Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

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Keep in contact or take a break?

Do no Polish whatsoever for 3 weeks, give my brain a break from it.
18
53%
Continue to keep in contact with Polish every day during the visit, even if it's only listening to a podcast for 10-20 minutes.
16
47%
 
Total votes: 34

StringerBell
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Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby StringerBell » Mon Nov 05, 2018 3:34 pm

I am coming to the end of my 1,100 hours of Polish in 2018 challenge. I just found out that my Italian in-laws will be visiting in the month of December for 3 weeks. I'm currently doing a little extra each day to finish my hours before they arrive. During this time, I plan to speak only Italian (or at least as much as possible). I plan to return to Polish full-force in 2019, but I'm unsure what to do during this visit.
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Brun Ugle
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby Brun Ugle » Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:00 pm

Do whatever you feel like doing. I see no problem with taking a three week break. I don’t think it will hurt you at all. Three weeks isn’t a very long time and according to your profile, you are at B1, so you probably won’t experience any drop in your abilities in such a short time. Sometimes when I drop a language for a few weeks, I feel like I’ve forgotten everything, but as soon as I hear it or read it, it all comes back. I find that a few weeks break can even give my brain the time it needs to digest a few things I may have struggled with and when I dust off the language again I find I’ve even improved a little. Also, three weeks of intensive Italian could be really good for your Italian. It’s a great opportunity to make some progress.

Personally, in your situation, I think I would drop Polish and go all in with Italian, but if I felt like doing some Polish one day, I would go ahead and do it. I’d let my mood and the situation dictate. I wouldn’t feel guilty if I didn’t do any Polish. I also wouldn’t feel bad if I did decide to spend a little time on Polish. Have fun, relax and enjoy the holiday.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby Ogrim » Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:34 pm

Contrary to Brun Ugle, personally I would continue to do a little bit of Polish, time allowing. That said, do what you want to do. I agree with Brun Ugle that at B1 level you won't notice any significant drop in your knowledge or abilities. You will be able to pick it up where you left it once you get back into your routine after the holidays.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby StringerBell » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:24 pm

Interestingly, so far it seems to be a pretty even split between the two options.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby rfnsoares » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:53 pm

I think you can benefit by taking a 3-week-break from your Polish studies after doing so many hours. I'm pretty sure that you'll come back motivated and felling refreshed. In January, you can also take a break from your Italian studies to give time to your brain to process all the efforts of December.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby zKing » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:42 pm

I think the 3 weeks itself isn't the real issue. The important point is the day after the 3 weeks are over. After a 3 week break, are you likely to be refreshed and itching to start back up again? Or are you likely to say to yourself "boy, this no Polish thing was nice, and I'm just not feeling it yet... maybe I'll start up again tomorrow..." and before you know it 3 months have passed.

On the scale of the time it takes to really learn a language, 3 weeks is a drop in the bucket, anything you do or don't do in any particular 3 weeks during that process is unlikely to swing your abilities in any significant way. But momentum, motivation, catching a second wind... these are effects that can last FAR beyond the 3 weeks itself.

And frankly, you are the only one who can really tell how you are likely to react on the day after the break is over.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby StringerBell » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:54 pm

zKing wrote:I think the 3 weeks itself isn't the real issue. The important point is the day after the 3 weeks are over.


I feel extremely confident that I will continue on with Polish no matter what; it is a language that I love deeply and at this point I can't see myself giving up on it. I foresee myself being excited to return to it in January.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby reineke » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:17 pm

I "studied" Italian TV only during the summer months. You'll be fine either way.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby Serpent » Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:36 pm

Try to get some exposure to Polish, but don't stress about it. Maybe you'll use it 2-3 times during these weeks, that's fine. Maybe you'll be so tired of Italian at some point that you'll want to do several hours of Polish in one go, that's fine too.
(I voted for "take a break")
Another question is, do you have something enjoyable to do in Polish? Something like music or someone you enjoy reading on fb/twitter?

Also, I'm not sure it's such a good idea to squeeze in extra hours of Polish now just to finish the challenge. I would focus more on Italian now. When your in-laws arrive you'll probably have very little time for any explicit learning. I've not been in such a situation but I know I would definitely feel guilty about not being able to speak better.
If your challenge remains unfinished you may also have some extra motivation to go back to Polish once they've left.
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Re: Your input needed: Should I keep in contact or take a break?

Postby David1917 » Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:00 am

I voted "keep contact." I wouldn't consciously purge Polish, especially because you're likely not literally going to be 24/7 surrounded by the in-laws speaking only Italian. But definitely don't stress about trying to maintain the routine. When I was living in Moscow last year I played around with French here and there and listened to the Michel Thomas stuff, but didn't barely touch Chinese or anything else, because I was trying to live as much in Russian as possible.
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