When Expansion Crashes with the Need for Language Study Overlearning
Overlearning the basics of a language is crucial to long-term success and crucial to the ability to speak the language.
But, as the language components increase in complexity and sheer vocabulary volume, the amount of material to be learned expands beyond the speed that most human brains can assimilate.
The basics of frequent, short intervals of memory prompting, i.e., vocabulary and flash card study only mask the problem. The problem is that both conscious mind knowledge and unconscious processes (memory, recall) require relaxation, incubation, and integration.
Then, there is the application layer of learning that connects to both conscious and unconscious processes of mind in language learning.
But, there is an additional emotional layer that sometimes helps, but often hinders learning.
Components of this emotional hindrance include:
- Stress
- Worry
- Frustration
- Perfectionist Pressures
- Unkind Responses to your Speaking Errors
- Negative Sanctions for Poor Grades
- Negative Consequences for Poor Grades
- Forgetting Already Learned Information
- Forgetting that Learning Takes Time
- Underestimating the Complexity of the Learning Task
The irony (and paradox) of language learning is that resting and taking frequent breaks (instead of driving into the fog of stress and tension) increases efficiency.
You might think that if one hour of study is good, then two hours is better and three hours is stupendous. In fact, non-stop three hours of study is stupefying. Too much focus and concentration is self-defeating and counter productive.
So, when the amount of learning explodes (such as when you learn a new tense for verbs and the amount of words that you need to know doubles), you just keep on at the pace that you can manage.
Your mind will integrate the language learning skills that you need in its own time, at its own pace. This pace may match the test and exam schedule of your class, or it may not.
But, continue anyway.
Your course may proceed in a measured, structured and sequential way; but your mind moves with starts, stops, jumps and jolts. Language learning and language knowledge integration crawl, then flies; creeps, then leaps.
Practice builds confidence. Success builds confidence. But, trying and making mistakes (that you correct) builds confidence and success beyond every other method.
So, consider that “Language Learning ExpansionCrashes ” are your best learning aide, and face mistakes with acceptance and self-support.
Mistakes in the face of overwhelming mountains of material are par for the course. Consider these opportunities to be your friends in your Language Learning efforts.
They are!
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