17 Destructive Habits That Are Killing Your Progress Dead!
by Olly Richards
What would you say if I told you: “You already know everything you need to know about language learning”?
Would you believe me?
The thing is, this might just be true.
You know that language learning isn't rocket science. You know that the most important thing is just doing a little bit every single day.
You know this…and yet you're not progressing as much as you should.
Something's not quite right.
But here's the thing: you probably already know everything you need to know. The first thing you should do is turn the spotlight on what you're already doing!
There are some bad habits out there that are so serious that they can kill your progress dead.
Here are 17 of them.
If you recognise any of these in your own learning, then you should focus on eliminating them right away, before you even think about trying any other methods.
1. Not Writing Down New Words And Phrases That You Learn
You know how it goes. You come across a new word that you really want to remember… except you've forgotten it by the next day.
Stop wasting all this new language and start writing everything down. I input new language directly into my SRS app immediately so it's safely recorded and ready to study.
2. Believing You Need A Fixed Time Everyday For Language Study
If you're using this as the excuse for not doing the work – stop! For every month that passes whilst you're still trying to “find the time”, you're missing out on countless hours of potential bite-sized learning on the move. Click here to find out how to do this.
3. Deciding Fresh What To Study Each Day
You risk wasting huge amounts of time and focus deciding what you “feel like” studying each day. That time spent making decisions is detracting from your reserves of concentration that should be spend studying.
Barack Obama knows this – he only wears two colours of suit in order to cut down on decision making in the morning.
A smarter approach to language learning is to use what I call Sprints – going deep into one particular activity for an extended period of time. Click here for my article on that.
4. Listening To Audio Without Reading Along
Listening is great, but you're missing out onso much potential learning, especially learning to deal with connected speech, if you don't read the text at the same time.
If your partner keeps slipping back into English, you're as good as wasting your time. Worse, you risk building resentment against them and damaging your self-confidence.
Language learning is 5% talent, 95% hard work. The stories you tell yourself define your success. Change the stories. Instead of: “I can't, because I'm…”, try: “I can, because I'm…”
8. Not Speaking
Learning takes place when you find a gap in your knowledge of the language. Once you've noticed the gap, you can become more aware of it and begin to figure out how to close it.
Speaking gives you the quickest, most direct feedback possible on your knowledge of the language, and by not speaking regularly you're depriving yourself of this potential to notice and to grow.
9. Not Listening To The Same Audio Enough Times
The major benefits of listening to audio in a foreign language come from repeat listening. You might learn a few new words with the first few listenings, but it's not just about the vocabulary.
By stopping and moving on to the next track you miss out on the more intangible learning that comes from listening to something multiple times and getting really comfortable with it.
10. Blaming Grammar
Stop it! You're avoiding facing the real issue.
95% of meaning is thought to be communicated through lexis (i.e. words), and only 5% through grammar.
Grammar is an easy target, but if communication is your aim, then you need to spend time speaking with real people, and concerning yourself with getting the message across one way or another.
This time, Uncle Sam is wrong…
I'm not saying grammar isn't important, but the most perfect grammar in the world isn't going to help you out when you're looking to establish a genuine connection with another human being.
For that you need a big smile and a friendly attitude. Screw the future perfect and the relative pronoun.
11. Feeling Foolish For Speaking With Natives Before You're Fluent
I suffer from this badly. The danger is, this feeling often doesn't disappear, even when you actually are fluent. By avoiding speaking with native speakers you risk missing out on a lifetime of opportunities to practice and improve.
Remember that people (even strangers) are concerned with your message first, and your language skills second.
Be confident, remember you're talking to another human being who wants to connect with people just as much as you do, and just tell them what you want to say.
12. Listening/Reading To Material That's Too Hard For You
Biting off more than you can chew can be demoralising and counter-productive. Tackling material intended for native speakers can seem like a great idea, but you're most likely to give up half-way through, having not really grasped most of the language within.
I try to find things where I understand 90% of it already, and 10% is unknown. That way I can focus all my attention on a small, manageable amount of new language. (Note: if you're looking for immersion material,this doesn't apply)
13. Not Doing Something Every Single Day
By not doing something everyday, you're missing out on the benefits that come with regular study. But more importantly, the lack of a regular study schedule makes it more likely you will fall of the log and not study regularly at all.
That's the biggest danger of all. Commit to doing something everyday, however small.
14. “And Then Facebook Happened!”
This great comment from Cedric on my Facebook page sums up the troubles of an entire generation. Estimate the amount of time you have wasted on Facebook using a tool like Screen Time on your iPhone…Then get disturbed, and banish it forever with the Self-Control App for Mac. This tool has saved my life.
15. Watching Too Many Movies
If you start to tell yourself that your penchant for movie-watching is a good alternative to studying… think again!
By all means watch foreign language movies in your down-time, but don't kid yourself that they're playing a big part in raising your level. Study is study, and there aren't many good alternatives. Click here for making the most out of foreign language movies.
16. Reading Language Blogs
I'm a big advocate of educating yourself about whatever you're trying to learn, but you risk succumbing to paralysis by analysis. Make a resolution to stop reading and take action today.
17. Hoarding Materials
“Shiny new object” syndrome can lead to spending more time preparing yourself to study, than actually sitting down and getting on with it.
Make yourself a cup of tea, pick a book, sit down, and get on with it. Do that everyday for 3 weeks and decide whether it's working. And don't let the hoarding villain persuade you otherwise!
——
So, do any of these sound familiar? 🙂
If you recognise any of these, then why not just pick one and commit to eliminating it from your language learning this week?
Leave me a comment to say which habit you'll be kicking! If you have any tips for beating any of them, let me know too!
If you found this useful, please Like it on Facebook, or click here to send a tweet.
Join my email newsletter and get FREE access to your StoryLearning Kit — discover how to learn languages through the power of story!
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download a FREE Story in Japanese!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Japanese and start learning Japanese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREENatural Japanese Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Japanese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Japanese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Japanese?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in German?
Online Teaching Accelerator Waiting List
The next cohort of OTA will open soon. Join the waiting list, and we’ll notify you as soon as enrolment is open!
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Turkish?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in German?
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREEJapanese Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Japanese Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Japanese words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download Your FREE German Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my German Vocab Power Pack and learn essential German words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREE Italian Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Italian Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Italian words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Italian?
Download Your FREEFrench Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my French Vocab Power Pack and learn essential French words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Arabic?
What is your current level in Portuguese?
What is your current level in Turkish?
What is your current level in Korean?
What is your current level in Russian?
What is your current level in Japanese?
What is your current level in Chinese?
What is your current level in Spanish?
What is your current level in Italian?
What is your current level in French?
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREENatural Portuguese Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Portuguese Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Portuguese grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download Your FREENatural Russian Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Russian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Russian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Russian?
Download Your FREENatural German Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural German Grammar Pack and learn to internalise German grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in German?
Download Your FREENatural French Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural French Grammar Pack and learn to internalise French grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in French?
Download Your FREENatural Italian Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Italian Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Italian grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Italian?
Download a FREE Story in Portuguese!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Brazilian Portuguese and start learning Portuguese quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in Portuguese?
Download a FREE Story in Russian!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Russian and start learning Russian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in Russian?
Download a FREE Story in German!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in German and start learning German quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in German?
Download a FREE Story in Italian!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Italian and start learning Italian quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in Italian?
Download a FREE Story in French!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in French and start learning French quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in French?
Download a FREE Story in Spanish!
Enter your email address below to get a FREE short story in Spanish and start learning Spanish quickly and naturally with my StoryLearning® method!
What is your current level in Spanish?
FREE Download:
The Rules of Language Learning
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Rules of Language Learning and discover 25 “rules” to learn a new language quickly and naturally through stories.
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download Your FREESpanish Vocab Power Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Spanish Vocab Power Pack and learn essential Spanish words and phrases quickly and naturally. (ALL levels!)
What is your current level in Spanish?
Download Your FREENatural Spanish Grammar Pack
Enter your email address below to get free access to my Natural Spanish Grammar Pack and learn to internalise Spanish grammar quickly and naturally through stories.
What is your current level in Spanish?
Free Step-By-Step Guide:
How to generate a full-time income from home with your English… even with ZERO previous teaching experience.
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Thai?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Spanish?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Cantonese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Russian?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Korean?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Japanese?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Italian?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in German?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in French?
Steal My Method?
I’ve written some simple emails explaining the techniques I’ve used to learn 8 languages…
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
I want to be skipped!
Join 84,574 other language learners getting StoryLearning tips by email…
“After I started to use your ideas, I learn better, for longer, with more passion. Thanks for the life-change!” – Dallas Nesbit
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Download this article as a FREE PDF?
What is your current level in Chinese?
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Join 84,574 other language learners getting StoryLearning tips by email…
“After I started to use your ideas, I learn better, for longer, with more passion. Thanks for the life-change!” – Dallas Nesbit
Which language are you learning?
What is your current level in [language]?
Find The Perfect Language Course For You!
Looking for world-class training material to help you make a breakthrough in your language learning?
Click ‘start now’ and complete this short survey to find the perfect course for you!