Unmotivated? 4 Hacks To Get Your Juices Flowing in Language Learning

Summary: Language learning is a long process. It’s normal that we will not always be motivated to sit down and study. At times, we just need to take a break. But other times, our resistance boils down to two simple things – we’re either not in the mood or our inhibition to start is too high. The good news is: There are some hacks that help us get over that.

Let me tell You something I’m currently learning:

I’m a translator, and lately, I’m a pretty busy bee (yey, goodbye summer slump!). My schedule is packed with documents, contracts and website texts to be converted, twisted, and puzzled together into a not awkward-sounding German piece of text.

After work, the last place my mind wants to go is towards more words. But some of the things I love, such as language learning and reading, are really all about words.

Which sucks, because having hobbies is important.

So, recently, I was having one of those days where I just could not concentrate on a single word of my translation anymore. I was exhausted, and the thing I instinctively wanted to do was to lay on in couch and scroll through social media. But that day, I thought: Come on, not today! So I decided to take a breath and a cup of tea, grabbed a book, headed to the park, sat on a bench and just began reading.

And guess what?

I suddenly turned laser-focused on what I was reading. I ended up sitting on that bench for an hour and read and read and read with ease.

The thing was not that my mind was incapable of focusing. It was maybe just bored by the stuff it was dealing with during the day and needed to be fed something more exciting.

So, this is what I’m learning from this:

Our brain sometimes doesn’t know that something will bring us joy – or even what we’re capable of! – until we engage with that thing.

Let’s take showering as an example. Who’s thrilled about unwrapping their warm and safe blanket cocoon on a Sunday morning to step out into a cold apartment and have their bodies touched by – uuughh – water? Pretty much nobody. But when you do shower, you kind of also don’t regret it.

Our brain always gravitates towards comfort – but sometimes, being a little uncomfortable and heading to the park, sitting down to study or taking a shower can really lead us to activities we really enjoy – even if our brain tells us not to.

But I get it: This fact alone is not going to change your attitude towards motivation forever and all times. However, what we can do is this: Lowering the inhibition by getting into the mood.

Here are 4 ways you can do so for language learning.

1. Use Pinterest

The resistance to open a textbook and study some grammar is big. The resistance to open Pinterest and look at some photos isn’t.

Actually, Pinterest is a great tool to warm up your brain cells up to get into the mood for language learning: Simply type in “Learning Spanish”, or whatever you’re learning. Seeing inspiring images makes you visualize yourself traveling through Spain or South America, eating tapas while a guy is playing flamenco music on his guitar in the background. Seeing those pictures makes your adrenaline rush through your veins. It reminds you of your why, which makes your how easier.

So my Pro Tip is: Before having a study session, scroll through Pinterest for only 5 minutes.

2. Create Visuals

If you’re a creative person like me, you enjoy organizing things visually.

You hate blank word documents or even – god forbid – excel tables. But something sits up in you when you see nicely presented things.

Canva is a tool I use for my social media. But recently, I also started using it to create visuals for language learning. I use it to organize my vocabulary, categorize it, create some order in the pile of words in my head.

If you don’t have Canva, use PowerPoint or anything else that allows you to work visually. Sometimes, just changing the way in which we do some task can really change how we feel about it.

Here’s an example of some visual material I’m currently creating for my upcoming writing community:

3. Start a New Language

Progress is less tangible if you’re learning a language at an intermediate or even advanced level, and that’s where we feel stuck.

That actually happened to me with Serbian lately. Studying Serbian at an advanced level just doesn’t give me that same instant satisfaction as in the beginning.

So, I tried to recreate that beginner’s euphoria and downloaded Busuu to dabble some Russian. And you know what happened to me?

I struggled to memorize words and put together sentences, and the first thing that always came to my mind was Serbian. It reminded me of my beginnings of Serbian, where I would also struggle to form sentences, and Spanish words would pop up all the time. Realizing that Serbian has turned from something once so difficult to my go-to-language made me proud. It gave me a new point of reference of my level, a new boost of motivation to keep on studying!

So, I know that the fastest way of advancing in a new language is to focus on one language a time – but sometimes, it takes a little derail for energy boost to get back on track.

4. Get a Beautiful Notebook and A Pen

Hey you creative person – do you also have a fetish for stationary?

For me, there’s something magical about buying a new notebook and writing in it with a nice pen. It’s like you’re honouring your thoughts, giving them a worthy place to reside in.

And if I’m working with something that, just by seeing it, makes me feel honoured, I’m glad to engage with it. Maybe it’s not a notebook for you, but a place. A playlist. Or a cup of tea.

Whatever it is – find something that connects you to the feeling of romance, worthiness, cozyness, adventure, and you will have one more reason to study languages!

 

... and a Final Thought

I just read Brianna Wiest’s Book 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, and one of the things that stayed with me is this:

There are 3 kinds of happiness. They’re like the primary colors, and we need of all them to thrive. If we only pursue one of them, we can never be completely fulfilled, because lots of red will never make blue.

  • The happiness of pleasure: This is the kind of happiness you get from sensory things, such as having a meal when you’re hungry.
  • The happiness of grace: This is the feeling of gratitude. Being grateful for your relationship, your accomplishments, the things you have in life.
  • And ultimately, the happiness of excellence: You find this kind of happiness in pursuing something great. Or as Brianna Wiest says it: “Not the moment you arrive at the top of the mountain, but the hike. It is meaningful work. It is flow. (…) The happiness of excellence is the highest ranking in Maslow’s hierarchy. It is measured, deliberate and consistent. It is often avoided because the discomfort is palpable, the reward isn’t instantaneous. There’s no contact high during the first days of marathon training when your lungs are stinting and you want to vomit. But over time, you develop your skill. You begin to imagine what you could accomplish. You fall in love with the process.”

    Have the last one in mind when you’re working on something great.

BY THE WAY!

A Language Profile

A plan to define your goals and needs and a roadmap with the steps that will take you there

Learning Material and Smart Tasks

  • Weekly learning material based on the group’s interests and adapted to different levels. Designed for an immersive learning experience using the power of stories.
  • Writing and speaking challenges matching the weekly texts and designed to address your vocabulary, grammar and conversation needs

Bonus Material

  • Bonus: Access to a 200-page grammar hub
  • A chat function to practice your everyday Spanish

Curios?

Visit Story and Language Lab for more information or sign up here to be the first the be notified once the community launches!