Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

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coldrainwater
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Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby coldrainwater » Sat May 13, 2017 2:26 am

I am a big believer in massive input. So naturally, the first thing that comes to mind for me is to put the shoe on the other foot and ask what I may be missing. If you would care to share, I am interested in hearing about cases where you have intentionally minimized your language learning time in order to achieve better results. Did it work as you expected? What kinds of strategies, tactics, methods, etc did you use?

As motivation, and to provide a cross-disciplinary example, I'd like to cite two common techniques in the sport of powerlifting (or even more generally bodybuilding/strength training/fitness). For example, it is common to periodize training volume where training volume may be normal or high for a time period (a month or two for example) followed by an intentionally low volume period. This often results in notable gains in limit strength during and because of the low volume phase. There is also the related training philosophy of 'leaving a rep in the tank' geared toward limiting injury and reducing excessive strain on the central nervous system (thereby achieving more with less). The same strategy is often used with studying to 'build a bridge' to the next day and intentionally pique interest by doing less than you could. Finally, we know that discoveries are often made 'on vacation' and that creativity theory and relaxation play a role in that case.

Those are a few examples, but I have a good feeling that having a similar set of tactics and tools to add to our language learning repertoire geared specifically toward spending less time would be beneficial. Of course, this happens naturally when we 'don't have time' for as much language learning as we would like, but I am even more interested in the cases where you have the time but intentionally choose to use less of it on language and get better results.

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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby SophiaMerlin_II » Sat May 13, 2017 3:58 am

coldrainwater wrote:As motivation, and to provide a cross-disciplinary example, I'd like to cite two common techniques in the sport of powerlifting (or even more generally bodybuilding/strength training/fitness). For example, it is common to periodize training volume where training volume may be normal or high for a time period (a month or two for example) followed by an intentionally low volume period. This often results in notable gains in limit strength during and because of the low volume phase.


Or to put it more simply: Most lifters over-train. By allowing themselves to take a break, their body is able to properly recover in what may be the first time in many months, or in more dedicated athletes, years.

But I think that language learners probably avoid doing this intentionally for the same reason that lifters do: progress is based on practice, so psychologically speaking, not practicing would seem like sabotaging progress.

Now I can't say I've ever done such a think intentionally, but anecdotally it does seem like the same principles hold true.

I personally have my own opinion on people who "leave a rep in the tank" but that's not really important here :lol:

We were actually having a sort of a think about this in another thread, where we were wondering if grouping up language study together might be more effective than spreading the same amount of time over the period: For example reading 7 hours on Saturday versus reading 1 hour every day.

An issue though might be the destruction of routine. If a person were to have a break of too long a period, they might break their habit of language learning and not come back when they should, or struggle to come back. In the long run this might be more detrimental.

But yes, I'd be very interested in this kind of information as well ^.^ Even though I know I could never apply it.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby mcthulhu » Sat May 13, 2017 10:26 am

Have you done the "Learning How to Learn" course on learning techniques on Coursera? You can audit it for free, or at least that used to be the case. I think it's worth the time. A couple of things you said seemed to echo points made in the course about focused vs diffused mode. https://medium.com/learn-love-code/lear ... d149920dc4 is one guy's notes on the course.

I've usually found that cramming doesn't work as well for me as sustained effort over a long period of time; and I'm usually not in that much of a hurry anyway. I'd vote for the 1 hour each day for 7 days vs 7 hours in 1 day.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby mcthulhu » Sat May 13, 2017 10:40 am

https://www.reddit.com/r/GetMotivated/c ... ra_course/ is somebody else's notes on the course, in a little more detail.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby blaurebell » Sat May 13, 2017 11:23 am

I have an excel sheet for tracking my language learning and the columns go like this: Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Lessons, Grammar, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. The first 4 I classify es formal study, the other 4 as informal study. The formal study activities have a different colour coding embedded than the informal study activities: The formal activities turn red when I do more than an hour a day, whereas the informal activities turn blue when I do more than 2 hours a day. Basically I try not to do more than an hour on formal activities while I try to spend more time with informal activities. Not sure whether this is the kind of thing that you're thinking about, but this definitely prevents that I burn myself out too much. There is only one informal activity that I find just a straining in the beginning as formal study and that is intensive reading. As soon as it gets a bit more extensive it's fine to do many hours of this though. I find that the more I have fun with the language the less straining I find formal study too. I also use informal study as rewards for formal study achievements, for example I allow myself to relax with an informal study activity, if I manage to do a full hour of grammar exercises.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby Steve » Sat May 13, 2017 12:35 pm

Anecdotally, I have noticed that some things seem to "self-organize" in the background without active effort. This was not so much in the context of taking a break so much as having left something alone for a long time.

