language and motivation
“No pain no gain!”
Ever heard one of your teachers tell you that?
Learning a language has never been easier… so they say.
There are hundreds of courses, videos, and tips and tricks online. It can almost feel overwhelming! However, one thing that no amount of technology can fully make up for is PRACTICE.
Language learning is not just about accumulating knowledge, or learning all of the grammar by heart, but about practicing consistently, with exercises. Your tongue and your mouth consist of muscles, afterall. Exercising them will make language second nature for you, and turn you into a linguistic Schwarzenegger!
So, naturally…
Step one of our three steps to becoming a linguistic Schwarzenegger is REPEAT!
Okay, yes it can be difficult to practice things over and over again.
However, you can make things interesting yourself.
- Instead of just saying the words, why don’t you sing them? La la la…
- Write things down instead of saying them. Use your mind, try to write them into a poem, or a sentence, and you’ll activate your brain!
- Why not use words and phrases in real conversations? Call up a friend who speaks the language, and use your phrases. You’re guaranteed to remember after that, and if you don’t, they can remind you.
Step two is to focus on relevant content!
Most people learn languages for a reason. Having a goal is important. It will help you stay motivated, and help you keep going in those difficult moments – no pain no gain!
So, when you learn a language, you must use content that is relevant to you.
- There’s a hard way to learn, and an easy way to learn: If you learn with content you actually need to use, you’re going to build those muscles much faster. You’re much more likely to repeat something that you actually need to use in your everyday life, or your work.
- Practicing with relevant content can serve as a reminder of your goals, and keep you motivated!
This step is very important if you’re looking to complete a business English course.
…Thankfully, at Language and Motivation we understand this, and our teachers tailor our weekly exercises to our students’ professional needs, personal ambitions, and goals!
Last but not least, STEP THREE is… ?
Uhm, let us just check our notes, oh yes, you guessed it’s, REPEAT AGAIN!
The University professor that inspired Language & Motivation’s unique approach to language learning always used to tell his students – Repeat everything in front of a mirror ten times per day!
Ten times is surely more than enough, especially if you have to prepare a long speech or presentation. In fact, three times is not a bad number to aim for!
Like those songs that get stuck in our heads (we call them earworms, in English, if you were wondering), we learn them because we hear them again and again, or, better yet, we sing them!
- It’s a psychological fact that, if you repeat things over a period of time, you’re able to remember them easier, and for a longer period of time.
- When we repeat things, neurological connections are formed in our mind, and each time we repeat something, those connections become stronger!
Schwarzenegger became the world bodybuilding champion, but he will likely tell you that there is no secret to success, only consistency, repetition, determination, and hard work.
We often find that students who become familiarised with our method improve so quickly, they start to forget what a normal learning pace is, and worry that they aren’t improving fast enough!
However, moving from A1 to B1 in 3 months is no small feat! Patience is key.
We typically ask our students to take on 1.5 hour lessons, and between 3-6 hours of homework per week. That’s a good amount of work to get through in one week, and our students do learn quickly. Our courses are structured perfectly if you want to complete your English course online.
It’s a no brainer. If you’re learning a lot of information in a short space of time, let’s say, for example, you’re looking to study your level 3 English test for the purposes of studying, repetition and reinforcement are very important!
If you’re feeling motivated to learn, if you think you have what it takes to become an unstoppable linguistic Schwarzenegger, contact us now!
