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.

Examine the past

Look into the crystal ball of your past to see where you might have gone wrong (or perhaps went right). What clues do you find there? If you made mistakes in language-learning, you don't want to repeat them if you decide to make a new attempt.

If you ever tried to learn another language and quit, why was that? What did you hate at the time? What put you off? What did you lack? Was your approach (or that of your teacher) wrong? In what way? Was the timing wrong, the setting, or your expectations?

Figure it out as best as you can. Then institute changes. You wouldn't want to repeat the same mistakes.

And if everything was wrong, then do everything the opposite! 

What can that hurt? You couldn't do any worse.

Try different things, and don't stop until you latch onto the correct formula.

Think of Edison and all of those light bulbs that he went through! 

Something happened to me when I was 15

In my 16th year, at school, something happened to my brain. I learned to learn. 

It was only a small change, I admit, but it brought about a huge change. Within a term I leaped effortlessly to the head of the class in those subjects that dealt largely with concepts—Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and to a certain extent Mathematics.

I figured out that all I had to do was listen. I would listen to the teacher with the aim of understanding what he was talking about. I asked questions until I did. And then I sat back, satisfied, and relaxed. That’s all I had to do, and it worked.

I never did anything else. I didn’t memorize information. I didn’t complete the exercises. I hardly did homework. I didn’t study, although if I was interested I might do a little reading around the topic.

Since then, this approach has always succeeded. The only times I’ve ever done poorly with my academic work was when I strayed from those principles and tried to learn via conventional methods. If I treated the subject ‘seriously’ and formally, then it wouldn’t go well. I’d stress out. I’d fail. I’d quit.

Now then, what if I was to use this approach with learning a new language? (At school I’d dropped Latin and French the previous year . . .)

Instead of trying to memorize rules and vocabulary, I would just notice patterns and see how the language worked. I’d expose myself to it in a light, wide and shallow way. I wouldn’t analyze, study or try to learn in any way. I’d just express interest.

Therefore, I wouldn’t feel the slightest strain. I wouldn’t put any pressure on myself.  I’d avoid all stress. It would be fun. It would be easy.

And I'd go to the top of the class again, I’m absolutely certain.

Identify (and avoid) your off-buttons

What do you personally dislike about learning a language? Work out what it is and avoid it.

Why do I suggest that?

The rationale for this is that there are countless way of acquiring another language. That being so, you may as well choose a method that doesn't rub your fur up the wrong way.

I mean, our goal is not to build moral fibre!

Avoid what you dislike. That way you are in less danger of quitting.

So if you have doing exercises, don't do them!
If grammar ain't your cup of tea, don't drink it!
If the thought of speaking to a native speaker makes you break out in a cold sweat, don't sweat it!
Just stay shtum.

Naturally, if you give into every impulse to flee, then you may need to be a little creative and inventive about filling in the gaps. But that's doable.

The main thing is to avoid those off-buttons.

There are always other ways and means.