Well hello hello! We’re literally in the final hours of the year, and I can only hope you have some patience and tolerance for another reflection post. By this moment, you’ve probably seen it all — from your colleagues who share their 52 books read in a year (and whom you judge for their taste, and rightfully so) to that uber-fit person in your life whose genetic age somehow went down (and they have bloodwork to prove it!). I promise not to bore you. Below you’ll find my answers to the 7 reflection questions proposed by fellow language learning blogger Shea , whose original post you’ll find here.
What language skills have I improved upon the most?
A few months ago, I started learning Swedish from scratch, and that was one of the reasons I started this blog. And although my progress in my newest language is still rather modest, the decision itself re-ignited my love for language learning.
I started taking private classes in Spanish, a language I’ve been learning intermittently for years. It feels funny to be able to talk for long periods of time on complex subjects yet still be making basic mistakes (conjugations are my kryptonite).
I started seeking out opportunities to speak Turkish, a language that had been my bread’n’butter for many years.
I’m also consuming way more information in those two languages. I might start my day with a podcast about literature in Turkish and end it by reading a novel in Spanish. And for some reason, it feels so good to be able to have those little drops in my mind.
Does this distract me from my focus on Swedish? Yes, but I plan on living a long life, and I don’t believe in becoming fluent overnight.
What language learning strategies have been most effective for me?
The main strategy that has been most effective for me (it might not work for you, though) is dedicating a bit of time EVERY SINGLE DAY. I call this the No Zero Days approach (a term I stole from Jerry Seinfeld), and you can read a bit about it here:
No zero days
Hi, hola, merhaba, labas, привет, and hej. It’s your favourite language blog with the (probably) final post of the year. And what a year it was! This is the first year in my life when I can safely tell you that I… brushed my teeth twice a day every single day (there’s going to be a connection to language learning, don’t you worry).
What challenges have I encountered in my language learning journey?
Funnily enough, the biggest challenge is going too meta. What I mean by that, there’s a lot of great stuff, especially on YouTube, dedicated to learning languages. And that content is prime entertainment for someone like me. So I do regret (but only a bit) those days where I’d spend an hour listening to a guy talking about his relationship with spaced repetition rather than spending that hour actually engaging with one of my target languages.
How have I engaged with authentic language materials?
With Swedish, I’m still in the “adapted” content territory — podcasts and videos entirely in Swedish designed for language learners. There’s one I particularly like, where the person just talks for 3-4 minutes on a given topic. And although people don’t talk that way (“Let’s talk about grilling. Grilling meat. Grilling sausages. Mushrooms. Grilling with your friends. Do you like grilling?”), it boosts my motivation when I understand 70-80% of it.
With Spanish, I have way more liberty, as my comprehension level is way higher. I’ve watched the entirety of super soapy Valeria on Netflix (thanks to Trilety Wade for recommending it a while back), and I do enjoy 3-4-hour episodes of a geeky movie review podcast from time to time.
With Turkish, my strongest foreign language (English doesn’t count), I started reading more short stories from the collections I have at home. Watched a few movies and series. Listened to some podcasts. I truly love this language, and even though I’m not studying it actively (most of the formal knowledge obtained in university still sitting neatly in my brain cabinet), I do need to keep it fresh.
Have I actively practiced using the language in real-life situations?
There’s a cosy cafe by a young Turkish couple in walking distance from my office, which is nice. And I do strike up a conversation in the language when I hear it in public. I’d like to get more opportunities to speak in Spanish and Swedish, too. There are some language cafes around, so that’s just a matter of planning and going.
How have I tracked my progress throughout the year?
I’ve seen fellow language learners sharing very detailed stats (looking at you Victoria!), but personally I don’t track anything.
What are my language learning goals for the next year?
Swedish — dedicate more time to, get a tutor or sign up for an A2 language course, start speaking by autumn.
Spanish — fix my grammar and read more books.
Turkish — get more conversation practice and read the classics.
Other — I’d love to explore another Slavic language (I’m fluent in Russian by way of birth and can survive in Polish), start learning Italian, and study (even if just theoretically) a Semitic language, since I find them fascinatingly interesting.
I’d also like to explore different methods of language learning, and talk to people with interesting language-related experiences. So expect more fun stuff from this blog!
See you in 20234,
Oleg
Aww I love the call out! ANd so glad I had a "valeria" buddy! I found out a friend of mine is also learning Spanish so we are setting up a biweekly Spanish date where we try and converse en Espanol, and I'm so excited. Plus I told her about your newsletter and she's a subscriber! Thanks for you sharing your journey and for all the great tips - I'm trying that net zero as I have a tendency to go hard then stop, but the net zero is making me spend even 10 minutes doing exercises on Spanish Dictionary. Thanks, and Happy New Year, Oleg!
LOL! There is so much here I can identify with!:
Spanish: "It feels funny to be able to talk for long periods of time on complex subjects yet still be making basic mistakes". Totally. And frustrating ++. I can't seem to find the happy balance between being willing to ignore errors as long as I'm understood vs getting feedback which then takes away any chance of fluency as I start listening and trying to ensure I'm correct. I don't want to make the simple mistakes forever by sheer habit.
Going meta: Yes. Surely, somewhere is the magical strategy that will prevent my errors and hestitations. Don't want to miss it!
No Zero Days: I haven't called it this, but I do make time every day for languages. With something I know well, like spanish, I'll listen to a podcast or lecture, write Something, and read a novel or article for minimum times every day. With a brand new language (arabic for me), I put in at least 15 minutes on whatever tool I'm currently working my way through.
Thanks for sharing your paths -- may you have a fabulous 2024 of language learning!