Overcoming a Plateau with concrete goals and activities

[StringerBell]

A little while ago I was feeling stuck in a plateau with both Polish and Italian. I did a lot of researching (to figure out what others have done about the same issue) but I couldn't really find anything specific, and I really like specificity. On this forum there are a few threads about getting from B2 to C1 or surpassing a plateau, but all the advice seemed to be very general.

So I thought I'd share what I ended up doing, and if anyone else has anything specific they'd like to add, that would be great.

1) I spent some time really evaluating what were my strengths and what specifically I needed to improve with each language. What was holding me back from speaking more fluently?

2) I made a list of what I needed to target. For Italian, two of the areas I needed to improve were (1) using reflexive verbs more proficiently and (2) improve my use of articles and prepositions

3) Once I had specific areas identified to improve, I decided what activities I could do to improve each one. For example, with reflexive verbs, I chose one reflexive verb (to brush one's teeth) and I generated about 20 sentences with variations (past tense, future tense, conditional tense, a negative sentence, combined with a second reflexive verb, etc...) I had a native speaker help me translate them correctly into Italian. Then I spent some time looking for patterns to understand the differences. Every day for 2 weeks I practiced saying these sentences until I could say them without hesitation. Now, I'm when I want to use a reflexive verb, I think about how I'd say the equivalent but with "brushing teeth" and use that model to help me. Over time with practice, I'm hoping this becomes more automatic.

So, my plan of action looks something like this:

MAIN GOAL: speak more fluently with fewer mistakes

mini goal #1: conquer reflexive verbs
1st step: make a list of sample sentences in English/Italian with one specific reflexive verb
2nd step: practice saying these Italian sentences every day until I can say them without hesitation
3rd step: generate a list of Italian reflexive verbs and make it a point to use at least one per day in conversation

mini goal #2: improve articles and prepositions
1st step: briefly read an explanation of how the articles combine with prepositions to create unique forms as a reminder
2nd step: Create 1-3 sentences each day (that I would actually want to say) that involve an article or article+prep combo that I tend to screw up. Write the sentences then find a way to use them in a conversation that same day. Periodically repeat these sentences until they become automatic.
3rd step: Read 2+ blog posts or articles per day (since reading is how I learned English grammar).*

*Rather than an ambiguous "read more" goal, I specified the type of reading material I wanted to focus on and also specified how much reading I wanted to aim for as a daily minimum. I used this to create an individual challenge to keep myself motivated and accountable.

I've found that working on specific objectives using mini goals has been extremely productive for me, rather than having a general (and ambiguous) goal like "write more" or "read more". While I believe writing and reading more are great things to do that will eventually lead to general improvement, I think that having targeted activities that lead to measurable improvement is really important.

Has anyone else done anything like this (or something totally different) to get over a plateau?

[NoManches]

For me it's been all about identifying my weaknesses and working on them. In many cases I have to admit to myself that some of my skills have deteriorated due to a lack of use on my part. For example, lately I've noticed that I've been making some silly grammar mistakes in Spanish. I've turned into that guy who is conversationally fluent but makes very minor mistakes that a fluent speaker shouldn't be making. I've had to go back to grammar books just to "reinforce the foundation". I remember passing all of my grammar classes in college with high grades, so I thought I was over that. I guess not.

I'm in the beginning stages of preparing myself for the DELE C1 and have already notified that preparing for this exam is bringing all my weaknesses to the table. Now it's up to me to work on them. I really like your plan of attack and think working on the small things is important (such as mastering reflexive verbs).

However, I think you and I are both at the level where the "best bang for your buck" will come from a massive amount of input. I think you are taking the right approach though by solidifying the foundation while choosing what kinds of materials you use for your input.


I typically hate Reddit (at least the language learning groups) that are filled with negativity. Not to mention that almost EVERYONE is at a "C1" level even though we all know that's not true. HOWEVER, doing a search recently for going from B2-C1 led me to this post which I found very insightful. I hope I'm allowed to copy and paste from other places here is the link and the post (I've only copied and pasted a fragment of it). The user name who posted it was "Henkkles". Maybe they are a member here or on HTLAL.

https://www.reddit.com/r/languagelearni ... _b2_to_c1/

I honestly think that to bridge the B>C gap you just have to get a metric SHIT-TON of exposure to native materials combined with speaking and writing tasks.

I think that the very essence of a C-level command compared to a B-level is that you have to let go of stuff meant for learners and jump into stuff made for natives.

That's the only actual answer. I've said this before: you get to C1 by doing C1 things. You don't get to C1 by doing all the things that got you to B2 but just more frequently. You don't get to C1 by "living thorough the language" as I have heard people say unless your daily tasks require and allow you to do advanced composition and formal professional or academic writing in your target language. CEFR is not just speaking and reading. And most people who self-evaluate as C1 or C2 often forget this. They also forget the types of situations that C-level candidates are expected to deal with. Here are some that I have encountered for the CILS exam:

How to rent a stand for a trade show in the industry/sector you work in. You're going to have to ask questions about who is responsible for setting things up, what sort of space is available for giving demos, can you sell products during the convention, what sorts of fees are required, scenarios that many native speakers would not feel comfortable in. That kind of stress wouldn't impact a native speaker's performance but if you get thrown in to such a situation as a non-native and it can make you sound like you're suddenly back at B1.

You're a PhD candidate and you need to ask a professor, whom you do not know, if s/he would consider sponsoring your for your thesis. You need to pick an academic topic and pretend like you know enough about it to get through this situation.

I think that the very essence of a C-level command compared to a B-level is that you have to let go of stuff meant for learners and jump into stuff made for natives.