is probably the only way that I know how long I've been at this.
So here's where I'm at: I didn't seriously start learning Welsh until I returned from honeymoon in September. So that makes it about 3 months of study, the often-cited time it takes to build a habit. And I'm shocked at how much progress I have made.
Here is an in-depth update of exactly what has been going on, and how I'm feeling about my 4 core skills.
Understanding Welsh
Understanding groups listening and reading, and I feel significant progress particularly in understanding spoken Welsh. Don't get me wrong. I've still got absolutely no clue what is going on when people talk at normal speed, or when I'm watching TV in Welsh.
But I've been repeating my input and training myself to pick out the words that I do know, and it's made a big difference.
For example:
I am beginning to anticipate Welsh words based on the English subtitles in TV shows or on Youtube (if you want to know which shows I like, listen to podcast episode 31)
Understanding and spotting patterns that occur regularly in Welsh is becoming easier as well, which means I'm now able to know where sentences start and end, and if they're in future, past, or present tense
In the coming months, I would love to be able to understand more social media posts in Welsh. Lucky for me, most Welsh speakers are bilingual (Welsh/English) and post in both languages.
The progress goal here will be to recognise and know more nouns and patterns, which I can study just by tracking what I look up in the dictionary.
Speaking Welsh
I've called this section "speaking", but I actually mean producing language in both speaking and writing. Here again, I feel like my progress has been awesome.
I'm absolutely ready to speak Welsh at any time. Sure, it will be terrible Welsh. It will be full of mistakes, and I'll last about 20 seconds without an English word.
But none of that matters. It isn't about the quality of my speaking. It's about doing it over and over again, little and often.
2 weeks ago, we went out for drinks with some new people. One of them turns out to be Welsh and we started talking. I wasn't Shakespeare, but I managed to ask her if she wants a drink, talk about my studies and a little bit about where I'm from. Respectable progress for 3 months of slow burn study!
In the coming months, my next goal is that I'd like to speak Welsh on the phone. Calling up a B&B or a language school with an enquiry is a simple enough task, but it has instant feedback in case I can't get my words out.
Here's How I've Been Studying My Language
Community Class
I went to a class called Clwb Siârad in Preston, where I met a great mix of native speakers and language learners. The most amazing thing about Welsh Club is the fact that they're "offline polyglots" - a large group of language lovers in my county that I never knew about. The Welsh learners were speaking and learning more than just Welsh, so that our lesson ended up featuring 6 languages altogether.
1-to-1 Tuition
Working with a 1-to-1 tutor is a huge benefit to my speaking skills! I've not been able to commit to weekly lessons, but decided not to let that stop me. Instead, I book a session with Mererid around once a month to top up and consolidate what I've been working on.
I learn something new in every tutoring session, and always come away feeling inspired and positive.
Say Something in Welsh podcast
This podcast is currently my main speaking resource, and prompts the listener to speak continuously and right from the start. I worked with this concept before when I tried Michel Thomas, but this system of focusing entirely on patterns is easier to follow and more effective in my mind.
Main downside: I've got to find vocabulary resources for words somewhere else, meaning it trains patterns and structure way before it adds many words.
Believe it or not, Instagram is a regular place for me to get just a little bit of Welsh language and practice what I'm doing. I've started giving every post a level of "added" Welsh by talking about the photo in both English and Welsh. The kind community of Instagram users out there (especially #iglc folks) has been great at helping me with corrections.
In the coming months, I also want to add the Cwrs Mynediad book, which I downloaded as a £5 app for my iphone. And of course, there's that Duolingo thing which has now got the Welsh language. I am not a big Duolingo fan, but happy to give it a try.
A Problem I Need to Solve: No Study Corner
When I'm at my laptop, my mind switches into work mode and language learning is more difficult (priming affects how we learn languages). I can tell I'm more engaged and make better progress when I am studying differently, on the couch or the stairs.
This explains why building my Memrise course and watching the BBC videos has fallen behind - both of those only work on a desktop AFAIK.
In the next month, I want to find a study corner in my house. It won't be easy, because my house is pretty tiny, but with some creativity I think the Welsh corner is going to be a great resource.
All in All: A Feeling of Ease
Welsh is the first language that I am truly teaching myself, without attending any regular group classes. It's also the most modern self-taught process I've ever used, because most of my first languages were studied in school in the 90s when mobile phones looked like this:
I'm wondering what exactly is different between this language and Russian, my previous experiment. Russian had the added difficulty of Cyrillic, so it was slightly less accessible. I also didn't feel the same level of curiosity in the end - Wales and Welsh are more exciting to me right now, and that is an entirely personal thing.
And ultimately, the materials and speakers I've worked with are just so supportive and welcoming. They are what's made my studies feel easy, and I think a feeling of ease is the key to keeping going.
Overall, I feel like things are going well. I have regular success moments, even tiny things like completing an episode of my study podcast. Those are the key to keeping going, because I never feel like I'm stuck.
Saying I'm feeling ease does not mean I'm actually "good at Welsh" yet. It just means that I'm feeling progress without frustration. But ultimately, my goals and results belong to me and this is exactly the result I am happy with.
Book to Try: Fluency Made Achievable
If you're learning a language and you haven't read my book Fluency Made Achievable yet, check it out today. Fluency Made Achievable is my guide to what it takes to learn a language and do what's necessary for achieving that feeling of ease and fluency.
It goes into depth about those 4 core skills and helps you understand why they matter and how you can create easy routines for yourself in language learning.
And now that I'm learning a new language again, I can tell even more just how useful it is to get your practice right and I want you to benefit from the same insights.
If you do own the book already, let me know how you used it in your own learning routine in the comments below!
And of course, please share your thoughts and updates on YOUR language learning routines. In other words, I invite you to comment on this post and tell me more about your own studies. I love hearing what you're up to!