A language learners’ forum

Ooh, I'm on this one! Or, at least maybe I qualify?

Both my language and fitness goals tend to be rather fluid because I'm an inveterate wanderluster, perhaps more a student of linguistics than any particular language, and my state of health and therefore my ability to focus varies day to day (unfortunately at something of a nadir at the moment, but I'm working to rehab that).

Because I have a strong tendency to focus on reading and listening, I'm going to make my language goal to do some kind of output daily in both speech and/or writing. As my capabilities vary from week to week, this could be anything from writing a journal entry and/or recording some basic spoken output when things are going well, to merely doing some written exercises and/or using some software that allows me to record myself to compare my pronunciation to a native speaker model when my capabilities are low.

And I'm going to try something similar exercise-wise, with my daily target to do both something to get my heart rate up (running, dancing, stepping, hooping), and/or something to balance my system out (yoga, pranayama, MELT, Wim Hoff breathing).

I'll aim for the and rather than the or in these options, but as stress worsens my neurological symptoms, I need ti to hold my impatient and self-critical tendencies in check and be more accepting of my limitations, as my tendency is to get overexert, then relapse.

Does that sound reasonable?

I'm in! Thanks for starting the challenge, pinkyslippers.

I'm prone to wanderlust but I really, really, really want to learn Chinese this year. Which is why I won't make any long term goals for other languages.

I don't have any measurable fitness goals. If the gyms were open, I could point to my training plan and have fun with numbers. But they have been closed for two months and I can't even guess how many months they'll be open this year. So I'll stick with the 'do something every day' approach instead of trying to reach some milestones. Nevertheless I like a bit of planning (or is this prodding?).

Language Challenge:
a) Learn all Hanzi from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1
b) Work through enough newbie lessons on DuChinese to be able to understand lessons of the next difficulty level

Fitness Challenge (starting tomorrow and only if I'm fit):
a) Do one Challenge from Darebee every day as long as the gyms are closed
b) Do 15 minutes of stretching or yoga every day (preferable in one go)

Goals are very undefined, I may edit and write something more concrete, but I'll join.

Currently:
Currently I go running once per week, and I do some exercises irregularly, I have one language exchange per week for Korean, but I'm searching for a second one. Don't study much of my own currently.

Goal:
I'm thinking of a "consistency is key" approach, with flexible outcome.
3 times Korean and sport per week. - that would be an honorable goal.

I'll aim at 3 month for now , if I make it maybe I can convince myself to go with you guys for a full year.

I'm in. Hopefully this year is a bit smoother than the last.

Language goals:
1. Starting taking iTalki lessons in Spanish (and later French). This is more so about finding a good timeslot I can consistently make it to.

2. Finish FSI French

3. Start German (once done with FSI French)

4. Complete the SC I'm signed up for (Full for Spanish, half for French)

Hard to make concrete goals as far as progress given that I don't plan on taking tests in any of these, but I feel like a goal to keep consistent study will reap benefits.

Fitness goals:
1. Continue counting calories - I've been good about this the past few weeks, although with a break during Thanksgiving and Christmas because life is to be lived. Need to keep this going

2. Find a balance that doesn't burn me out - I started back doing martial arts last night (BJJ/Muay Thai) and will be trying to balance that with lifting. In the past I didn't have as regimented a schedule and this always caused me to feel guilty skipping one or the other, so I'm planning this a little better now (and not going to try to fit in running and whatnot, although I'll do it when I can, but I won't feel bad about skipping it). I have a 5 day split I'm going to stretch over two weeks, with 2 power days one week and 3 hypertrophy days the next, with two days of martial arts in between (ideally a MT class followed by BJJ). This will have me a bit sore and I can always move lifting days around to accommodate, the trouble will be once I start doing more things on weekends (especially traveling) and trying to maintain a social life.

I'm in! I'd like to do something flexible, so my plan is to give myself a challenge every month. I would really love to hit some PRs or finally do 10 pullups in a row, but I think it's more important to focus on consistency and stay engaged. I'm also signed up for the 365 Day Challenge and the Super Challenge.

For January, I will do a 1000/1000/1000 challenge:

• Read 1000 pages of Spanish
• Watch 1000 minutes of movies / series with Spanish audio
• Do 1000 pushups

If I aim for 50 pages, 1 episode and 50 pushups per day, I'll have room to miss a few days and still make my target.

pinkyslippers wrote:

clara wrote:I'm in! I'd like to do something flexible, so my plan is to give myself a challenge every month.

