How To Manage Motivation Levels When Learning To Speak Spanish
No matter what new activity we try, an spinning routine, a diet, or a new hobby, those first weeks are full of rewards and we don't wait to have time for our fresh, new adventure. Endorphins are igniting in our brains, and our interest is sky-high.
Often no matter how much we like our new activity, after the honey-moon period, our hunger can diminish. This is a perfect time to ask ourselves what the reason was for learning Spanish:
Do you have relatives that you want to communicate with in Spanish? Do you have a Spanish love interest? Or would you like a completely new challenge and have always loved the Spanish language and its culture? All of these are fantastic reasons to maintain your Spanish study. Picture the rewards!
PICTURE yourself at the end goal..Speaking Spanish in your new community, or ordering a drink in Spanish on that trip of a lifetime. Or the way many people like to do this, see yourself impressing your colleagues with your ability to converse in Spanish. This method is an extremely powerful tool and has allowed many people to achieve their goals not only in learning to speak Spanish, but many other areas of life.
Once that image is implanted in your mind its time to create a plan (if you haven't done this already). You know that that picture is going to be much better if you can hablas espanol con confidencia , and a lot more fun! It is very important to remind yourself of your motivation as often as possible, and keep that excitement alive. Picture your goal in your mind and see yourself doing it.
It is not very hard to persuade ourselves we do not have any time for things; these days, all of us live very busy and stressful lives. Do you really want to learn Spanish? Make the time! It could be before you start the day, or when your children have gone to bed.. It could be that time when there is nothing on TV and you are just relaxing. Decide now that learning Spanish is a priority in your life and create a regular time each day, for at a minimum three times a week to give to your Spanish learning, and stick to it, just as you would a favorite television show. Doing this will allow you to reap the benefits! Make your study a Priority.
You have made the decision that learning to speak Spanish is an important part of your life. Ensure you plan to do your program at times that work well for studying, when and where you wont be disturbed, and can really concentrate. At the beginning of the week, look toward your study times, and imagine yourself learning (and loving!) your new language. Its not hard to put new things aside in favor of all the urgent ones. Well, you just made this a priority; it IS necessary! Now make sure you have a PLAN of how you will achieve your goals.
Try and decide how much time you will spend learning. The increased information you take in, the more you have to remember. To keep it all understandable, it is vital you make time to practice. Remember to use your best learning style (approach to learning), and try to use as many senses as you can. I cannot stress this enough that one of the most vital aspects to learning to confidently speak a language is practice.
One definite reason why motivation can drop is when something is repetitive, and your practicing is no longer fun. Try and think of when you last had fun what was the cause of the fun? Often it was something new and exciting, something you dont normally do a night out watching the theater, meeting a new friend, watching a new movie. On the other hand, imagine seeing the same movie again and again...Despite how much you love it the first time, your mind is going to realize that the same old material is going in the same old way and it will start to stroll off to other interests. This is detrimental for your study. (Though I did have a friend that has seen the movie Titanic 16 times!)
So, keep it lively and fresh! Study in a new environment! Discover a new way to use your learning style. Sing your course dialogues in the shower, find a new person who is also learning Spanish to practice with.. All of these new and exciting things will inform your brain that this is fun, and your brain will thank you for the refreshment by remembering it all with increased efficiency. Or in other words, PLAY!
Just to summarize, how are you going to improve your learning? Remember the 5 Ps:
Picture yourself using the language: remember your end goal.
Prioritize! Learning Spanish is important to you, and is now a major part of your life, make sure you prioritize accordingly!
Plan: Don't hit and miss! You must make time for your new priority and make sure you stick to the plan.
Practice: It takes three weeks to create a new habit, and discipline is a vital part of this. Treat yourself every time you work on your course (chocolate is a personal favorite!), and find ways to practice, practice, practice!..
Play: Even learning the wonderful language of Spanish can get a little monotonous. This is not great for your learning. Find new ways to enjoy yourself, and have fun!
