Weekly Tip 9/28: Are you working towards your language goal?

Weekly Tip 9/28: Are you working towards your language goal?

 

Let me ask you a question:

If you wanted to have “ripped” arms, do you think that you could achieve that goal by lifting 3 lb. weights?  No, you say?  

Ok, what about if you lifted 5 lb. weights?  Still don’t think so?

Well what if you lifted the 5 lb. weights for like 2 years?  Still no?  

 

Ok, so let me ask you a few questions about studying a language:

Do you think that doing DuoLingo at a high intermediate level will get you to an Advanced level?

Do you think that reading children’s books will help you reach fluency?

Do you think that spending 30 minutes a day on verb drills will help you improve your speaking skills?

 

It’s time to think about how you’re spending your time working on your Spanish and if it is actually helping you reach your goal.

 

First let me say that practically anything you do will get you to a low-mid intermediate level if you work at it long enough.  Getting to B1-B2 takes time, but what you’re doing to work on your Spanish is not nearly as important as it is when you reach B2 and want to get beyond that.

 

So if your goal is to get beyond B2 you may need to change those 5 lb. weights in for some 10 lb. weights.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to “work-out” any longer than you do now, but it may mean that you need to “work-out” harder or smarter.

This is the time when you need to start making the transition from things aimed at Spanish learners to things aimed at Spanish speakers.  This is the only thing that will help you get past B3 and for some, into B3.

 

This theory also works with any level.  If your goal is to improve your comprehension, you need to listen more than you speak.  If your goal is to speak better, you need to participate.  If your goal is to improve your grammar, you need to stop and repeat when you’ve been corrected.

 

What are your goals and what are you doing to work towards them?

 

Besos,

Caro