How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

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luke
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How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby luke » Wed Jul 14, 2021 12:27 pm

I appreciate the fitness challenge, but thinking for some of us, just getting out for a walk may be a healthy adjunct to language learning.

How do you you integrate your language learning and going for a stroll?

Listening? Podcasts? Courses? Do you carry a book?

How challenging is the material you use during a walk?

Is it just for fun, or are you trying to further some specific language learning goal?
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby jeffers » Wed Jul 14, 2021 12:57 pm

Excellent topic!

Currently I listen to a podcast, audiobook or the news (of course never in English!) But in my first couple of years of French study I also did more active learning such as FSI or Pimsleur, and in both cases I would speak my responses out loud. It does make it a harder workout, but also good for building your endurance! I have also used walks to shadow, and Prof Arguelles suggested that walking is the perfect time to shadow. When I used paper flashcards I would use them on walks sometimes as well.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby iguanamon » Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:35 pm

When I was actively learning, and walking alone, I would listen to Pimsleur and DLI drills on my cell phone. I listen regularly to RFI Brasil. RFI Brasil is a news program from France. The actual news only takes up about 5 minutes ofthe half an hour podcast. The other 25 minutes contain in-depth interviews, reports on science, health and culture. So I may go from listening to what's going on in the world to a report on desertification, diet, an interview with an author or a musician. That half an hour is like a multi-vitamin of input for me. I walk for about an hour, so the next ten minutes I may listen to another language and continue for another 20 or 30minutes whenever I'm in the car, later.

Walking is good for the soul as well as the body. Sometimes it's also good to disconnect from the noise and be in nature, be present and absent at the same time.
Last edited by iguanamon on Wed Jul 14, 2021 2:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby Deinonysus » Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:46 pm

Here is my controversial opinion: skip the headphones; be aware of your surroundings and enjoy a mindful walk. It will bring relaxation and enjoyment to your day and it isn't worth sacrificing this experience to squeeze in some extra study time.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby gsbod » Wed Jul 14, 2021 2:21 pm

My first reaction was similar to Deinonysus. If you're going for a walk, the most important thing is going for a walk!

However, back when my job was based in a big, busy, open plan office I would take a walk on my lunchbreak pretty much every day. The main thing was to get some fresh air, peace and quiet, and clear my head. Sometimes with headphones, sometimes without, depending on my mood. But at various points on my lunchtime walks I've done all of these things in languages I've been learning:

Listen to music
Listen to podcasts
Listen to audiobooks
Daydream / have imaginary conversations in my head
Recite poetry I'm trying to learn (in my head not out loud!)
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:13 pm

Audiobooks/podcasts in the target language. It's the only way I could do both activities at all. Just taking a walk doesn't really work for me, and just listening to audio makes me fall asleep. Problem solved - do both at the same time. It keeps me awake.

Learning goal? To improve my listening comprehension. I've done this for a couple of years now.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby sirgregory » Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:59 pm

For German, I listen to Brothers Grimm stories or Bible chapters. I like these because parallel texts and audio versions are freely available, plus they are an ideal length (often 5-15 minutes). It's native content so it's pretty difficult for the level I'm at. But I will have usually studied the material previously and I do a fair bit of repetition. I've gone through about a dozen Grimm stories and have been alternating them. With the Bible, if I don't have time to do the reading sometimes I will listen to a chapter in Spanish first and then in German. That way at least I know what it's about. Sometimes I will pick up new words from the German audio which is very satisfying.

Since my comprehension is not super high yet, my attention will often wander but I don't worry about it much. If I'm already familiar with the story I can get lost for a minute and pick it back up when I refocus. As long as I get several minutes of focused listening I consider it worthwhile. Assimil is okay but the dialogues are very short and I don't like the choppiness if I'm listening while doing something else. FSI and Pimsleur are a bit too active. I find I need full concentration to do them. Full or near full concentration is possible on a walk but I prefer more relaxed listening.

I will also listen if I cook or clean or whatever. Pretty much the same, though I find I'm more distracted than with walking.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby Caromarlyse » Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:19 pm

I have various podcasts in an app, pick and download one or two before setting out for a walk, and then have my headphones on whilst walking. With my less advanced languages, these tend to be a bit beyond my comprehension level. This is arguably not ideal from a language learning perspective, but I have zero patience with short podcasts (I want to put something on and not have to switch to something new minutes later), and don't like podcasts for learners with something other than the TL in them either. However, this is all what works for me. I've had teachers try to tell me to listen to podcasts "at my level" off a list they give me, or that listening should be active. The problem is that I don't want to! I've come to the conclusion that if I keep persevering with an activity without too much internal resistance, it's going to be something I actually do so is good *for me* for that reason. I don't really regard the time as "learning", but I like staying inside my head whilst doing my during-the-week walks (I wouldn't say there was necessarily much in the environment of a lot of the streets to savour!), and a TL soundtrack is as good as any. Occasionally I won't want the mental effort and will choose TL songs instead, or, as I did this morning, listen to an audiobook about the TL culture but in my NL.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby rdearman » Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:13 pm

I seem to be the odd one out. I take a book with me when I walk the dog and read. Otherwise I used Anki on my phone.
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Re: How do you integrate language learning and taking a walk?

Postby Kraut » Wed Jul 14, 2021 7:29 pm

I learn mini-stories by heart after doing bidirectional translation with them and can recite at least the last three of them almost flawlessly. They are in front of my mental eye. Lately, I had to wait for my second vaccination and called them up. I could also do this while going for a walk although this rarely happens these days. My encounters with free-running dogs and their owners have pissed me off.
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