Monitor your motivation

Motivation means different things to different people. 

It it sometimes used to mean mood (which varies from day to day). It is sometimes used to mean will-power. It may sometimes refer to energy level, or level of frustration. People may use it to refer to their underlying reason for learning a language.  People also use the word to refer to any tricks that they employ to overcome inner resistance (as in: “I must motivate myself!”).

So what do I mean by 'motivation'? 

All of the above? Some of them? None of them?

When I use the word motivation, I guess that I’m talking about that certain something that you always need to keep an eye on. 

Motivation for me is a longterm indicator. It may change over time, but fairly gradually. You have a sense of your own level of motivation, and you know that if it gets too low, you’re in danger of quitting.

Therefore, motivation needs to be monitored. Actually, it is itself a monitor. It’s like one those life-or-death instruments on the panel of an aircraft. 

So keep tabs on your motivation level. Plot it daily on a graph if you like—out of 10. If that line on the graph dips below five or six, then you have a problem. You're in danger of stalling.

If that happens, then you ought to lean back, catch your breath, and figure out what’s wrong. Ask yourself what you need to do.

Don’t PRESS ahead. Cut yourself some slack instead. Don’t risk getting into a spin. You're in this for the long haul.

Polyglots perpetuate a dysfunctional outlook

I don't know . . .

All these polyglots doing their thing in public view . . .

Spreading their mirth and enthusiasm about the place (YouTube, Twitter and the general blogosphere) . . .

I feel that they may very well be achieving the opposite effect of what they intend. I mean, how is the ordinary man in the street likely to interpret it? That one is supposed to be a nerd or hyper-effusive in order to learn another language. That would seem to be a real risk that they a running.

No, you don't need to go to town about learning a language or two. It's the most natural and normal thing in the world. No need to dress it up in fancy colors. No need to shovel that language 'medicine' down with a spoonful of sugar.

You don't need to window-dress up the whole business as if it needs to be sold, as if it is inherently boring, hard work, or distasteful in some way.

Motivation is a mug's game

I've labelled three previous posts with the label 'motivation'. I'm going to disagree with them here, or at least go off on a different tangent.

It was a post on The Mezzofanti Guild that got me thinking, eventually to to change my mind. Donovan Nagel writes a lot of sense, but I'm going to disagree with him (and with my previous self) on the issue of motivation.

If you feel the need for any form of motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, then I think that you've already lost.

By subscribing to the notion that it is necessary to be motivated to spend time on a language, then what you are saying, essentially, is that language learning is inherently not enjoyable. That it is work that you need to endure for a future pay-off.

I mean, you don't think of needing to motivate yourself to eat out at a restaurant, watch your favorite sport, or watch movie. (Well, not usually.)

Therefore, if motivation raises its head as an issue whenever you consider spending time on language learning then you're doing something wrong, it seems to me. You are going about it the wrong way.

Consider keeping a journal

It may help to document your language learning journey in a journal. If you’re the type of person who has ever kept a diary this may be for you.

Apart from the obvious function of acting as a log, whereby you tally your hours, a journal may fulfill several other purposes.

It can act as a motivation. If it’s a public one, then the subtle pressure of living up to your intentions could help to spur you on.

But it’s also a place to record your experiments. What worked; what didn’t? It can help you to discover any patterns to do with mood, plateaus, or progress etc.

You can record the interesting tips and tricks of other people as well as your own.

It can be an organizational centre—a mini-desk as it were.

Keeping a journal may be a keystone habit for you, ensuring that you always sit down at your desk at the same time of day for a few minutes. It can act as a reminder and lead on to achieving other goals.

It could be in the form of a notebook or a blog (which may be private or public.) Some people prefer a vlog. Talk to YouTube. A vlog will capture your speaking ability quite easily and effectively.

Awaken your inner nerd

This relates to what I wrote earlier about developing a passion. Here, the type of passion I’d like to home in on is the fascination that you could develop concerning an aspect of the culture whose language you wish to learn.

Heck, that might actually BE the reason that you chose your language in the first place. Consider the people who learned. . .

• Dutch so they could join a Dutch football team.
• Japanese because they love manga and anime
• French because of wanting to become a chef.
• Spanish or Portuguese who were mad about a certain singer.
• Hindi in order to learn how to play the sitar.
• Italian so that they could compete at cycle racing

(I’m assuming that there are such people!)