The
most common excuse when it comes to not learning or improving our
skills is without any doubt: “I have no time”. It's difficult to
discuss with that. My answer is always, that even 5 minutes a day can
change a lot. Listen to the audiobooks when driving, watch films in
the language you want to learn, use duolingo or another similar app.
It takes 5-10 minutes a day, but always helps a bit.
However,
there is a second excuse used in many different occasions without any
reflection. “I have no motivation”. I was lucky enough not to
hear it directly from anyone. It would be difficult to answer in a
constructive way. But it happens. And a lot.
So,
what really is the motivation? Here is a definition, repeated by
Merriam-Webster:
1a:
the act or process of motivating
Some
students need motivation to help them through school.
b:
the condition of being motivated
employees
who lack motivation
2:
a motivating force, stimulus, or influence:
incentive,
drive
the
Old Testament heroes added religious motivation to the waging of war
— Richard Humble
The
fear of failure was the motivation for his achievements.
Looking
at this explanation, definitely, what people mean is they lack some
kind of stimulus. Making it simpler: they see no reason to learn. And
that is exactly what I can´t understand. There is always a reason to
improve our skills. And that applies not only to languages, but to
everything. It's healthy. It can be a hobby. All depends on a person.
Here
are some observations, if your problem is lack of motivation:
1.
So, the easiest way to get motivated is to set goals. Small ones, not
too big: it's easier to fail if the expectations are too big and that
discourages you from continuing. For example, the goals in case of
language learning could be:
- Understand what my favourite song is about
- Watch and understand one episode of a series (the general idea, not word by word!)
- Prepare a presentation in English for my next business meeting on my own
- Answer the business phone call in English without any problems
There
may be as many variations as you wish. The long term goals, set for
example every two years can be more complicated: travel without fear
of being misunderstood, read magazines online, chat with foreign
friends. The options are unlimited.
2.
Another thing is making it a habit. As difficult and discouraging as
it can be at the beginning, pen it into your schedule. Once you start
doing it regularly, you will get used to it. Some people find it
useful to set it as a kind of engagement: meet with a friend to study
together (you will be ashamed to cancel), pay some private classes
(you will feel that not going is wasting your money, if it's already
paid).
3.
Make it dynamic. Use a variety of methods. Sitting a few hours per
week with grammar exercises in not exactly my idea of fun. Use songs,
films, You Tube videos. Read articles. See the real language and how
it is used. Learning just the traditional way may become too boring!
4.
Put what you learn in practice. Find a chat group online, or look for
a language exchange in your city. If you learn just theory and never
use it, it looks like you don't really need it!
5.
And last, but not least: believe in yourself. Don't say “It's not
for me” or “I'm too old”. Everyone can learn! You just have to
find what is the best way to do it for you. Not the one everyone
does, your personal method.
It's
that simple! Good luck!
