I am a language nerd I love learning languages and learning about about languages but not everyone learns English for fun maybe you're learning English because you have to learning a language can be fun I promise it can but I know it can feel incredibly difficult and sometimes you might wonder why am I doing this maybe I should just stop I don't want to touch English ever again you might be feeling unmotivated it's understandable language is abstract so it can be difficult to see progress I want to talk about motivation today because I don't want you
to stop learning English I don't want you to stop moving toward your goals and a lack of motivation can be enough to stop you learning entirely let's talk about it [Music] I'm going to ask you a bunch of questions to help you think about this topic the reason I'm asking questions instead of simply giving you advice is because learning a language is very personal also what motivates you is very personal at the end I hope thinking about these questions helps you feel less frustrated and more motivated to continue even if that means taking a break
for a while because taking some time away is also an important part of the learning process okay here are my questions for you to think about number one do you really want to learn English maybe you think it's a silly question but think about it if you're learning English because you have to for work for school for travel then it might be harder to stay motivated because the desire is not coming from you but some external Factor but maybe you really want to learn English and you are still feeling unmotivated first think about if this
is a deep lack of motivation like I don't want to learn English ever again or is it a temporary lack of motivation like I really don't feel like learning English today if you're feeling a temporary lack of motivation my advice is take a break of course I always recommend to study English every day but it's also super important to take breaks to rest don't worry you won't lose your English if you take a break rest and come back later but if you're feeling a deep lack of motivation then I recommend watching the rest of this
video these questions might help you number two what are your expectations and are they reasonable do an expectations audit when you started learning English what did you imagine the process would be like did you imagine that every day would be amazing and you would be fluent in English in 30 days this happens with several of my students they have this expectation of really fast progress It's Possible sure but you have to consider your situation are you working full-time are you a full-time student do you have a family if yes you will probably have less time
and less energy to learn English in general can you become fluent in English in 30 days no first of all but can you become fluent in 6 months sure if learning English is your fulltime job and you have a special program with native speakers is that your situation probably not think about your expectations are your expectations reasonable if your expectation was I will be fluent in English in one year but you are a full-time student you have a part-time job and you have a family then no this is not such a reasonable expectation unmet expectations
can be a huge source of discouragement and demotivation when you're learning a language so if you're feeling unmotivated check your expectations number three are you comparing yourself to others I sure hope you aren't it seems to be a very natural thing to compare yourself to others maybe you often think that person's English is better than mine don't do that that thought can create a Chain Reaction until you're thinking some dark thoughts remember comparison is the thief of Joy don't let anyone steal your joy are you comparing yourself to others don't do that walk your road
don't try to walk someone else's Road Number Four do you act actually enjoy English this is why I didn't learn German I had time energy clear expectations and a smart goal but I stopped learning German because I simply didn't enjoy the language so do you actually enjoy English if not why is it the type of content is the topic boring is it too difficult or too easy what do you enjoy in your native language can you find it in English use resources you enjoy if you're learning for school how can you make the language more
fun can you find materials in English that make you excited I'm learning Spanish right now and one of the things I do is watch YouTube videos and TV series that I find interesting is it still work and effort yes but learning a language requires effort effort and work are not bad things my general advice is keep doing what you like stop doing what you hate question number five are you using English in your everyday life if your goal is to be comfortable using English then making it part of your everyday life will help you what
are some ways you can bring English into your everyday life it can be small ways you don't have to study it like a student again find the things you enjoy question six are you practicing English if you aren't using English it can feel like maybe English is a waste of your time or you might feel like you aren't making progress you don't have to pay for a teacher to practice check out social media or other free options talk to chat GPT write a journal post on Instagram and ask for Corrections practicing may feel uncomfortable but
it's a very natural way to learn and in general the rule is use it or lose it question number seven are you keeping things fresh if you're not feeling motivated try something new try a new material or format try a new subject try a new language for a while if you like gardening there's a concept about using your field for a different crop in the winter farmers do this to increase the quality of their field I do that with languages I learn for some people like me it can be very difficult to to stay in
one language for months and months and months I practice one language for a while then switch to another one it keeps things fresh and interesting for my brain when I return to the original language I feel stronger and more energized if you can do that with English English will still be there when you come back last question are you rewarding yourself are you giving yourself credit you are doing an amazing thing celebrate that are you patting yourself on the back you should pat yourself on the back celebrate small wins why not it's okay to feel
good about progress even if it's small if you don't want to celebrate at your wins I will woo good job you're doing great it's okay to feel unmotivated sometimes everyone feels unmotivated sometimes just because you feel it now doesn't mean you'll feel it always learning a language is a long process and there will be ups and downs that's okay that's part of the process don't panic just keep your head down and keep going you can do this thanks for watching until next time bye [Music]
