As a second-semester senior, I’ve often found myself at home doing anything except homework — usually, that means sitting on my phone (and unfortunately, my iPad) and doomscrolling for hours.
Starting in January, in an effort to cure my boredom and lack of productivity, I decided to take on the challenge of learning Japanese and American Sign Language (ASL).
It hasn’t been as easy as I thought. For one thing, staying committed to independently learning something has been harder than expected. After spending years attaching progress or success to earning letter grades, separating my desire to learn from the pressure of earning a good grade has been difficult.
As I’ve continued learning sign language and Japanese, however, I’ve discovered some great tips and tricks that keep me motivated and consistent with language learning.
Tip No. 1: Enforce a specific time for learning
In an interview with NPR, Stanford behavioral scientist BJ Fogg recommends incorporating habits into one’s already existing routine to make them stick. For example, learn a few new vocabulary words right before you start your homework, or review grammar as you brush your teeth if you’re already going to be on your phone.
Some websites recommend starting the effort slowly, practicing for only five minutes a day to start. However, I found it difficult to stay consistent with such a low bar, especially as some days are busier than others. Instead of setting a concrete amount of time every day, I like to just learn as much as I want in the time I set aside for myself. On days when I’m particularly tired, I might just take five minutes, but when I’m feeling motivated, I might study for 20.
Still, it’s important to stay consistent, so choose a baseline for yourself.
Tip No. 2: Find the right app for you
I’m not a Duolingo fan. Due to its disorganized curriculum — learning full words before even finishing the alphabet, for example — I prefer lesser-known language learning apps.
For Japanese, I’ve been using Memrise, which offers over 30 languages from Swedish to Somali. Like Duolingo, it gauges prior knowledge by asking users how much they know before beginning a course, and can tailor a vocabulary list to someone’s needs. Starting with the basic alphabet, it moves onto easy conversational phrases like “of course” and “excuse me” before ramping up in difficulty.
My favorite feature is the video pronunciations from native Japanese speakers. Rather than just using one voice and pronunciation, it provides multiple speakers who speak with varying tone and inflection. Along with the videos, flashcards include standard translations and literal translations.
Tip No. 3: Find your own motivation
The University of Pennsylvania outlines the different types of motivation: intrinsic motivation, which is self-driven; extrinsic motivation, which uses incentives; introjected motivation, which “may feel intrinsic but is actually externally driven”; identified motivation, which is driven by specific values; and “amotivation,” a lack of drive.
In a highly competitive environment like this school, extrinsic and introjected motivation seem to be the most prevalent. Internalized pressure, such as guilt and shame, might also drive students to participate in extracurriculars or take advanced classes, as noted in a recent opinion story in The Falcon.
So when we want to be fueled by intrinsic motivation, where do we begin?
Personally, I’ve found the best motivation to be setting an end goal. Whether it’s being able to communicate on an upcoming trip abroad or simply expanding who you can communicate with, finding your true motivation for learning a language seems to be key.
To me, that looks like hoping to learn enough Japanese to communicate on my upcoming summer trip to Tokyo, or finding inspiration to learn ASL after watching edits of a TV show featuring a deaf main character.
No matter the reason, learning a language will keep you productive and immersed in learning and allow you to meet so many new people you can communicate with.
