There are good weeks and bad weeks. I’ve covered this topic before, a long time ago, but as I just weathered a pretty difficult week it feels like a good time to revisit. This week was pretty rough for Spanish studying time, as will become apparent down in the number section of the blog. I … Continue reading Working Through Rough Weeks
There are a number of knowledgeable, interesting voices on the internet that offer advice on language learning. I follow several of them and enjoy hearing their takes on different things. Often times they present interesting ideas and techniques, and I have taken a large amount of inspiration from a number of those voices—most notably Stephen … Continue reading Understanding Language Levels Comparatively
So here we are in 2020. After spending the last month or so reflecting on stuff that’s happened up to this point, it’s now a new year, which comes with new things to look forward to. Last year had its ups and downs, but trended toward positive for me, and I hope that continues onward. … Continue reading Yearly Themes for 2020
As November wrapped up, this blog hit 18 months old and my language journey learning Spanish turned two. A lot has happened in that time and I’m proud of myself for sticking to this project and for making as much progress as I have. There are lots of times when I feel like I’m walking … Continue reading A Look Back on 18 Months of Language Learning Progress
It’s been another six months since the last time I added up the total number of words that I’ve read from books in Spanish. That last time had been six months after the previous time I’d added them up, so at this point it’s a bit of a tradition to look back and reflect on … Continue reading Number of Words Read in Spanish After Another Six Months of Reading
A common topic to cover in language learning circles is finding and making time for studying, because doing that is often the key factor in determining whether someone learns a foreign language or not, all other things being equal. If someone devotes either an hour a week or an hour a day toward language learning, … Continue reading Recognizing When to Scale Back Learning
An important skill to cultivate when setting out to learn a language is something that has nothing to do with languages, and that is time management. Regardless of the learning method you pursue, whether that’s formal classes, tutoring, textbook learning, input-based learning, spaced-repetition flashcards, or anything else under the sun, you will fail if you … Continue reading Time Management and Language Learning
At the start of the year, I wrote a blog establishing my “Yearly Themes” for 2019, the overarching ideas I’ve been keeping in mind for making decisions in my life. I’d originally planned to touch base on those themes at the beginning of July, as a mid-year point of reflection, and as you can see, … Continue reading Reflections on Yearly Themes
While I don’t normally preface these blogs with the disclaimer I gave in the very first one, this blog feels like it’s especially important for me to open with the statement that I am not an expert on language learning. I am not a professional tutor, I have no formal education in teaching languages (or … Continue reading Why Foreign Language Classes Fail: Introduction
I can hardly believe that I’ve been running this blog for a full year now. A lot of the time I’ve spent has really flown on by, between real life and putting in the hours to work at improving my Spanish. I’ve come a long way in the year, from my stumbling first few steps … Continue reading Looking Back on a Year of Progress
