How to stay motivated.

One of the most common problems for language learners is having to stay motivated for a long period of time.

I have never had this problem. I have always had the motivation to study a language for a long period of time. So I will share how I stay motivated, and hopefully you can take something away from this that helps your own language learning.

1 - Progress occurs incrementally. Think of learning a language like going to the gym. You won't notice a difference between days, but if you work hard every day then you will see improvements over weeks and months. Learning a language is the gradual acquisition of grammar and vocabulary, so to expect it to arrive quickly at your door like some sort of pre-packaged set is to expect too much of your brain.

2 - Don't have a schedule. I know that lots of language learners like to have a schedule. They do an hour of German a day, or three hours of Somali on the weekends etc. I don't think this is a good idea. Sure, it might sustain your progress and quantify your efforts, which is motivational for some people. But soon it becomes a chore. You lag behind one week, and then you feel compelled to catch up by working twice as hard, and then you start to dislike it. And, if you're not enjoying learning the language then what's the point?

3 - Remember why you are learning the language. Peoples reasons for learning a language vary greatly. From Jewish students learning Hebrew, international businessmen learning Mandarin, anime fans learns Japanese, history buffs learning German or Greek, Oxford students learning Latin, conservation workers learning Thai or Burmese, etc etc. The list goes on for as long as you can be bothered to read it.

Keep your reasons always present in your mind. Think forward to the level you want to be at, and concentrate on it. Realise that for as long as you put the effort in you are on the highway to that level of fluency. If you put in the time, concentration and effort, there is no way on this earth that you won't be fluent after enough time.


4 - Watch videos of people speaking your target language. One big thing that motivates me is seeing people speaking Egyptian Arabic. When I see a native, or someone who has learnt the language speaking with real ability it makes me go 'Wow. I want to be like that.' And I almost always immediately go and pick up my Arabic book to do some studying.

 

I have watched this video of Timothy Doner speaking Egyptian Arabic an unhealthy quantity of times for motivation. 

In conclusion, language learning is a marathon not a sprint. You won't see change immediately, and that can be disheartening. But you just need to realise that if you keep going then you will keep improving to the point you want to be at.

A flood is made up of raindrops.
                                                  - Tom Bailey.