StringerBell wrote:zjones wrote:I have a terrible habit: I try a scheduling method (like time-tracking) and somehow think that it will fix my language studies, only to realize that I HATE tracking time.
It's definitely not for everyone! It works well for me because I really, really love collecting data and I find that it keeps me accountable, but that doesn't mean you should make yourself do it if you hate it. How are you keeping track of your time? I use the stopwatch on my iPhone. If I need to stop to do something else, I just pause the stopwatch, then resume it when I continue. Is that how you were tracking?
I do something totally different with Italian that maybe you could apply to French, sort of an adapted Pomodoro technique. I have a certain number of Italian articles that I want to read for the day (usually 5). I read one article and then I give myself permission to play my turn in Words with Friends (I have about 3-4 games going on at any given point, so it takes me a couple of minutes). As soon as I played all my turns, I read another article. Maybe you could allow yourself to do very briefly one of the things that tend to distract you after you've watched a video, recorded a French message, or read a certain # of pages as a little reward?
Or, you could make some kind of grid (spreadsheet or list style) where each box is a task (like one box for recording a message, one box for reading a chapter in a French book, one box for watching x number of videos or x minute of videos and when you've finished that task, check off the box. Maybe this wouldn't work for you, but I find checking tasks off extremely fulfilling and it motivates me to get more things done so I can check them off!zjones wrote:I've been learning new vocabulary and phrases in French from using Assimil Le Grec. I had no idea that un pont does not only mean bridge, but also the deck of a ship. Another word I learned is une escale which means a stop or a layover.
Man, what crazy vocabulary to be using with absolute beginners!
That vocabulary word in Greek wasn't too bad, actually, because the Greek word was simply στάσεις which means "stop". However, there have been some interesting Greek words in Assimil, which is part of the charm of the course.
I've tried a few different tracking methods: phone stopwatch, checking the clock, and pomodoros of varying lengths. Some tracking methods work better than others, but I have a bad habit of forgetting to check my phone's stopwatch when I'm done, or with not wanting to stop when the pomodoro timer goes off. I think it would be easier to track my language time if I had an Apple Watch.
My current Greek time-tracking method: I use the clock on my computer to track the time I spend doing Assimil. I use Audacity to manipulate the audio, so I'm on my computer anyway. Sometimes I forget to check the time when I start, though. I write down all my times in a spreadsheet, but I'll stop doing this once I'm done with the 6WC.
My current French time-tracking method is a lot more random. I use the clock on my computer for tasks like writing or chatting, but I don't care to get exact times. For things like YouTube videos, podcasts and TV shows, I just count the time elapsed on the episode. For reading, I have a different method entirely. At night, I don't count my reading time. In the daytime, I count my reading time by turning on a background ambience sound (like this Winter Cabin Ambience, and when I stop reading I check the time elapsed. Most of these ambience tracks are 1 hour in length, so I often use a single track to reach my reading goal for the day. When the ambience stops playing, I know I'm done. None of these times go anywhere, I only use them to determine whether or not I've reached my goal for the day.
My favorite way to manage tasks is with a simple whiteboard. I love the tangibility of writing with colorful markers and being able to erase things easily. Every morning I write the date at the top of the whiteboard and then list all my tasks for the day -- language goals, household tasks, chores, fun things to do. Then I cross items off as I complete them. I'll also use the extra white space to keep track of small chunks of time that I spent doing random things with French. It's not perfect, but there's something about the flexibility of a whiteboard that works well for me. Writing a new list every day also helps me focus.
But, as you stated it can also be helpful to track data for the long-term. I wish I wasn't so resistant to using spreadsheets for that kind of information -- because I really do like to look back over what I've accomplished -- but in the past it has never worked for me. I still have a lot to learn about myself when it comes to managing my own studies.