Time is never a forgiving foe and this year it feels like it is slipping away like sand between my fingertips. Almost a quarter of the year has gone and I have so much I want to do! That’s why I am putting even more focus on my goals and language studies so I can hit those goals. Now it is time to look at my goals for March.
New to the party? Let me explain what’s happening here.
Clear the List is a monthly group for sharing your language learning goals hosted by Lindsay from Lindsay does Languages and Shannon from Eurolinguiste.
Last Month on the Blog
Last month I shared a lot of language learning tips and tricks to boost your skills and keep you motivated for the year ahead.
Daily contact with your language – All about getting a little everyday to improve in the long term.
How to stay motivated! – My top tips on what to do when motivation escapes you and to keep it around forever.
How to prepare for a conversation – Speaking in a new language is always tricky but with these tips on preparing for a conversation you will feel comfortable and get the most out of every exchange.
February Summary
I got a little stuck in a rut this month if I am honest. The strategies I had been using over the last few months started to feel more like chores than actually benefiting my Italian so I made a big decision…. I stopped! Rather than waiting for the month to end, I just changed my goals when I felt like they weren’t working.
The biggest change was making a conscious decision to lose all my app streaks. This might not sound like a lot but for me it was huge! I am super competitive and to see those numbers disappear has always been hard for me. That is why they usually work so well. Unfortunately I was finding the streak as more of a restriction to my activities than a motivation to increase them. I was spending up to an hour some days doing all my apps just to get a number on my screen and then I didn’t have enough time to actually do those activities I really enjoyed and gave me quality content. So I said no more.
March Goals
As part of my new approach I am going to be making more of a concerted effort to hit the big four (Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing) with different levels of intensity. Having one task for each skills was too restrictive for me. So, I decided to group my skills into three different intensity levels:
Level 1 Passive – This is basically my hands-free section. Absorbing the language in any form. Listening to the radio, watching TV or reading a book for pleasure. Nice and easy!
Level 2 Active – Hands are required here. Note taking, traffic light reading, mind mapping or shadowing videos just to name a few. Anything I’m actively getting involved in and “studying”.
Level 3 Production – Producing the language is always the most difficult and the most effective so it has a level of it’s own. Extended writing, speaking, working in my bullet journal or transcribing videos. Things that take real time and brain power to accomplish.
I have created a handy list on my phone with all the different activities and which areas they focus on. That way I can refer back to the list when it comes to study time and choose something. A lot more flexible and tailored to my learning style. So, when I am feeling lazy I can still find something suitable.
New Italian Coursebook
Last month I also picked up the Perfect your Italian book by Teach Yourself from my local library. It’s the first time I have followed a course book in my Italian learning and I am enjoying it. It has a really nice mix of audio content, reading and activities as prompts to check my understanding and produce the language. I am generally taking it slow and using the new language actively in my lessons or writing to reinforce the learning. I have this book till the end of the month so I am hoping to try and complete the majority of it by then.
Women in Language
It’s clearly going to be a month of first in March too because I will be attending my first ever language conference. And when I say attending I mean watching all the recordings of the lectures next week. Although I can’t attend live I am really excited to hear from all these amazing language people and get some new insights and perspectives. Hopefully this will be the start of my language conference journey, as I would love to visit Langfest, Polyglot gathering or some of the other language shows I have seen popping up.
It’s Tracker Time!
This month I am looking at all things related to Spring. Weather, animals, plants and even cleaning. I am really excited to see all those fresh and bright colours at the end of the month. Each one teaching me a new word and highlighting my success. Can’t wait!
I would love to know what your goals are for this month. Let me know in the comments below.
Until next time.
Ciao for now!
