Let's be honest, 2020 was rough. Between a worldwide pandemic and the irrational throwes of an irrational American government on an election year... Made more extreme by the extreme rhetoric of a narcissistic and egotistical president and the now surfaced hordes of far right-wing nationalists... It's been rough. (If you're outside the US, I envy you for being able to watch from outside.) I'm not going to make this a big pity party for me though. All I will say is that the biggest thing this year has taught me is the importance of holding tight to what is dear to you, and also keeping in mind what is really important.
And that is a great segue into what I actually want to talk about... It's like I planned that transition... Because let's talk about what's important in Language Learning.
Why are you learning a foreign language? Despite what you might hear on Twitter and other places on the internet, there is no real wrong answer here. Your personal "why" will likely be different; either completely, or in shade from the language learner next door. Whether your "Why" is that you need to learn your target language for work, or because you have a passion for the culture your target language is spoken in, or simple undying curiosity, your "why" will drive you to keep going.
For me, the "Why" depends on which language I am talking about. For French, it's a mixture of passion for the culture, literature, and history of France, and the "I've come this far, why stop now?" thing. My progress in French had plateaued for a long while. at the start of 2020, it was fully on the back burner and I was studying Norwegian almost exclusively. Then in May or June, I was thinking about reading. The story of that is for a separate post, so all I will say here is that I found out my true reading level in French, and the books I have been reading at that level have pushed me past the plateau I was struggling with.
For Norwegian, my "Why" is two-fold. First, I want to learn Old-Norse. I am fascinated with Norse history and culture... And not even in an "I've watched 13th Warrior and the "Vikings" Shows"... Norse history is fascinating, rich, and mysterious. The Norse peoples influenced European culture and for most of the Medieval period; and everywhere from Paris to Ireland to Russia and Constantinople. Is Norse culture "the best"? No. No culture is better than another. That may seem a weird thing to say, but you don't have to research Norse language and history for long before you run into people with very problematic views about many things.
Additionally, my ancestry comes in large part from Denmark and Norway. I have relatives still in Norway, though distant ones. My father's family moved to the US in 1889 from Velfjord, Norway.
So the "Why" of your language journey is a really important thing. Let's talk now about your method.
The methods you use to learn your language are important for your journey. This is a topic I hear a lot of chatter about online. "What is the best way to learn?" "What is the most effective method for learning fast?" You'll see hordes of videos on Youtube about this, and hundreds of tweets per day arguing about which is the best method or app. My opinion is that it does not really matter. It does, but it doesn't. The best answer to these questions is... the best method for learning a language is the one you use. Whether it is Pimsleur, Michel Thomas, Duolingo, or some other learning system, the exact app or method, and its efficiency, is not as important as whether you will use it or not. Even the most effective method, with the biggest mountain of research to back up its efficacy, and millions of positive ratings, won't help you learn anything if you don't engage with it. That, for me, is the power of gamification. Apps like Duolingo allow for brief, casual engagements with your target language. Those brief encounters lead to a study habit. However, for others, gamification is annoying or seems to lack substance. Use the method that you will use. Duolingo, Pimsleur, Flashcards, Mass Immersion, rote memorization, whatever... Do what works for you.
For me, I divide my learning methods by language to help me keep them separate in my head. For French, I use literature, news, and speaking with native speakers to learn. For Norwegian, I use the apps. Duolingo, Drops, Memrise, and Bluebird. I also have an amazing book for Norwegian called "The Mystery of Nils", which I highly recommend.
So, we've talked about the why and the how. Let's talk about priorities.
One of the things I always dislike seeing is people who beat up on themselves up because they don't get their daily study done. I mean, it's a natural thing to feel and do. And some remorse and self-flagellation about a goal unmet can be healthy, but it's really easy to take it too far.
So here is how I feel about priorities. Your priorities are every-bit as personal as your "why". Everyone has different priorities because everyone is living a different life. Unless you're a famous language-learning Youtuber or someone whose life is made by producing language learning books, language learning is probably not the most vital aspect of your life. If you happen to be a person who makes a living off your language learning, I tip my hat to you, this section is not for you.
For most of the last five years, up until COVID-19, I worked two jobs. I have a family, a daughter, and other hobbies from writing fiction to blacksmithing. I have learned not to beat myself up too badly when life doesn't cooperate with me in regards to my hobbies. The thing for me is, I cannot really let myself concentrate on side-projects until my obligations are in order. Which... Well, my last blog post was August 18th... So... That's how life goes for me many times. If I beat myself up every time I wanted to concentrate on one of my hobbies and it just did not happen... Well, It would not put me in a great place mentally. I spend, on average, 25 minutes a day total in my language studies. I could probably increase that a bit because my wife has been learning French and we can have simple conversations now, but between apps and talking to my best language buddy, It's on average 25 minutes a day.
Would I like to study more? Yes. Do I stress about it not usually happening? No.
What I am trying to say is... Live your life. Do what you need to do to be happy. Take time for self-care. It's important.
In Closing, I just want to say that what you are doing is amazing! Learning a new language is an incredible and daunting task. Think about what you're doing... You're learning a whole new language, which people use to express all the complexity and immensity of the human experience. Anything you can express in your native tongue, you can express in your target language too (With some exceptions). That is amazing! So give yourself a break! You're not going to be perfect. You don't speak your native language perfectly. Don't expect yourself to speak your target language perfectly. Instead, open your mouth, open your books, and let your target language flow out! Whether spoken or in writing, let the flawed, sloppy, only been learning for x amount of time language flow out. You got this. I believe in you! Keep Learning! Make 2021 a great year for everything! But especially for your language learning!