These tips will go someway to helping you learn the wonderful language of Spanish. The hardest part is the start, then eventually things will become better and easier. Trust me the rewards are worth it, as speaking Spanish will open up the chance to converse with many more people and make some great friendships.
Often no matter how much we like our new activity, after the honey-moon period, our hunger can diminish. This is a perfect time to ask ourselves what the reason was for learning Spanish:
Do you have relatives that you want to communicate with in Spanish? Do you have a Spanish love interest? Or would you like a completely new challenge and have always loved the Spanish language and its culture? All of these are fantastic reasons to maintain your Spanish study. Picture the rewards!
PICTURE yourself at the end goal..Speaking Spanish in your new community, or ordering a drink in Spanish on that trip of a lifetime. Or the way many people like to do this, see yourself impressing your colleagues with your ability to converse in Spanish. This method is an extremely powerful tool and has allowed many people to achieve their goals not only in learning to speak Spanish, but many other areas of life.
Once that image is implanted in your mind its time to create a plan (if you haven't done this already). You know that that picture is going to be much better if you can hablas espanol con confidencia , and a lot more fun! It is very important to remind yourself of your motivation as often as possible, and keep that excitement alive. Picture your goal in your mind and see yourself doing it.
It is not very hard to persuade ourselves we do not have any time for things; these days, all of us live very busy and stressful lives. Do you really want to learn Spanish? Make the time! It could be before you start the day, or when your children have gone to bed.. It could be that time when there is nothing on TV and you are just relaxing. Decide now that learning Spanish is a priority in your life and create a regular time each day, for at a minimum three times a week to give to your Spanish learning, and stick to it, just as you would a favorite television show. Doing this will allow you to reap the benefits! Make your study a Priority.
You have made the decision that learning to speak Spanish is an important part of your life. Ensure you plan to do your program at times that work well for studying, when and where you wont be disturbed, and can really concentrate. At the beginning of the week, look toward your study times, and imagine yourself learning (and loving!) your new language. Its not hard to put new things aside in favor of all the urgent ones. Well, you just made this a priority; it IS necessary! Now make sure you have a PLAN of how you will achieve your goals.
Try and decide how much time you will spend learning. The increased information you take in, the more you have to remember. To keep it all understandable, it is vital you make time to practice. Remember to use your best learning style (approach to learning), and try to use as many senses as you can. I cannot stress this enough that one of the most vital aspects to learning to confidently speak a language is practice.
One definite reason why motivation can drop is when something is repetitive, and your practicing is no longer fun. Try and think of when you last had fun what was the cause of the fun? Often it was something new and exciting, something you dont normally do a night out watching the theater, meeting a new friend, watching a new movie. On the other hand, imagine seeing the same movie again and again...Despite how much you love it the first time, your mind is going to realize that the same old material is going in the same old way and it will start to stroll off to other interests. This is detrimental for your study. (Though I did have a friend that has seen the movie Titanic 16 times!)
So, keep it lively and fresh! Study in a new environment! Discover a new way to use your learning style. Sing your course dialogues in the shower, find a new person who is also learning Spanish to practice with.. All of these new and exciting things will inform your brain that this is fun, and your brain will thank you for the refreshment by remembering it all with increased efficiency. Or in other words, PLAY!
Just to summarize, how are you going to improve your learning? Remember the 5 Ps:
Picture yourself using the language: remember your end goal.
Prioritize! Learning Spanish is important to you, and is now a major part of your life, make sure you prioritize accordingly!
Plan: Don't hit and miss! You must make time for your new priority and make sure you stick to the plan.
Practice: It takes three weeks to create a new habit, and discipline is a vital part of this. Treat yourself every time you work on your course (chocolate is a personal favorite!), and find ways to practice, practice, practice!..
Play: Even learning the wonderful language of Spanish can get a little monotonous. This is not great for your learning. Find new ways to enjoy yourself, and have fun!
These tips will go someway to helping you learn the wonderful language of Spanish. The hardest part is the start, then eventually things will become better and easier. Trust me the rewards are worth it, as speaking Spanish will open up the chance to converse with many more people and make some great friendships.