#language study tips

Language Resources 🎀

*that I currently use for studying Spanish. When I pick up studying Japanese again, I will make a list for that as well <3 I currently use a handful of resources for learning Spanish, and they've all proven very useful so far!

🩷 My Current Resources for Spanish

Busuu - hands down my favorite language learning app. So much better than Duolingo, in my opinion (especially for languages with a different alphabet/writing system). I bought the premium for a year, which will expire in Septmeber, but I'm debating renewing again because I love it so much.

LingQ - I like using this for reading in Spanish. It gives me different types of things to read about, and while I don't have premium, I do put all the words I don't know into flashcards on AnkiApp on my laptop and translate anything I don't know using SpanishDict.

SpanishDict - favorite translation/dictionary app. I know it has lessons you can use, tho I haven't tried it yet, but I really do love this app. It's super helpful when I'm making flashcards or writing random vocabulary notes.

Goodnotes - This is a general note-taking app, but I love it because it allows you to import and write on PDFs, and that's just perfect for me! I've downloaded free PDF short stories/children's stories in Spanish and made notes of words I don't know, and taken notes in the app too. Definitely my favorite notes app, ever.

Italki - I know this is a website, too, but I use the app. It lets you work with professional teachers/community tutors in your target language. You can have structured lessons or just use it for conversation practice. I did a trial lesson not too long ago and have an upcoming lesson booked out in about 5 days. You pay per lesson, so there is no subscription, and there are so many languages and teachers/tutors to choose from. I did a lot of research before choosing a teacher, and I'm very happy with my decision so far. Definitely useful if there's not native speakers near you or you're like me and not confident talking to people you know in your target language/their native language.

Quizlet/AnkiApp - I use AnkiApp more then quizlet, and the Anki I'm referring to is NOT the same way everyone else uses, but it's the flashcard app of preference at the moment. I tried the AnkiDroid app and hated it. But yeah, AnkiApp is useful for flashcards and I really like it. I have it on my Chromebook and my Ipad.

Netflix - I love watching shows in Spanish on Netflix so much. I am currently watching La Reina del Sur on it (used to watch that sporadically in the past at a friend's house) and plan on watching some other shows, including Elite.

Spotify - I enjoy listening to Spanish music and podcasts right now. The music is more of an entertaining/enjoyable fork of audio input, and the podcasts help me get a feel for speaking and pronunciation and I choose podcasts that speak on topics of interest tk help with vocabulary in those areas I'd like to be able to speak about.

Textbooks - I have 2 PDF textbooks, Gramatica de Uso del Español: A1-B2 and Gramatica de Uso del Español: B1-B2. I've heard these are great for learning Spanish (and they're both only written in Spanish, like there's no English in them) and plan on using them once I figure out how to take good and useful textbook notes! I definitely need to improve on my grammar.

How writing can help you learn your target language? 

Writing is the least favorite activity because it’s a silent activity that requires you to think harder than usual. It is often associated with formal style, you know, fancy words, smart arguments, important topics, logical connections, etc. It’s hard. You need a lot of time to produce something meaningful. At school though, you get only 50 minutes to do it. I’m not surprised students don’t like writing. Every time they submit a text, they say: “I don’t know, it sounds stupid to me” or “I don’t think it makes much sense.” I get it. They say that to not come off as “stupid” because they couldn’t write anything meaningful. 

Where’s the problem then?

 1. Teachers rarely state the reasons for writing 

Tip #1 I hate doing things if I don’t know why I’m doing them in the first place. Students believe that they do all the school assignments because, you know, that’s just school. Why not show them how they can apply skills learned while doing those dull school assignments in real life. Why not tell them that they’re writing this particular essay because they’ll need that skill as an adult and different types of essays will help them make better life choices. Let me show you what I mean: 

Book review 

You’re stating your opinion; 

You talk about the strong and weak points of the thing you’re reviewing; 

You’re introducing the thing to your audience. 

In real life, someone asks you (your boss): “What do you think about this deal? Will we benefit from it?” What your boss really asks you is: “Can you review this for me?” At work, you can do it a form of a PowerPoint presentation or just casual talk. Useful? Extremely! 

For and against essay

You introduce the topic;

You give some arguments for and against (why this thing is bad and why it is good);

You state your opinion.

In real life, such a skill might come in handy when you have some doubts about something. An issue you’re dealing with is controversial, but you need to make a decision anyway. Let's say that your company has been presented with an opportunity to make a lot of money, but the stakes are high. You need to consider it carefully. What do you do? You come up with a “for and against essay” kind of thing. First, you do a bit of research about the topic (introduction), then you look for people’s opinions, good opinions (arguments for), and bad opinions (arguments against). Finally, based on those opinions, you try to make the best decision possible. Useful? YES!

Comparative essay 

You introduce the topic;

You focus on the thing that you want to compare;

You state your opinion.

You want to buy a new car, or your friend asks you to help them decide which car they should buy. What do you do? You compare two cars. In real life, you don’t start off with an introduction (especially when you talk with friends), you go straight into the body part of an essay. The core part of an essay that contains the most valuable information. You choose features (of the cars you consider buying) that interest you the most and you compare them. 

Tip #2 Writing such essays will help you express yourself more logically, whether it’s at work or among friends. To master it, you need to practice as much as you can. School is the time when you can do it without worrying about the grave and dire consequences. At school, you get second chances, in life rarely, if ever. 

Target language + writing = success 

This rant is getting long, but bear with me! 