The first time I observed this was in college. Someone was asking me about a calculus problem on some topic (which I had taken a semester earlier). I hadn't consciously studied it since then, or solved problems on that topic since, and didn't feel like I understood it well. I found myself easily explaining and solving the problem on the first attempt. (And then wondering why the heck I couldn't do it that easily when I was taking the class.)

I've found other mathematical and technical topics have done this. I struggled with them, left them alone for weeks or months, came back and found they were trivial to understand. I've noticed this with language learning at times. I work on something, feel like I make no progress, come back sometime later and it is functioning. It's sort of like my brain has retained the proper connections for something and dropped out the confusion and distractions that were preventing it from working.

I haven't figured out how to reproducibly do this though. :( It seems very intermittent, but I've seen it happen enough times to think that it is a real effect of some sort. Is anyone aware of any research on this? I'd be surprised if it was not documented and studied somewhere.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby Jbean » Sat May 13, 2017 2:16 pm

I liked the reddit learning summary. I memorized a boatload of facts in medical school (I should hope!) and found that my most efficient study time was in the evening, before I walked my dog. I could then review and mull over what I had studied as we walked. Spending an additional hour peering at notes and textbooks would have been less helpful than reviewing without notes as I exercised in the quiet dark. It helped to move ideas into my long term memory. The dog enjoyed it too.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby smallwhite » Sat May 13, 2017 2:46 pm

Would leosmith's Bow wave post be relevant here?
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby mcthulhu » Sat May 13, 2017 3:50 pm

Steve - see my note on diffused mode as discussed in the Learning How to Learn course. There has been research on this.
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Re: Intentionally Minimizing Time Spent for Better Results

Postby reineke » Sat May 13, 2017 5:48 pm

Pumping iron: Lighter weights just as effective as heavier weights to gain muscle, build strength

"New research from McMaster University is challenging traditional workout wisdom, suggesting that lifting lighter weights many times is as efficient as lifting heavy weights for fewer repetitions.

It is the latest in a series of studies that started in 2010, contradicting the decades-old message that the best way to build muscle is to lift heavy weights.

"Fatigue is the great equalizer here," says Stuart Phillips, senior author on the study and professor in the Department of Kinesiology. "Lift to the point of exhaustion and it doesn't matter whether the weights are heavy or light."

"At the point of fatigue, both groups would have been trying to maximally activate their muscle fibres to generate force," says Phillips, "

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... um=twitter

Your initial assumptions about bodybuilding could be wrong. It's a tempting analogy and you will find plenty of articles online about how to make your brain buff. The brain's fibers will however not tear from too much reading. I suspect that some language learner activities are tantamount to chugging protein shakes. I don't see language as a bunch of facts to be memorized. Regarding "rest" you may find this study interesting:

Second language processing shows increased native-like neural responses after months of no exposure.

"Although learning a second language (L2) as an adult is notoriously difficult, research has shown that adults can indeed attain native language-like brain processing and high proficiency levels. However, it is important to then retain what has been attained, even in the absence of continued exposure to the L2--particularly since periods of minimal or no L2 exposure are common.

Instead...it remained unchanged, and there was an increase in native-like neural processing of syntax... The results demonstrate that substantial periods with no L2 exposure are not necessarily detrimental. Rather, benefits may ensue from such periods of time even when there is no L2 exposure. Interestingly, both before and after the delay the implicitly trained group showed more native-like processing than the explicitly trained group, indicating that type of training also affects the attainment of native-like processing in the brain. Overall, the findings may be largely explained by a combination of forgetting and consolidation in declarative and procedural memory, on which L2 grammar learning appears to depend. The study has a range of implications, and suggests a research program with potentially important consequences for second language acquisition and related fields.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22470434

Paul Nation's book offers some ideas about timed exercises. It's not the thing you were asking about, but I thought it was worth mentioning. I've never tried to learn a language in a given amount of time.
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