Welcome and thank you for joining! I love the idea of doing something different each month

Thank you! Haha, I just can't bring myself to commit to one thing for the whole year, especially with how much uncertainty there is with gyms and everything right now.

I don't use the forum regularly, but I did manage to accomplish my 2019 and 2020 fitness goals (language goals were hampered by circumstances out of my control), so why not *shrug*

Language goal:
For the love of all things good in the universe, pass the Dutch CNaVT A2 exam. I've had to put it off twice now, and a third time certainly isn't impossible due to current circumstances, but I will try my best. Failing that as a goal, I'll likely sack A2 off altogether, and try to attain B1 in 2022.

Would also like to get my Swedish up to a better standard, but haven't got one of those 'SMART' targets worked out yet.

Fitness goal:
This one is a bit of an odd one for me, as I usually spend my summer time competing in a sport where excess body mass can be an advantage and as such I tend to be heavier. At the moment, the likelihood of competitions going ahead doesn't seem very good (although vaccinations may well change that). I decided it was an ideal time to become more athletic in general, so over the last 10 months I've gone from 130kg to 118kg in bodyweight through dieting and moderate exercise (having to had to improvise a lot with gyms being shut) and want to keep going if gyms aren't going to reopen any time soon.

So my goal is to make it down to 110kg by April, and possibly down to 106kg by June (this would be the lightest I've been in over 10 years). If gyms reopen, my goals are to bench press 140kg, overhead press 85kg, back squat 180kg and split squat 80kg for five reps on each leg (the latter two would be an all time best regardless of bodyweight) at a bodyweight lower than 110kg.

If my sport recommences? Well, in that case, launch a 7.26kg/16lb iron ball further than I have in any previous year (without falling out of the front of the throwing circle of course...)

I'd like to join.

I too will be aiming more for consistency rather than anything impressively arduous. As I'm disabled, and prone to injure or become overly exhausted easily, I have to keep my goals more in line with with what I can do reasonably without doing myself more harm than good.

250 days of:

• 20 minutes (or more) or either aerobic exercise, strength training, or both
• 20 minutes (or more) of verb conjugation practice

I chose 250 days because that more or less evens out to 5 days a week for the rest of 2021. There will be days where I will likely not manage to do one or both so I am giving myself some leeway there.

My main goal with the physical fitness part is to work on building up my strength, flexibility and stamina again. Back in Spring of 2019 I injured the ligaments in my knee and it took forever to heal. Since then it's been hard for me to get back to a routine of any physical activity, so I need to set the bar a little low for myself--if the current goal becomes too easy I'll change it later, but for now I want to just get into the routine. The types of exercise I like to do include walking, non-impact aerobics, barre exercises (although I use a chair), standing stretch and strengthening exercises and free weights. Mostly anything that's not high impact and that I can do standing--I have a bad hip and any sitting/floor exercises are painful or very uncomfortable for me.

For the verb conjugations, I will drill 2 or more verbs in French, Spanish, German or Russian, but written and orally, for at least 20 minutes, focusing on tenses appropriate for my level in that language.

Language: the 365challenge
Fitness:
-only one obviously unhealthy meal per week. A burger or a pizza is meant to be a treat and a social event (even if that means "only" a date at home in the current conditions), not the daily nourriture.
-one video exercise (most are dance based, mostly cardio and some strengthening) five times per week.

Perhaps doing it with this group will help. Also, my motivation: I am not enough of a hypocrite to claim I am trying to lose weight for my health, I don't have any related health problems (only unrelated ones). I want to find myself more attractive again and I also don't want to buy new and bigger clothes, I'd prefer to fit back into the ones I like and have already paid for.

I'm in!

Fitness Goals

I have been working out regularly since 2007. My only goal is to keep training regularly, that is 4 times a week at least. Since June last year I have been training 5-7 times a week and I have been in good shape so far. I suffered an accident 3 years ago and I am still recovering from it. I am not sure if my muscles will ever be 100%, but I'm glad that I managed to walk again. in 2021 I'd like to stay in shape and check if I can ever be like I was prior to the accident.

Due to the current situation, I might reduce my training to 4 times a week. Let's see how it goes.

Language goals

I have just signed up for the 365 days challenge. I will create my log soon and hopefully post something over there.

Part of my language goals depend on the current situation. For example, I'm willing to sit for DELE and some of the Cambridge's exams, but the dates don't depend on me. Language centers can reserve the right to cancel or postpone their tests at anytime.

Anyway, for both fitness and language challenges, but only goal is to be consistent. Consistency is the key.