Getting Your Learning Routine Right

“Getting your routine right is more important than what you’re actually doing in it” - Olly Richards.

Motivation is one of the most important parts of language learning. Having a clear plan and goals is very important but we also need a good language learning habit or routine in order to reach our goals.

In this post we are going to look at:

1. Why the right routine is so important.
2. How we can find time for our routine.
3. How habit formation works.
4. How to make this routine addictive.

Why the right routine is so important

Olly Richards notes that having the right study habit is almost more important than what we actually do when we study. The reason is motivation. If we pick a routine that is too difficult, takes too much time, and does not fit with our lifestyle and schedule, then we probably won’t be able to follow it. We either quit or have to give up part of the routine. In either case, we feel that we have failed because we did not stick to our plan and we lose motivation. If we pick a routine that is challenging, but does not take more time than we have available, then we are more likely to stick to it. This gives us motivation and builds our confidence. We can then expand the routine as we have more time and energy to put into our language learning.

Because of this, it is best to pick a routine that is relatively easy to start with and let it become a habit. Once it is an established part of our life, we can expand it. So its better to start small and add things than to start big and have to remove things. As we succeed with out routines, our motivation increases and we are able to do more than we could before.

Finding the time

Richards describes three kinds of time that we can use for language learning (see here, here, and here) which he calls:

1. Core study time
2. Dead-time
3. Downtime

Core study time is time that we dedicate to language learning on a regular basis and that forms the foundation of our learning routine. It is focused time when we can study without distractions. For you, this may be in the morning before the demands of your day begin pulling you five different directions. Maybe it is at night after your kids are in bed and your mind can finally let go of all things it has to think about each day. Maybe it’s during your lunch-break. Whatever time you choose, the important things is that it is time you can consistently use to study without a lot of distractions. For me, this is early morning, before my wife and children are awake.

Dead-time is time when need to do something else, but that you can still use for some extra practice. For example, you can study some flashcards while standing in line at the supermarket. Maybe you can listen to an audio course or a podcast lesson in your target language during your commute to work. Maybe your can read a Tweet or Facebook post in the bathroom! Maybe you can listen to music in your target language while cooking, folding clothes, or washing dishes. If you think about your daily life, you can probably find many 1-5 minutes segments that you can use to study a little bit extra. For me, I tend to listen to podcasts or other audio material on my way to work and I try to review flashcards during short breaks throughout my day like going to the bathroom or waiting in line.

Down-time is time that we need to relax. If you like to listen to music or watch TV or movies, can you do that in your target language? How about reading a book or comics? If doing these things in your target language is relaxing, then go for it. This is a great way to get some extra study time. If these things are draining to you, then don’t do them. Everyone needs time to rest and recharge. If you try to do too much without enough rest, you can burnout. Keep in mind as you make progress in your language learning, you may find that these activities become more enjoyable and relaxing. So if you find them draining now, they may not be in a few weeks or months.

How habit formation works

The three key elements in any habit are shown below:

Cue -> Activity -> Reward

The cue is the thing that reminds us to do our new habit. This could be an alarm at a certain time or putting your language learning materials next to your bed or coffee maker so you remember to start learning when you wake up. When we are starting a new habit, it is important to choose a strong cue that is hard to ignore (see this interview). This is especially true if the habit we are starting is something that we don’t want to do (like exercising). The activity is the thing that you want to do. In this case it will be your core study time. The reward is something that you give yourself for completing the activity. It could be as simple as deciding that you won’t drink your morning coffee or tea until after you have studied for the day. It could be a piece of chocolate or watching a favorite show. The important thing is that you do something your enjoy after completing the routine. This will help make your brain look forward to doing the activity and help the habit stick.

How to make any behavior addictive

Dr Zoë Chance describes her experience being addicted to a pedometer. In her talk, she describes Robinsons’ theory of the six basic human needs and she concludes by saying that any behavior that meets at least three of them has the potential to be addictive. The six basic needs are as follow (taken from here):

• Certainty
• Uncertainty
• Significance (self worth)
• Connection (with others)
• Growth (self improvement)
• Contribution

If we can incorporate these into our language learning routines, then it is more likely that we will stick to.them. For example, by joining a community of people learning our target language (online or offline) we can meet the need for belonging. By planning well we can measure our progress and increase our sense of self improvement. By having a consistent learning routine that we stick to, we can increase our sense of certainty. By occasionally varying the activities that we do, we can meet the need for unpredictability.

Joining a language learning community can help you incorporate connection and significance. It also provides a sense of accountability. A great online community for language learners is the Instagram Language Challenge that is run by Lindsay Williams from Lindsay Does Language. You can also look on Google for other online communities that you can join.

Do this now

Take some time to consider the following questions to help figure out your language learning routine:

1. When can you set aside time for your core study time? How often? For how long?
2. Do you have short 1-5 minutes segments during your day that you could use to study? When? What could you do that would help you make progress?
3. Are there things you can do when you are doing chores or during your commute that could help you make progress? What are they?
4. Are there things you can do that help you relax that will help your language learning too? What?
5. Is what you have come up with too much? If so trim it down a little. If not then go for it!

If you want to join the conversation, you can tweet with the hashtag “#mylanguageroutine” and tell us what your language learning routine is like.

Resources

You can download a free language planning worksheet here to help you find a language learning routine that is right for you.

Photo: “home work routine” By woodleywonderworks - CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons