Stress-Free Language Learning

For those of you who do not follow RealLife Radio, you might be unaware that Justin, Chad and I moved to Santiago, Chile in November (learn more about this exciting news here).

A little over a year ago, I started learning Catalan while living in Barcelona. I really love this language, and in Barcelona I had the advantage of being able to hear and speak it almost every day.

But now, I’m living in Chile, where the only native language is Spanish. What’s more, I spend everyday working on RealLife English with Chad and Justin, plus we all live together. So, if I were not to do anything to maintain my level in Catalan, I could easily forget it.

That’s why I wanted to share with you the things that have been working for me learning Catalan even though I’m living in a place where it’s not spoken. I imagine most of you are in a very similar situation!

I also want to show you that although living abroad can be a great way to improve your skills in a language, it is not completely necessary.

Let’s jump into this!

Make learning a routine

I have found it essential to make Catalan a part of my day-to-day life. Making habits takes a large part of the stress and effort out of learning–it makes it something that you do not have to think about, you just do it.

The best part is, everything I am going to suggest is free AND effective, and you don’t really need any extra time to do it. Remember, if you are learning a more widely spoken language like English or Spanish, you have heaps more resources to help you than I have in Catalan.

So let me share with you what has been working for me in Catalan and how I allocate my learning throughout the day.

6:45 – 7:15 AM

I start out my morning by journaling. This is a great habit kept by many successful and inspiring people that I decided to make a part of my daily routine about six months ago. I could easily do this English, but I kill two birds with one stone (that is, I achieve two objectives at once) by doing this in Catalan. I improve my writing, alleviate stress and worries, show gratitude for the many fortunes in my life, and make goals for my day (learn how to journal here). If there is a certain word that I need, but I don’t know it or can’t think of it, then I try to say it in a different way and make a note to look it up later.

In my journal I first do a brain-dump, then 3-5 things that I’m grateful for (it could be something simple like the cool morning air or something more profound, like the good health of my family and me), and last 5 goals for the day.

7:45 – 8:15 AM

After journaling, I meditate, then grab a cup of coffee and sit down to do some applied learning before I get to work. Usually, I try to do this for just 15-30 minutes and I find it an immensely fulfilling way to start my day. I like to keep my learning method varied so I often change up what I do. I might do some lessons in a free online course, or I might look up the definition of new vocabulary that I noted the night before in my book and add them to Anki. Another activity I enjoy is looking up a song’s lyrics and striving to understand the complete meaning. I always listen to Catalan music while “studying,” as well as while getting ready, to really spend my morning immersed in Catalan.

8:30 AM – 8:30 PM

Then starts my workday. During the day I have less time to dedicate to my Catalan, but I fit it in wherever possible. While working I often listen to music in Catalan and occasionally the radio–however I find this more distracting.

In the afternoon when I go for a run, to the store, or while doing other errands, I listen to a podcast. I also enjoy talking on Whatsapp with friends, many who are Catalan, during my breaks.

When cooking dinner, I frequently listen to more Catalan music.

9:30-10:00 PM

I end the day by watching an episode of a TV show or reading (and noting down new vocabulary). This is great because I often go to sleep thinking (or even dreaming) in Catalan.

At least once per week

All of these efforts I make in my day-to-day are great, but language is for communication, so speaking is crucial. For this reason, I try to talk on Skype or in person at least once per week, either doing a language exchange or just talking to a friend. Even though I am living in Santiago, I have found ways to make a few friends who speak Catalan (learn how I meet people in point 5 of this article).

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How I could improve my language learning

Hopefully you didn’t get the wrong impression–I am in no way trying to show off with this article. Although it might seem like I’m doing a lot to improve my Catalan, I always feel like I could be doing more. My current efforts maintain my level, grow my vocabulary, and improve my listening, but to really progress as a speaker, I need to connect with people by speaking whenever possible, which honestly is not that difficult to do, however it is extremely easy to not prioritize it and make excuses.

How many of us avoid what would make the biggest difference in our fluency?

Remember, you don’t need to get stressed out; it’s never too late to improve, and every effort you make, no mater how small, does make a difference.

I really like the strategies used in this article, and I plan to integrate them into my learning.

Now It’s your turn

I would love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments below what is working for you learning English or another language. What changes would you like to make, or what new strategies would you like to try?

If you enjoyed this article, also check out:

• 7 Things not to do when speaking English
• Powerful secret of successful English learners
• What’s really keeping you from fluency?