As mentioned in my last article, my attempt to improve my listening in French (so as to demonstrate to you how ‘easy’ it is to improve your Italian listening) has rather, well, ground to a halt.
I know I COULD do the work.
And I do WANT to.
But actually, I don’t really HAVE to. I could just write an article, like this one, about how I haven’t managed it (for example).
So many other things also need to be done. There’s the rent, the payroll, and you wouldn’t believe the taxes a small business in Italy has to pay each month.
Prioritising the French listening practice seems, sort of, perverse.
And so doesn’t happen.
I have a motivation problem
Way, way back on my teacher-training course, we were taught all sorts of stuff about motivation.
Science, being what it is, has likely moved on since then.
So rather than dazzle you with out-dated psychology, I’ll just speak from experience:
- People learn when they really want to
- People learn when they have to
- People often don’t learn even if they need to
A shopping analogy
Everyone understands shopping, so here’s an analogy:
- I saw something in an online store that I couldn’t resist (want to)
- My kids drink lots of milk so I always make sure there’s some in the fridge (have to)
- My BMW motorbike won’t start. A new battery would do the job… (need to)
Guess which of the three I haven’t done, yet.
Right. The motorbike is still in the garage. I have alternative forms of transport: there’s the bus, the bicycle, I could even walk to work.
In fact, if I don’t spend €100 on a motorbike battery, well, I won’t have to pay €300 for the insurance. So we’ll be better off as a family by €400.
My inaction, therefore, is justified!
End of analogy.
And the French?
I’m just working on my French listening to show you guys that it can be done.
But I could do that in other ways.
And there are always other priorities (write an article for this site, or work on my French listening?)
Just as I could leave the motorbike in the garage and save money, so I could skip the French and focus on something else.
Maybe you know that feeling.
Time for an expert tip
My mother, who’s an avid follower of this site, reminded me “You said you’d practice what you preach”.
True.
But I never said I was perfect.
We all have plenty of reasons to NOT achieve our goals.
The problem, as always, is finding reasons to keep going.
In another article I suggested some ‘easy-to-do’ ideas for improving your Italian in 2014.
About time, then, that I followed my own advice.
I’ve just set the home page of my browser to http://www.lemonde.fr/
At least once a day, but likely more often, I’ll be faced with the news headlines in French.
I love newspapers. And you know how online newspapers are these days: videos, interactive sections, photo galleries… Plenty of opportunities to distract oneself from the ‘must do’ tasks…
The idea is, I’ll be seeing French every day, whether I like it or not. And in a context that is inherently interesting to me.
So that will (hopefully) reinforce my intention to improve my listening, maybe moving it from a “need to” to a “must”, or even a “want”.
Conclusion?
If you’re not making the progress you’d like to with your Italian, take some time to address your motivation issues.
If you’re not motivated, you’re not going any place fast.
So maybe you should spend some time thinking that through.
Find motivation, or fail.
Have the same problem motivating yourself to study Italian? Let me know what works for you! Leave a comment on this article.
July Rice says
Buon di! My major motivation to keep on trying – realized just this weekend after several self pitying months believing I would never get anywhere understanding the Italian language -has been, quite simply, SUCCESS!
Not a giant step forward – merely a baby step – but I understood chunks of a conversation spoken at normal speed in Italian for the first time yesterday!
So now, I have renewed motivation, which was flagging enormously. It’s a hard grind to keep motivated without any sign of success. I hope I won’t regress today. I WANT to succeed some more – it really feels good! And I have a glimmering of an idea that I’m not such a dunce after all.
Daniel says
That’s great, July! Well done to you!
John Thomson says
Bravo July
Posso chiederla come lo hai fatto ?
Ho appena completato due esami CILS, i miei resultati erano
Livello A1 adulti
totale 79%…. senza ascoltando 92% …..solo ascoltando 67%
Livello A2 adulti
totale 83%…. senza ascoltando 83% …..solo ascoltando 83%
Spero che Daniel dica che io sono livello A2
Adesso vorrei fare attenzione ad ascoltando
tanti auguri
John Thomson
Daniel says
Seems like good progress, John. Keep going!
Ruth Stephens says
Devo congratularti, John su tali buoni gradi nei esami, particolarmente l’ascolto che per me e’ il piu’ difficile. Nel testo di Madrelingua, per determinare il livello, il mio grado e’ stato 40/46 – avanzato, pero’ nei esercisi di ascolto – anche livello A – i miei gradi sono stati atroci (non mi ricordo l’esatti gradi, solo che sentivo molto scorraggiata – una fallita). E’ una cosa di capire il succo (gist) come ha detto Daniel ma un altro per questi esercisi dove si deve rispondere alle domande precisi. Come altri trovo che in conversazione, se non si e’ familiare con la lingua non si puo’ indovinare le parole meno chiaro. Quindi, bravo a te, per me, provaci ancora.
John Thomson says
Ruth, tu sei troppo gentile, ti ringrazi per le tue parole sympatichi
Daniel deve oroglioso di tuo l’italiano
A presto
John
Pamela says
I think that being disciplined about learning is a fine thing to aim for… and I have spent a lifetime aiming for this as it is so fine. But imagining the benefits of an action works better for me. Imagining listening to or speaking with people who respond back with a smile and a welcome works for me more than imagining studying. I imagine studying all the time to be honest but mostly it stays imaginary! That ‘Learn Italian’ book is right by the bed ready to open. Sometimes it moves to beside the sofa. Mainly it stays unopened. Choosing to enter a live dynamic works well. I like it when I take part in something which is already happening rather than having to make something happen. So, for example, a film, a streamed TV or radio transmission, a live class, a Skype conversation, speaking in Italian to the (bilingual) shopkeeper in the local Italian deli (nice guy – not a flicker of frustration). These feel more like interesting fun (maybe at times confusing ‘fun’ of course) rather than work. Keeping a sense of humour, noticing the baby steps of improvement and ditching the self-criticism is key.
Daniel says
Wise words, Pamela.