Learning a Language: Techniques for Developing New Study Habits

The 30-Day Challenge to Developing Study Habits

One highly effective technique for developing new habits and keeping them over the long term is to give yourself a 30-day challenge. 30 days isn’t a lot, but that’s exactly why it works. Since the time period is so much shorter, it feels way easier to commit to something for just 30 days rather than a whole year. In fact, that’s how you trick your subconscious: If you last 30 days, you’ve surely made a habit of studying language and are likely to continue this habit fairly easily.

For example, you could challenge yourself to review your vocabulary on MosaLingua every day for at least 30 days. Usually, after 30 days, this should become a habit and you’ll be able to do it automatically.

We highly recommend this TedTalk to inspire you to start your own 30-day challenge:

You can also watch the video directly on the TED website.

Develop New Study Habits with the Chain Technique

Another very effective and popular technique is the chain technique. If, for example, you decide to watch the news in French every day, you could make an X on your calendar every time you watch the news. As the days pass, you will create a chain of X’s on the calendar and every day you’ll beat your record for the number of consecutive days you completed your task. Your goal will be to continue the chain by watching the news every day:

This may seem simple, but it really works! The key is to have your calendar somewhere visible so that you think of your commitment every day. There are also a number of applications based on this principle. So either grab a calendar or download an app to get started!

We’d recommend getting a habit tracking app with an option for group challenges. This allows you to compare your performance with other people and creates some friendly competition to help you complete your challenges. It’s a form of public commitment, another effective motivation technique. Remember that you’re not alone in your efforts and that there are many people who can help keep you motivated no matter where you are.

 

So, are you ready to start your own 30-day challenge?

What do you think of these techniques? Let us know in the comments below.

For More Information

If this article helped you think about how to stay motivated, then you may also like these articles:

• Create Your Own Personal Learning Plan in 6 Steps
• Overcoming a Lack of Motivation When Learning a Language
• Your Personal Language Coach – The MosaLingua App
• Motivational Quotes for Language Learners Who Need Some Inspiration