Hi everyone! Today's video is a little bit different than usual because I have a special invitation for you.
I'm starting a 30-day language challenge and I want you to join me.
Before I tell you about the challenge I've set for myself and how you can get on on the fun
I want to encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, because that's
where I'll be posting updates about my progress and motivational videos
for you throughout the month, in addition to our other great language learning content.
Why a 30-day challenge?
There are lots of reasons why 30 day challenges are beneficial for language learners.
We've already told you about a lot of them in some of our other videos on the channel
so I'll just give you a quick recap.
Challenges in general are good for motivation, especially if you make your intentions public.
Posting about it on your Facebook page for your family and friends to see
or, in my case, making a video for the whole world to see
helps you hold yourself accountable through the ups and downs that you're sure to experience.
A 30-day challenge also forces you to break down your goals into tasks that you can actually achieve.
Along those same lines, 30 days isn't too long but it isn't too short either.
Keeping up with the challenge for just 30 days doesn't feel impossible
but it's also long enough to see real results that will keep you motivated way past the 30 day mark
since you can easily measure your progress from start to finish.
In fact, 30 days seems to be the golden number when it comes to forming habits.
If you can successfully complete an action or task 30 days in a row
chances are good that it will become an automatic behavior.
And the last benefit I want to point out is that 30-day challenges incorporate another super useful learning hack:
the chain technique!
I'll talk more about that at the end of the video when I explain how you can join in.
Why I'm doing a 30-day challenge
Now for a little background on my language situation
and the reason why I wanted to take on this 30-day challenge.
I've been learning Spanish on and off for a little while now.
Practicing my MosaLingua flashcards, reading some very simple short stories
and listening to my favorite Spanish podcast for beginners while I do my chores.
But I've really been avoiding one major aspect of language learning: speaking!
I'm an introvert, so even in English I'm not a very chatty person.
And unfortunately my speaking skills in the foreign languages I'm learning suffer because of it.
I've done 30-day challenges before for vocabulary, so I know that they can be really powerful.
How my 30-day challenge will work
First, it's important to set my big picture goal, based on my needs and my level.
I'm a beginner and I want to work on my speaking skills, so I've decided that at the end of the 30 days
I want to be able to hold a very basic conversation in Spanish.
In addition to posting this video about it, I've made my commitment public
by scheduling a short conversation in Spanish with my colleague,
one of MosaLingua's amazing Spanish teachers,
so I know exactly what I need to work toward.
If it goes well, it should give me the confidence I need to go out and meet
other conversation partners from around the world.
I've also set a schedule for myself with one new activity to complete each week.
Vocab is going to be key, so I plan to learn 5 new flashcards a day
in addition to my normal review session.
Now, since I have a specific goal, they shouldn't be random words and phrases.
So I've added about 75 words to my MosaLingua learning stack
that I think I'll definitely need to know for an introductory conversation.
Things like: "I am an English teacher" or "I like to read and cook in my free time."
That's my plan for the first week.
Each week, I'll check in with a short vlog to let you know how I'm doing
and what activity I am adding for the week.
But it would be even better if you joined in.
How you can participate
If you want to participate, comment on this video to let me know!
Remember when I mentioned the chain technique?
Well, basically you get a calendar,
set a daily goal and make a big X or smiley face over every day that you complete your goal.
Soon, you'll start to see a nice chain forming
and you'll be super motivated to keep completing your goals so that you don't break it.
I posted my 30-day schedule with the tasks I want to complete each day
so if you want to do the same challenge as me you can just print that out
and hang it up somewhere you're sure to see it every day.
I think a lot of you will be in the same boat as me
but if you're at a different level or have identified a different skill that you really need to work on
feel free to set a different goal.
And, of course, if you're learning a different language, that's totally fine too.
You're more than welcome to adapt this challenge to your own circumstances.
We also have a blank template for you to use if you want to customize your schedule.
Don't forget that I'm here to give you a framework for your challenge
and to make you feel a little less alone.
And I hope that we can all encourage each other and cheer each other on as we go.
I hope that lots of you will take on this challenge with me so I'm looking forward to reading your comments.
Talk to you again soon!
If you learned something new from this video, give it a thumbs up.
Then, hit subscribe and turn on your notifications.
Have a look around our channel for more hacks and tips.
And if you're watching on another social media platform, like or follow our page.
See you next time!