The Dunning-Krugger Spanish Student
“Structure not only increases our chance of success, it makes us more efficient at it.”
― Marshall Goldsmith, Triggers: Sparking positive change and making it last
Create a Habit... but first aim correctly.
Spanish isn't your ultimate objective, rather it's a tool to help you reach THAT particular objective you're striving for. To simplify it, the real purpose of learning to cycle isn't the act itself, but the ability to use it for transportation. Recognizing your actual aspiration from the start prevents later frustration. Setting goals too high can lead to discouragement, while aiming too low can trap you in the Dunning-Kruger effect. The first step is to clarify your objective, whether it's communicating with your patients, students or their parents, your partner, or your in-laws. This is your primary target. You should then break this down into smaller, manageable goals, constructing your success step by step, like laying bricks for a wall, until you finally attain your ultimate aim.
Understanding that this is a skill to be acquired gradually is the first step, let's now concentrate on transforming it into a regular practice and maintaining it. Many beginners start their learning journey filled with enthusiasm but often lack a grounded perspective. You're about to embark on a new routine, but how do you plan to incorporate this new endeavor into your already packed schedule?
Establishing habits can indeed be challenging. Sure, you might get off to a great start in the initial week. You might even have a tutor for assistance, confidently promising them that you can dedicate an hour each day to studying. Perhaps you've even invested in some books and signed up for language learning websites (yes, I'm looking at you, Duolingo). However, the following week, your boss has other plans for you. You find yourself working late and wrapping up a project you hadn't anticipated. Then, your child falls ill. An unexpected meeting coincides with your class time. Exhaustion prevails, and you can't study that night. You doze off mid-study on your phone. By the week after, you may feel like you've bitten off more than you can chew. Your routine never took root, and now you find yourself trapped in a never-ending cycle of "I want to learn, but I lack time, a plan, and my enthusiasm is beginning to wane." You need help.
Let's talk about habits.
I imagine you've made numerous attempts to start a new hobby, be it playing the guitar or piano, learning Spanish, or even committing to a daily gym routine, only to experience repeated setbacks.
There's no shortage of books on routines and habits, habits of the wealthy, habits of the world's most successful individuals, forming a habit in 20 days, and so on. Everyone will suggest that establishing a habit is a step-by-step process, which should be mirrored from your neighbor or replicated from John in Indiana. However, the truth is, your habits are influenced by your personal circumstances. Do you have a spouse? Children or pets? All these factors will shape how you design a habit-forming routine. Because now, you must carve out a place for this new habit within your already complex schedule.
Let's simplify this by adhering to some top-notch advice for forming a habit: prepare in advance and establish cues. Cues are the most effective tool you have to make a habit endure. For instance, if your goal is to exercise in the morning, having your workout clothes laid out the night before can make it a lot easier than rummaging for them after waking up. When you attempt something new, you're primarily battling against yourself. It's much more tempting to remain nestled in your bed, comfortable and asleep.
Super Cues!
In the initial stages of language learning, cues play a crucial role in fostering success. Unlike setting out gym clothes the night before, language learning doesn't have a physical cue, but pre-planning can serve a similar purpose. For instance, if you plan to watch a language-related video with your breakfast, arrange this in advance. You might choose the video the night prior, which will be ready for you the following morning. This forethought prevents you from squandering valuable time searching for the right video and subsequently discovering you've run out of time to watch it due to indecision.
Struggling to find the right moment for reading? Consider making it your final activity before sleep. It's common for many people, likely including you, the reader, to use the last 15 minutes of their day scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Reddit. What if you could dedicate the first five minutes of this time to reading in Spanish, then proceed to your social media ritual? To make this task easier, keep your reading device, like an iPad, next to your bed. Avoid the extra step of getting out of bed to retrieve it, as it can act as an obstacle. The key to accomplishing tasks is always to clear the path of any hindrances first.
Interested in incorporating listening into your learning? Great! Locate the audio you wish to listen to and make it easily accessible – create a shortcut or ensure it's just one click away from playing. The most counterproductive thing you can do when you're set to study is to start preparing to study. Keep in mind, preparation should come beforehand, so when you have those free 5, 10, 15 minutes, you can dedicate them entirely to focused studying.
You have time. Don't lie.
Lastly, don't fall into the trap of trying to squeeze in uninterrupted one-hour study sessions into your daily routine. Unless you're retired, a college student, or perhaps unemployed, your schedule is likely pretty packed. Sure, studying Spanish for an hour each day would be fantastic, but let's face it, maintaining that consistency can be challenging. The moment you miss one session, it can easily become a slippery slope where you convince yourself that missing a second or third time won't harm your progress. Before you know it, a whole week might pass without you dedicating any time to your Spanish studies.
Instead, aspire to study an hour each day, but don't insist on it being continuous. Break it into manageable chunks. Spend 15 minutes studying right after waking up, maybe during your morning walk or while taking the dog out. Are you using that time to listen to music? A small sacrifice might be required; swap it out for Spanish language audio. Allocate another 15 minutes to watch a Spanish video, like Peppa Pig, during your lunch break.
Are you eager to watch Mr.Beast's latest video? It'll still be there later. Or even better, do you know you can switch Mr.Beast videos to Spanish. Do you spend 10 minutes scrolling on your phone during bathroom breaks? Well, why not squeeze in a few Anki flashcards instead? The time is there, everyone has it. It's all about reconsidering how you spend it.
If this speaks to you, our help is what you need.
Learning Spanish doesn't have to be a solitary journey. Many learners begin with the belief that they can master it alone, only to discover months later that despite consistent use of apps like Duolingo, they're struggling to string together two sentences. What you need is a structured plan and some guidance - that's where we can assist. We can equip you with the tools to fast-track your language acquisition, but as the saying goes: "We can only show you the door, you're the one who has to walk through it."
Step 6 offers exactly what you've been searching for: a detailed, step-by-step action plan to kick-start your language journey. Remember, this is just a start - it's your responsibility to maintain the momentum. We have faith in your capabilities, all you need to do is commit to the plan.
Proceed to Step 6 and embark on the HelloSpanish start-up plan.