#Add1Challenge update

Today is day 18 of the challenge. So far it has been quite an experience, and I'm so glad that I decided to do it. There will be another Add1Challenge starting soon, so take a look at the website - http://apolyglotworld.com/

Lessons Learnt so Far

Having a group of people around you (even though it's a virtual group) also learning languages, is so motivating. The facebook group is amazing, and I have gotten so much support and advice from it. There's a real sense of achievement when a member does something they've struggled with for the first time, so much kindness and resource sharing, and a feeling that we're all in it together. I think when we're all sat at home on our own learning our languages, it's easy to undervalue how important it is to have a little network of like minded people around you. To an extent I try and get that through posting here, being on twitter and reading and commenting on other language learners blogs or forums, but it's not quite the same.

http://uwsslec.libguides.com/mascot

A significant number of us (myself included) finally managed to get over the fear of having online lessons with a native speaker. This topic alone has produced lots of great posts, and I think it was probably the no.1 concern for a lot of us! It was so great to see all the 'yay, I did it' posts, and to realise that even when you have a session that perhaps you feel didn't go well, you will survive it! 

I found that booking my next online tutoring session, the moment the one I was having finished works well for me (I picked that tip up on the fb group as well!). Otherwise I start procrastinating, and over-thinking..."Well that didn't go so well so I'll give myself a break and then I might book another one or I might wait until I've studied a bit more..." Yeah, don't go there. Just book the session!  

It's also ok to be picky. I've tried out several different tutors, and while I'd say only one was really not great, some just didn't suit me. I tried to make my messages to the tutors as specific as possible, but I think some tutors just like to do things certain ways! There are a couple that will be great for later on when I'm a bit further along in Russian. I also had to try out some tutors a couple of times, as I just couldn't tell from the trial session.

 

Of course if there's only a few people offering the language you're learning it makes it harder. As well as Italki, there is also My Language Exchange and probably a lot more. I also found that by joining specific groups on facebook (e.g. Learners of Russian, Learn Dutch now, Easy German, etc) I could contact tutors who advertised there (if that group allows it). However, some of these groups are nothing but spam, so you have to spend sometime checking them out. 

 clipartpanda

Accountability has also been a huge motivator. Having a set amount of time to study each day, and recording it for all to see on the fb group really makes you focus on what you're actually doing. So, although I may think I'm studying Russian, if I take a closer look at what I've spent my time doing it may look like this - memrise (15 mins), check facebook (10 mins), watch russian youtube video (10 mins), check emails (10 mins), check twitter (5 mins), read blog posts on language learning (10 mins),  etc... The I turn off the computer, feeling exhausted and thinking I've been studying Russian for an hour, but actually I've either been procrastinating or distracted! Definitely something I needed to realise to keep my learning in check!

Onwards and Upwards

I still have a long way to go in the challenge, and plenty more to figure out and discover. I still have days when I question why I'm doing this, when I feel as if I'm not making any progress and I can't remember the simplest things. But I also have days when I finally understand something that I've struggled with, or I say a whole sentence in Russian to my family without thinking about it, or I have a really motivating skype session.  I recommend the Add1Challenge to anyone learning a language. It's been a great journey so far...

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/88523948899695901/

We need to talk

I last spoke Russian (to someone outside my family, who can't understand me anyway) in 2007. Yep, 2007, probably around June to be exact, when I had my last Russian lesson. Of course I also stopped studying Russian at this point. I had two small children and my third baby on the way. It wasn't until last Summer that I actually started learning Russian again, and not consistently at that.

 

taken by Emma Sibley, Russia, 2007

I looked around for classes at first (this is how I learnt first time around). Although I don't feel this is a great way for me to learn, I know it does make me speak. There's little choice really! Russian classes are usually quite small here, so there's no chance of hiding at the back! Unfortunately they had stopped due to lack of interest, and the nearest class was in London. Not so far, but travel and the cost of the class itself would make it very expensive. At this point I turned to the internet and discovered that in my 7 years of absence the language learning world had erupted. It took some very late nights to get through all the fascinating language blogs I was discovering. I spent a while on sites like Fluent in 3 Months, while getting to grips with Memrise and playing around with Anki. I dug out my old language learning books, and after reading many reviews ending up purchasing a load more. I discovered language learning apps, podcasts, and much more all while avoiding sites like italki.

I know it's a subject covered by lots of language learning blogs, and I've read some great articles about over coming the fear of speaking. There's lots of advice out there. I especially like this post and more recently this one. I still couldn't bring myself to do it though!

Part of it is personality. I'm shy and introverted. I find that talking and generally interacting with people takes a huge amount of my energy, and so it's not something I'm drawn to, or have a real need to do. I kept doing that thing of saying 'I'll talk to someone when my Russian is better'...whatever better is and whenever that may be! 

My preferred language learning activities are reading and listening, followed by writing and lastly speaking. I recently realised that I was spending most of my time on reading and listening, far less on writing and really nothing on speaking (unless talking to myself or the 6 year old counts!) - my preferred activities were ones where I didn't have to produce anything. I found this an interesting discovery. I'm not sure exactly what it means, but I realise that I have to find a more balanced approach if I want to go to Russia and do more than eavesdrop and read signs!

  taken by Emma Sibley, Russia, 2007

One of my reasons for joining the Add1Challenge was just this, and it has been the other participants who have encouraged me to get on italki and get talking. I honestly don't think I would have done it without that support. Although the challenge has only been going 4 days it's incredible how strong the sense of community already is.  One of the first challenges was to make a video of ourselves speaking the language we were leaning, and frankly I was shocked at how little Russian I could turn into proper sentences. I spoke better Russian in Russia seven years ago. All because of not practising, and not putting what I was learning into practice.

So, I finally registered for italki. I trawled through the Russian tutors for a few days before sending messages to 3 different tutors saying that I needed to practise basic conversation skills, and that I was still very much on a low level. I received messages back that we're friendly and encouraging, and I booked 3 trial sessions. I had the first of those sessions today, and I cannot tell you how nervous I was! Part of me wanted to cancel, and the other part wanted the tutor to cancel! As it grew closer to the time of the session I really was a nervous wreck. I had a cheat sheet written out (that in the end I hardy used as it just didn't seem right once I was actually talking to the tutor), and google translate open (which did come in handy for words and phrases I didn't know). But I was terrified of the call starting! And then it did! And I spoke a bit of Russian and then the tutor did, and we spoke a bit of English (frowned upon by some, but there is no way I could explain to her why I was learning Russian or what I wanted to achieve otherwise), and then we spoke more Russian and we did an exercise from a book she had. And then time ran out. And I survived! It probably wasn't the most pleasant experience ever, but that was due to me and my nerves not the tutor! And as we spoke I remembered more, and she has already addressed a few things I didn't understand and how to say some things that I couldn't figure out.

taken by Emma Sibley, Russia, 2007

Will I be having more sessions? Yes! I have already booked another session with the tutor from today, and have 2 other trial sessions to go, so hopefully I will be able to update you next week with how I'm doing. Am I annoyed I didn't do it sooner? To be honest not really, it's all part of the process and I just couldn't do it before now. I have no time limit on how long I'll be learning Russian for, and I'm not rushing to achieve a certain level in it so I'm happy to go at a pace that suits me.  I won't be returning to Russia for a few years, so have time yet to perfect it!  :)