FROM SUCCESS TO FAILURE - How to Get Back to a Lost Language Routine

[@hirokimatsuoka1950]

I couldn't take a lesson in February, but I'm glad you're doing well. If you start with small things and build them up gradually, you will see results little by little, and those successful experiences will motivate you to regain your previous routine. 　When I still can't get motivated, I tell myself, 'After all, it's language learning, so there's no need to aim for perfectionism.' It relieves stress caused by incomplete combustion.

[@sheeliekittie9298]

Hi Alex, I was glad to see this video because I'm currently struggling with this contradictory issue of technology and too many resources for language learning. So today this problem occurred to me, first with spanish and portuguese ( maintainance) then with korean, my new or target language. I have too many amazing resources I find. Every language comes with so many good. Books, websites, apps, audio, video content, not to mention youtube and loads of advice. How can we decide on fewer resources so as to minimize the stress and frustration...and ultimately have a productive and enjoyable routine?

[@studywithalex]

Very interesting question that has become very relevant in the last 10 years with the saturation of the language resources. This can seem like a cop-out answer, but I think you should just use what feels good. Choose the resources that work best for you. For example, there's an insane amount of Chinese resources out there, but the most popular ones never clicked with me - their explanations and organization try way too hard to be simple for concepts that are not simple at all. One resource that worked for my brain was A Contemporary Course in Chinese. This question is incredibly personal because what explanations and organization are "good" is different for every person. I need abstract grammatical terminology like "transitive verb" or "pleonastic pronoun" to understand a text, and I get so irritated when resources avoid them. I imagine a lot of people have a different experience from mine.

[@sheeliekittie9298]

@@studywithalex I agree, and it makes absolutely so much sense what you say. We mustl find the resources that work for us, based on our own needs and learning styles. I personally NEED the grammar. Some people say even as adults learning a language, we should just keep speaking and immersing ourselves and not worry about it, but I don't feel very confident at all unless I can really grasp the grammar. For example, I feel really dumb sometimes lol because it seems so many people on here, ( at least, most youtube language learners ) they always have German as one of their languages. And I'm currently taking an online German class and I'm like, this grammar is so all over the place! like it doesn't seem to have a pattern at all, it's tricky and elusive and I don't feel firm with it. I feel like the minute something makes sense, I'm led to another mysterious door. Like one door closes and 5 others open lol. it's just like, one must memorize it and it's rather arbitrary. At least Turkish and arabic despite difficulties, have consistency and there is a logic built into each of these languages that I find is lacking in German. If you have any tips on how to get more comfortable with German grammar, I would love to hear =)

[@sheeliekittie9298]

@@studywithalex Sorry for that uber-lange rant, zum Deutsche uben! I actually like the language a lot its just when the grammar of a language is hard, I start to feel frustration and maybe i'm just stressing myself out. Anyway, wow you mention some really interesting words, I have no clue about pleonastic, lol! Are you sure you're not a doctor of linguistics?! or maybe not yet but will be soon. Thank you always for your feedback Alex, and I hope your language learning is going great. Are you focusing on any particular languages or classes at the moment?

[@studywithalex]

@@sheeliekittie9298 My focus at the moment is primarily Turkish. I'm only taking Turkish lessons at the moment. Of course, I'm still upkeeping a lot, but that is the one that I am focused on growth.

[@sheeliekittie9298]

@@studywithalex harika! ben de turkiye severim, aslinda, benim en sevdigim diller billdir. simdi, senin dersler var mi, mesela, italki veya baska sey? turkcenin sesini cok seviyorum ama hala, bana gore, dilbilgisi zor! bununla, daha rahat hissetmek istiyorum. ( sorry for all the mistakes but i think you'll understand it all =) like what the heck is aorist tense verses present tense and they have 2 present tenses, right? this is what confuses me because i find myself using the ' yapiyorum ' ending much more than ' yaparim ' but i'm not always 'presently progressively' doing everything!