Tuesday's Tip for Language Learning #10: Take Time Off to Marinate
From Think Yourself into Becoming a Language Learning Super Star
Time Off: Marinating the Mind
Acquisition of a language
does not occur in one setting, one course, or one year. It goes without saying,
then, that language study will not be continuous, at least in the sense of
every day without break. Of course, there will be breaks. Though many students,
especially those in intensive courses, worry that they will lose some of what
they have gained while they are away from their studies, that is usually not
the case.
You see, language
proficiency progress comes from both conscious learning and unconscious
learning—and something I call the marination factor, which is related to the
unconscious factor. As with cooking, “marination” requires taking some time out
and walking away from active work. Just as meat does not remain the same while
marinating, neither does your brain. It is busy sorting and categorizing the
information you have been stuffing into it during you active conscious learning
days. Now, the brain has time to stop receiving new information but does not
rest because it is busy making better sense and organization of what it has
already received. This time is essential for good learning.
So, what can and should
you do while you are physically away from your studies? Here are suggestions that
I have found to work for my students.
Account for the marination factor: give your conscious mind a rest and let your subconscious organize the grammar and vocabulary you have learned.
Conduct an individualized review: Self-assess. Do you have identifiable gaps? Go for it. Fill them in. If you feel like it, spend some time regularly reviewing, but not every day and not copious amounts of time.
Do some leisure listening and reading
Try out your language
skills with native speakers
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