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Billy’s TAC 2013 Asian Team 鶴 | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| billyshears66 Groupie United States Joined 4313 days ago 69 posts - 78 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 25 of 33 15 February 2013 at 3:27pm | IP Logged |
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Weekly Update:
10min - PodCasts 3hr 15min - Memrise 1hr - Pimsleur 20min - Anki 15min - TV 10min - Music Total: 5hr 10min Short of my goal of 10 hours by 4hrs 50mins. This is partly due to no smart phone, which I use mostly. I'm slowly finding work arounds... but not liking it. Hopefully I will be able to order and install my new screen soon. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Haksaeng Senior Member Korea, South Joined 5997 days ago 166 posts - 250 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Korean, Arabic (Levantine) | Message 26 of 33 16 February 2013 at 3:38am | IP Logged |
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I like the idea of keeping track of time. I've never been able to do it because I tend to start studying unexpectedly without thinking about the time, but I do think it's a great idea to know how many hours you've worked with the language in a week.
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| billyshears66 Groupie United States Joined 4313 days ago 69 posts - 78 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 27 of 33 22 February 2013 at 10:54pm | IP Logged |
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Weekly Update as of Feb 21st:
0 - PodCasts 1hr 25min - Memrise 2hr 30min - Pimsleur 1hr 23min - Anki 0 - TV 15min - Music Total: 5hr 33min Short of my goal of 10 hours by 4hrs 27mins. Slightly better than last week, but this seems to be about average. Once again, phone screen still broke... :( 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| billyshears66 Groupie United States Joined 4313 days ago 69 posts - 78 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 28 of 33 14 March 2013 at 6:34pm | IP Logged |
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OK, I repaired my screen :)
But I've completely determined that tracking my time minute by minute is not for me. I thought it was, and that goal setting in that regards would work. The reason it doesn't work is that I found when I don't reach my goal, it gets me down. And after a couple of weeks of not reaching my goal, I started to feel like "what's the point?" So I basically got sidetracked with every little thing I could and was making excuses to stay away from Chinese. I think it lost its "fun" appeal. And that is the whole reason I'm learning it in the first place. So I decided to go away from the time tracking and stick to doing what I enjoy. I'll have to re-look at my goals and decide how best to approach them. As for the February challenge, I was doing OK with it... but when my mood changed towards avoidance, I stopped practicing my song. I was doing pretty good... was able to play it on my guitar and sing along a little. But, I dropped the ball there. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| vermillon Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4477 days ago 602 posts - 1042 votes Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, Mandarin Studies: Japanese, German | Message 29 of 33 14 March 2013 at 7:04pm | IP Logged |
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With regards to your comments on feeling down when not reaching your goal, there is a simple and very effective (many people can confirm that): set reachable goals. If you know you have 4 hours available every day, give yourself enough to be busy for 2 hours. Not more. If you're in the mood, you'll find yourself continuing. And if you have some last minute change, then reaching those 2 hours still won't be that difficult.
Also, try to do your study first thing in the morning: less chance that something comes in the middle of your plans. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| billyshears66 Groupie United States Joined 4313 days ago 69 posts - 78 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 30 of 33 26 March 2013 at 2:02am | IP Logged |
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Thanks vermillon. Good advice on the reachable goals part. As far as the morning, I wish
that was a free time for me, but it isn't. My only real free time is at night... and I'm usually too tired by then. I don't know what it is lately, but the last couple of weeks have been a bust on Mandarin studying for me. I don't know what it is. It all started when work came out with a new policy which basically says I'll have to be there 30 more minutes each day, but no extra pay. I love my free time with the family, and now it is cut shorter. So I've been upset about that, and now I find it hard to get into the Chinese. I'm hoping to push myself with this month's team challenge. Sorry, just ranting. Feel better some. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
 newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6178 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 31 of 33 26 March 2013 at 7:40am | IP Logged |
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I am in a pretty similar situation as you. I have a demanding job and two young children. I learned a long time ago not to be too strict with targets and goals and instead to just squeeze in what I can when I feel up to (usually a half hour in the car or a half hour at night). Whenever I tried to do too much I felt terrible. Sure, I am nowhere near conversational after several years but I also no longer feel stressed about my progress and I enjoy my studies more because I do it when I want to instead of when I have to. If I take a month off so be it. I go back when I am ready and I usually feel fresher for it. There are plenty of other things in life to worry about besides language learning.
Anyways, those are my two cents... 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| billyshears66 Groupie United States Joined 4313 days ago 69 posts - 78 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 32 of 33 26 March 2013 at 9:24pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks newyorkeric
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