When you study on your own, you don’t have to worry about all the things you worry about at school. You’re writing for yourself, so your essays can be messy. You can make mistakes and spend days on producing a piece of writing. The goal here is to practice expressing yourself. Writing gives you time to come up with ideas, words, phrases, and grammatical contractions. It’s just you and the sheet of paper. No one is going to judge you or grade you. It’s stress-free and you can write whatever you want.

Tip #3 Remember that essays follow particular structures for a reason. The commonly accepted structures help you sound less chaotic and more organized. 

Tip #4 When you’re told to write something, don’t think: “I’ll never need it anyway, why bother at all.” Instead, think: “Hey, this will help me present my viewpoints when someone asks me to compare two things or state my opinion on a controversial matter.” 

Tip #5 The way you think affects your performance and attitude. Find reasons and keep them in mind while writing. 

Late night study / dnd character drawing sesh!

I wanted to talk a little bit about unstructured time when studying a language.

I'm naturally a night owl, but unfortunately life demands that I get up reasonably early, so I try to go to bed at a reasonable time too. I do, however, try to maximise the time when I'm most alert - I like doing exercise late at night, and reading my textbooks or doing more chill studying feels special somehow when it's dark. I avoid computers and I don't do my university work - this way it emphasises the fact that learning (it sounds friendlier than 'studying') my target language is something that I enjoy, something that calms me when I'm stressed or frustrated or annoyed. Sometime I'll just rewrite vocab lists or practice my Chinese handwriting. Sometimes I'll read my text book, not taking notes, just skimming through. Sometimes I'll read a book in my target language. None of this is the super-structured stuff that I'll maybe do during the day, but a calm way to unwind and relax before bed.

A lot of people will argue for an hour's bed time routine, and when I had trouble sleeping that did help. But if you are able to, and don't have trouble sleeping, why not enjoy doing what you want right up until you sleep? Especially if that's the time of day when you work best? For me it turns learning my target language from something onerous and something I feel guilty about (lots of other uni work) into time for myself, by myself. I don't set any aims. I don't try to learn anything, in fact. I just open my books and skim through and it reminds me why I enjoy it. I think we could all take some time every now and then simply to remind ourselves that we're doing this because we love it - or if we're not in the space to love it right now, because of mental illness or pressure or stress or anything, that we started it because we loved it, and we'll almost likely love it again at some point in the future.

Note: I'm NOT advocating crazy 24/7 library schedules. I usually take a break for two hours at least during mid afternoon and again during and after dinner, when I feel less energised. If you are a morning person, wonderful, you have my respect! Get up, sip your tea, do some stretches. It doesn't have to be planned. Just give yourself some time without your phone or laptop to touch base with your language or study every now and then.

You don't need to fill every minute of every day studying, nor do you need to plan every minute of studying, or stick to that plan. Sometimes goals are helpful - other times, they get in the way.

Take some time. Structure in some unstructured moments. Follow your curiousity. You're already doing everything you can, and you're on the right track. You're doing so well.

tero: earth

planto: plant

herbo: grass

floro: flower

violo: violet

rozo: rose

grundo: ground, soil

akvo: water

reuzi: reuse 

redukti: reduce

verda: green

cxielo: sky

I really want to restart my language learning journey, particularly with Spanish above all else. (my boyfriend is bilingual english/Spanish and his family speaks majority in Spanish, so I feel like it's an appropriate time to learn.)

I'm not sure where to begin or how to work it more into my schedule again. I have lots of free time the next two weeks, but then school and work will start back up and I just really want to keep myself consistent and disciplined with it.

Any advice or recommendations, on how to start or where to even begin with incorporating it back into my routine? I want it to be a daily thing practice for me. What do yall recommend?

Also, for fun, what's the best aspect to primarily focus on when restarting your language learning journey?

(I'll be updating this one! Tumblr. has some cool tips!)

Find a reason for studying and remember why you have started in the first place.

Rewatch movies in your target language.

Use monolingual dictionaries.

Use language exchange websites (Conversation Exchange, Interpals, Tandem).

Use content that you enjoy (songs, blog posts, youtube videos, etc.).

Talk to yourself in your target language.

Read texts out loud.

Study pronunciation.

Make mistakes.

Practice creative writing/journaling/writing a diary.

Set yourself mini goals every week.

Don’t let the “studyblr aesthetic” fool you! Studying doesn’t have to be pretty. It's blood, sweat, and tears.

Remember: the exact point where it becomes difficult is where your growth begins.

Find your favorite note-taking style.

ABCDE method could be effective with language learning.

Anki, Quizlet, Memrise are good for revisions, not actual learning. They are spaced-repetition apps.

Output right away! Use the words you've learned immediately! Write a short diary entry or a comment, create your own sentences related to your life.

After each study session ask yourself: "What have I just learned?" (remember to answer that question!).

Teach others. If you feel comfortable with the material you've learned, try to explain it to others.

Look at your progress, and be proud of yourself.

Work out a study routine, but change it every now and then.

Take part in language challenges.

Treat language learning not as a task but as part of your life.

Re-write your notes.

Write essays about that topic/lesson. (in your target language).

Make a powerpoint with the lesson. (as a teacher I can tell you that teaching someone else and preparinf teaching materials is one of the best tool to perpetuate your knowledge).

Make a story with the elements you need to know.

Use a memory palace. (aka. Method of Loci)

Pretend you are going to present the information to someone you respect.

The Leitner System.

Make connections between your life and the lesson. (I can't stress this one enough)

The Fenyman Notebook Method.

Use Times New Roman for your powerpoints/essay. (it’s the fastest font to read)