It’s now been 1 month since I restarted my Spanish journey.
Overall I’m quite pleased with my progress. There was a lot of relearning words and concepts I’d gone over previously, which was expected. I’m starting to recognise words in songs or when I’m walking around San Francisco, which is exciting.
That said, I don’t think it was a particularly strong start so there’s some improvements needed. All part of the learning journey.
Period: March 14 - April 13, 2022.
What I did: 🔗
- ✅ Maintained Duolingo Streak.
- ✅ Started using Anki - added words I encountered.
- ✅ Reviewed Existing Material.
- 😰 Tried translating songs - this did not go to plan.
- ❌ Small Talk - didn’t happen.
- ❌ Develop System to Track Words / Progress - didn’t happen.
Reflections: 🔗
Anki is great - I find it more challenging, but more rewarding than Duolingo.
I need to focus on depth over breadth.
On Duolingo for example, I found it more satisfying to start a new skill than level up an existing one - since you’re learning new words there’s no recall involved. Easy! My skill tree has grown, but it’s very thin and I find it harder and harder to jump into lessons and level up especially when I’m tired. I simply don’t remember the words I’m supposed to know.
My adjustment on Duolingo is to keep 80%+ of my tree on Level 3+, with <10 new skills at any one time. This way I am re-enforcing my current knowledge. I’ve learned this is called the Waterfall Method and is exactly what you’re supposed to do.
My grammar is weak. I struggle with things like word order, stem changes, and pronouns. I need to take intentional steps to improve this, so i’ve bought a book - Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg. I’ll use this as my primary study material. I plan to read, make notes, and complete the exercises - just like in school! 🤓
I need to make time for more focused “sit down and learn” study sessions. Currently they happen in sporadic and serendipitous moments, but I’ve found these sessions to be some of my most engaging and enjoyable. Far more rewarding than Duolingo and/or Anki.
The experience of focused learning, struggling, practicing, and researching is incredibly important. It’s foolish to not prioritise this or wait for inspiration to strike 😭. This needs to be more planned and structured.
The plan is to work through Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg in scheduled 30-45 minute sessions. One chapter at a time.
And finally, I need routines. Honestly this is greater than just my Spanish learning journey. I need better structure in my life. Since leaving Amex last year I’ve lost a lot of structure in my days / weeks. Without the routine I find myself getting distracted a lot or going too deep on a task / topic wasting a lot of time.
Last month I served on a Jury in San Francisco for 2.5 weeks. While all other projects took a hit, my Spanish thrived. During the 90 min lunch break, I’d come home, have lunch, and do my Anki & Duolingo. I was consistent, focused, and motivated. It was great!
This experience made me realise how much I need a routine in my life.
Plan for next month: 🔗
- Continue daily Duolingo & Anki
- Establish better routines to promote consistency and make time for dedicated study.
- Incorporate study sessions focused on Grammar.
- Make it to Month 3 😎
Quantifying progress: 🔗
Which metrics can I use to determine how much progress I’m making? I don’t know and it’s something I intend to think about.
For now:
- Anki Stat: 207 Young, 6 Mature.
- Duolingo Stat: 815 Words