Can you write about your language learning routine?
“Can you write about your language learning routine?” This is a question I got from my student Nina. My answer is, “Sure, but I don't really have a routine. It's more of a way of life.” In this post, I want to share my language learning lifestyle.
Exposure is king. So is noticing. I am always on the lookout for new vocabulary and familiar vocabulary used in new ways. Most of the time I read or watch something I take vocabulary notes. I have a paper notebook and digital notes for that. If I don’t have them on me when I hear a great expression, I jot it down on an old receipt or whatever I can find.
My main criterion for choosing what language to take notes of is a very honest answer to these questions, "Would I ever say it this way? Have I ever or recently produced this phrase?" If the answer is no, I record what I come across.
For example, here is a sentence from my notes: "Most important, it is utterly divorced from decisions about compensation." Obviously, I know the word “divorce.” And the meaning of this sentence is totally clear. But since I can honestly announce I would never produce this word in this meaning on my own, it goes in my notebook.
The way I take notes might seem a tad unconventional, but here are some things I do that advise everyone to do too:
#1 I try to write down and memorize entire sentences if they are short.
#2 I have absolutely no problem writing down lexical items I already know. Here is the second sentence with “divorce” on my notes: “Their emptiness trumpets an existence mostly divorced from human habitation and the messy thrum of daily life.” Writing it down two times in full sentences helps me memorize and understand it.
#3 With some words, like “scintilla,” I go on a dictionary quest. Because this unusual word expresses a very usual concept, I want to make sure I know its precise meaning and common collocations. So I look up and jot down lots of possible collocations. For example: [not / without] a scintilla of [hope, regret, compassion, doubt, evidence, honesty].
Input
First and foremost, I pretty much live my life in English. 99% of my environment (my devices, software, apps, subscriptions, books, videos et cetera et cetera) is in English. I make sure I expose myself to copious amounts of English.Exposure is king. So is noticing. I am always on the lookout for new vocabulary and familiar vocabulary used in new ways. Most of the time I read or watch something I take vocabulary notes. I have a paper notebook and digital notes for that. If I don’t have them on me when I hear a great expression, I jot it down on an old receipt or whatever I can find.
My main criterion for choosing what language to take notes of is a very honest answer to these questions, "Would I ever say it this way? Have I ever or recently produced this phrase?" If the answer is no, I record what I come across.
For example, here is a sentence from my notes: "Most important, it is utterly divorced from decisions about compensation." Obviously, I know the word “divorce.” And the meaning of this sentence is totally clear. But since I can honestly announce I would never produce this word in this meaning on my own, it goes in my notebook.
The way I take notes might seem a tad unconventional, but here are some things I do that advise everyone to do too:
#1 I try to write down and memorize entire sentences if they are short.
#2 I have absolutely no problem writing down lexical items I already know. Here is the second sentence with “divorce” on my notes: “Their emptiness trumpets an existence mostly divorced from human habitation and the messy thrum of daily life.” Writing it down two times in full sentences helps me memorize and understand it.
#3 With some words, like “scintilla,” I go on a dictionary quest. Because this unusual word expresses a very usual concept, I want to make sure I know its precise meaning and common collocations. So I look up and jot down lots of possible collocations. For example: [not / without] a scintilla of [hope, regret, compassion, doubt, evidence, honesty].
Output
Noticing and note-taking are all well and good, but it all boils down to "use it or lose it," so I do everything in my power to use the language I have taken notes of. I usually keep it all in mind or just open my notebook and go through my notes from time to time (as boring as it sounds). Then I just wait for opportunities to use the new language. If such opportunities don’t come up naturally, I create them.Writing
Here are some writing opportunities I have created with zero effort:- All my communications with students and colleagues are in English.
- All my posts on social media are in English.
- I blog in English. I make sure to write longer texts because they help me improve on a much higher level than messaging or social media posting.
Sidenote:
I think your most important breakthrough will happen when you become your own editor rather than rely on a teacher or mentor to guide you. You are more likely to forget what your teacher tells you than what you find out for yourself and proofread 100 times not to embarrass yourself in public.
Here are some speaking opportunities I create for other people and myself by extension (apart from standard classes and courses I teach):
To sum up, I lead a ridiculously minimalist language learning lifestyle. All I do is mindfully create a lot of input and output. I expose myself to immense amounts of authentic English, make sure I record whatever I find useful, and create opportunities for myself to produce it. And that’s it. No life hacks. No apps. No teachers.
Speaking
Speaking is a different story because you need other people, but it’s doable if you put your mind to it.Here are some speaking opportunities I create for other people and myself by extension (apart from standard classes and courses I teach):
- My Open Mic events
- My meet-ups for teachers
- My online talks
To sum up, I lead a ridiculously minimalist language learning lifestyle. All I do is mindfully create a lot of input and output. I expose myself to immense amounts of authentic English, make sure I record whatever I find useful, and create opportunities for myself to produce it. And that’s it. No life hacks. No apps. No teachers.
Image credit: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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