Learning in Spurts (Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies) Language Learning Forum

Learning in Spurts
Tags: Burn-out \| Immersion \| Learning Strategy
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Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies

20 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3 Next >>

slucido
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Message 9 of 20

03 April 2011 at 4:04pm | IP Logged

Leosmith, what you are describing is part of my method: the chaotic method.

-Core technique: Repetition

-Core attitude: Do whatever you feel like.

I follow my flow state.

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leosmith
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Message 10 of 20

05 April 2011 at 1:35am | IP Logged

You're a mad man slucido. That's why I like you.
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allen
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Message 11 of 20

05 April 2011 at 7:42am | IP Logged

I think doing whatever keeps you motivated will always be the best way to learn. That
said I also think there's reason to believe that if you can keep your motivation up, hour
for hour, a more consistent study plan would yield better results. As far as I've noticed
retention seems to have a sweet spot. If you've just learned something, reviewing it 5
min later doesn't seem to help as much as studying it the next day. On the other hand if
you've waited too long, as you start to forget you start moving closer to relearning as
opposed to reviewing. Learning in spurts makes it so you're only learning outside of that
sweet spot. I think a good analogy is working out. Better to work out weekly than to work
out twice as hard every other week.
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slucido
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Message 12 of 20

05 April 2011 at 4:34pm | IP Logged

allen wrote:

If you've just learned something, reviewing it 5
min later doesn't seem to help as much as studying it the next day. On the other hand if
you've waited too long, as you start to forget you start moving closer to relearning as
opposed to reviewing.

It depends. It is useful if you like it.

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slucido
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Message 13 of 20

05 April 2011 at 4:35pm | IP Logged

leosmith wrote:

You're a mad man slucido. That's why I like you.

I am not a mad man, but a chaotic man. Anyway, I like you too.

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leosmith
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Message 14 of 20

06 April 2011 at 2:53am | IP Logged

allen wrote:

I think doing whatever keeps you motivated will always be the best way to learn.

Motivation is important, but "always" is an exaggeration.

allen wrote:

That said I also think there's reason to believe that if you can keep your motivation up, hour
for hour, a more consistent study plan would yield better results.

I used to believe this too. It turned out that my motivation wasn't as high as I thought it was. While learning in spurts my motivation gets
much higher. That means higher peaks, and higher average.

You state the obvious:

allen wrote:

As far as I've noticed retention seems to have a sweet spot. If you've just learned something, reviewing it 5 min later
doesn't seem to help as much as studying it the next day. On the other hand if
you've waited too long, as you start to forget you start moving closer to relearning as opposed to reviewing.

jump to the unrelated conclusion:

allen wrote:

Learning in spurts makes it so you're only learning outside of that
sweet spot.

then back it up with a totally unrelated analogy:

allen wrote:

I think a good analogy is working out. Better to work out weekly than to work
out twice as hard every other week.

But we aren't talking about exercise, or one week on/one week off, so I'm unconvinced. I believe there are many reasons not to learn in
spurts, but you haven't touched on any of them.
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allen
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Message 15 of 20

06 April 2011 at 6:12am | IP Logged

If you think the second quote obvious but the rest unrelated maybe I've misunderstood how
learning in spurts is supposed to work... It sounded to me like studying hard for x
months, and then resting hard for x months. I think rest is necessary but in my
experience this cycle works in hours and days, not weeks and months. So if you study for
too long some of that time will have a low potential for productivity. If you rest for
too long some of that time will be wasted when you had a high potential for productivity.
Which is what I meant by the "working out" analogy.
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Ari
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Message 16 of 20

06 April 2011 at 12:23pm | IP Logged

I do everything in spurts. I get obsessed with something and I spend all my time and mental energy on it. Then after a few months I get obsessed with something else and I completely abandon that last thing. It's been working really well for me so far. In fact, I sometimes feel like I'm even better at a language after letting it sit for a month or two (this does not mean I would be worse off had I studied, okay? Okay.). My posting history on this forum attests to my erratic behavior.

I seem to recall that Leo DaVinci did the same.

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