Hi everyone, it's Abbe from MosaLingua.
Today I want to talk about a common problem that language learners face.
We tackle a lot of language learning issues on our channel,
so make sure you subscribe, turn on your notifications and check some of our other videos out.
Today's topic? Motivation.
It happens to the best of us.
We’re chugging along, making great progress toward our language learning goals,
and one day we wake up… and we’ve lost all motivation to practice language.
It's a scary feeling, but don't despair.
Take a deep breath, and then try one of these strategies to regain, and hold onto, your sense of motivation.
1. Start small.
You may have gotten too ambitious and overwhelmed,
a feeling that can really destroy your motivation.
If you can't muster the motivation to watch an entire foreign-language movie,
that's okay. Challenge yourself to do just five minutes of vocab review.
Even a few minutes of practice every day can be super beneficial in the long run!
As you start to see results, your motivation will probably come back on its own, and
you can gradually move back up to longer activities.
Next, break from your routine and try something new.
We talk a lot about how beneficial routines and habits are,
but sometimes all you need is a change of scenery to renew your interest and motivation.
If you usually review before bed, switch it up
and try reviewing your flashcards in the morning over coffee.
If you usually practice on the couch with foreign- language books and movies, get up and move!
Dance and sing to some popular music in your target language,
or take a podcast or audio book with you on your next walk or run.
We have some videos on our channel that explain
how to make the most of music, podcasts, and audiobooks for language learning.
I'll put some links in the description for you.
Or you can even try out a new language altogether!
Next up: take stock of your progress.
You might have lost motivation because you don't feel like you're making much progress,
or because your goals are a bit outdated.
Take this time to see how far you've come, because progress is always encouraging!
Check your stats in your MosaLingua app to see how many words and expressions you've learned.
Or, watch an episode of a TV show that you couldn't understand a few months ago
and see how much more you understand now.
No matter what your goals are, try to make them as concrete as possible so
that it will be easier to measure your progress from now on.
Next, renew your commitment to language learning.
You can also use this opportunity to remind yourself of your goals
or to set new ones.
Maybe you started learning a language for work,
but now you have a new job and you're more interested in being able to speak it for an upcoming vacation.
Maybe you started learning it for school,
so your goal was to pass your grammar tests,
but now you'd rather learn more practical skills and vocabulary.
You also might have just lost sight of your original goals.
Here are a few good ways to clear the path ahead of you and keep moving forward.
If you're a creative type, you can make a vision board with inspirational pictures and words
that you can look at anytime you need a dose of motivation.
Or, just write down a list of all the reasons you started learning the language in the first place.
You could also talk it out with someone who knows your situation.
You don't have to deal with these feelings alone.
It can be helpful to talk about the situation with someone who understands what you're going through.
Like I said, just about every language learner has been in your shoes at some point in their life.
Ideally, talk about it with your language partner,
someone who is a native speaker of your target language and who is learning your native language.
If you don't have a language partner yet,
you can head over to Facebook to look for groups of fellow learners, or check out
our article about the best websites for setting up a language exchange.
Or, post a comment on this video so that other learners and members of our team
can give you their tips and support.
And if you're really not feeling it, it's also
okay to take a break from language!
It's better to take a breather and wait until inspiration strikes again,
than to force yourself to do something you don't enjoy.
Language learning should be a pleasurable experience, not a chore.
So, if you're going through a rough period, know that I'm rooting for you!
And if you've overcome your own motivation issues, I want to hear about
how you did it! So share your experience in the comments section.
Take care and see you soon!
Before leaving you, I'd like to invite you to join our language community.
Tons of subscribers are already taking
advantage of the great tips and hacks that our team of language lovers shares.
So join us and start improving your language skills today. Just subscribe and
turn on your notifications. Happy learning!