2 min readfrom Language Learning

If you were giving yourself until the end of the year to keep studying a language, what would be your approach?

For context, I've been learning Arabic for a long time, MSA and Jordanian/Levantine in general. I studied MSA for 4 years in college, but after graduating I set it aside for a couple years with everything I had going on. I started reviewing MSA and began to learn Jordanian in preparation for a vacation to Jordan. Afterwards, I kept with it because my Jordanian level was still fairly low and I was enjoying the process.

At the beginning of this year, however, I was thinking about goals (as many people do at that time of year). I realized I no longer had a clear goal or vision for learning Arabic. I don't live near Arabic-speaking communities, I don't use it at work, and besides an Internet friend, I don't text (let alone speak) the language with others much at all. I have visited two Arabic-speaking countries in the last few years, but it's extremely unlikely I will visit another anytime soon. So after thinking through that, I decided I would give one more year with Arabic as my main language of focus. Whatever my level is on December 31st, I'll be content. I'm hoping to reach a point where I can understand a strong majority of what I hear in Youtube videos and what I read in articles. But there are other languages I'll want to study (and other hobbies in general) and I don't currently have the time I did a few years ago.

So, if you were giving yourself a deadline where focused, intensive study of a language will cease, how would you approach it? What would you focus on? I've been meeting every week or two with a tutor - how would you maximize these sessions? Would you create a detailed plan for the remaining months, or just make sure you're doing something active with the language every day for 30+ minutes? I am curious to hear any ideas and thoughts.

I won't let Arabic fade until I've forgotten almost everything - I'll still keep the language in maintenance mode (nothing horrifies me more than letting hundreds or thousands of hours go to waste and eventually forgetting everything I've learned). But I'll more or less stop actively learning new things.

submitted by /u/Daghatar
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Tagged with

#creative language use
#language evolution
#philosophy of language
#humor in language
#internet culture
#Arabic
#MSA
#Jordanian
#Levantine
#language learning
#language goals
#tutor
#maintenance mode
#active learning
#language practice
#study plan
#intentional study
#online resources
#video comprehension
#cultural immersion