The WPS mindset: The three verbs that will make you a better learner (II)
After the first part of the three that make up The WPS system, in which we explored the importance of wondering to learn anything, but exploring specifically the context of language learning, now we dive into the second verb: practicing.
Practicing
Imagine a baby striving to walk.
Before he could give a single step, he has forced himself to stand up, struggling to hold that position, using some sort of support. But now he wants to get further away and leave behind that wall. He gives one step, making gigantic efforts to still stand up, and he falls. He tries again, and this time he gets up to two steps.
He still will need hundreds of repetitions, if not thousands, to fully understand the mechanics of walking.
Parents will smile when remembering the slow learning process of children trying to eat by themselves. What a mess! pronounced too many times before they get to eat without getting dirty.
The idea is simple, the more we practice, the better we’ll get.
And this applies for every single skill we can develop through our lives.
Playing is serious
As the neurological mantra says: “neurons that fire together wire together”.
Derived from the brain’s neuroplasticity, it reminds us of the capacity to create new connections between our neurons, and that can become whole networks working together.
This capacity is ever-lasting, we can always learn more. And that’s something we should exploit with every single repetition.
But… How do we practice?
Strong scientific evidence suggests that, however contradictory it may sound, a good practice should be fun and serious at the same time. Not only humans, but also most of the animals, learn the skills they need for survival by playing.
Playfulness connects us with the training in a relaxed mindset. We’re just enjoying the game and having fun, so making mistakes becomes less of a problem.
But games are also a very serious thing. We like to engage in them, do our best and, if possible, win.
Therefore, every time we approach a new drill, we should see it as a game, but playing seriously.
So look for whatever makes you enjoy the process of learning, whether it is listening to a Spanish song, watching an episode with subtitles of a German series or reading the whole One Piece in French (I’ve been doing this the last couple of months and I’m delighted to open every new issue).
Atomic habits
Have you read the book? Small changes that are consistent through time can create huge improvements.
Do not underestimate what you can get to do in a lifetime.
We all know changing our habits it’s a tough nut to crack.
But you can always start small. A five minute session every day of the week it’s way better for learning than an hour on a single day.
If we take this into account, we can start creating an easy to follow routine that starts to create space in our tight schedules for the learning of this new language.
Simple and short sessions that make us fire those neurons everyday, even if just for a bit, so that they continue to wire more and more together.
So… Why not start today? Go ahead, install Duolingo, look for learning videos on Youtube, go find a teacher or use any of the countless possibilities the current world provides you.
Spaced learning
The neuroscience and learning psychology expert Héctor Ruiz Martín, who directs the International Science Teaching Foundation, highlights the importance of spaced learning.
Trying to learn everything you need for a presentation, an exam or a meeting the night before is completely counter-productive. Not only would it affect your rest, but your brain wouldn’t be able to deeply engage with the material.
Héctor points out two key facts science has discovered:
- Our brains understand something is important and needs to be remembered when we make the conscious effort to recall it. Therefore, the importance of spaced practice, which allows us to review every time what we’ve learnt and what we still haven’t.
- Our brains learn new concepts only by semantics. That means that we need to give meaning to everything, and the only way we can do it is if we mean it. All of our experiences and frameworks set up our view of the world, and that acts as a filter, but also as connectors.
We only learn by linking new stuff to what we already had in ourselves. And this makes totally new concepts intriguing but difficult to grasp and contradictory ideas liberating or awkward to swallow. Because they’re both messing with our neural networks.
Only spaced repetition will help to make it root in the long-term memory. But you also need to understand what you are repeating and why, how it relates to you and your reality. And that’s why knowing where you come from will always help you to learn.
Make it authentic
Put your soul in the practice.
This is probably the most important part to keep in mind. You need to pour your energy into it and immerse yourself in whatever you are doing at the moment. Attention is essential to make your practice useful, and the best way to keep focused is to engage yourself wholeheartedly into it. Only in this way can you attain a Beautiful Practice.
In my case, I like to journal anything that has happened to me during the day in English or in French, instead of my native language, Spanish. That makes me relate more with the words and the sounds of that other language. It makes me wonder how to express what I want to say, and look for those new words or expressions. Just like that, I acquire them in a meaningful way.
Passive activities, like reading a book or a comic, or watching a movie or a series, can also be a great opportunity. Keeping a flashcards app like Quizlet open, while I’m enjoying an entertainment product from that foreign culture, helps me capture new words or expressions.
I know it’s harder during the first phases of learning a new language, where your comprehension still doesn’t allow you to fully enjoy products like these. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through a mind-numbing old-fashioned grammar book.
Do not be afraid to explore.
Do it until you find the sources that help you engage.
Practicing, practicing, practicing
Practice, and embrace mistakes as stepping stones to success.
Practice, and make it fun and serious at the same time.
Practice, and favor consistency for lasting improvement.
Practice, and do it intentionally, with all your being.
Practice, and enjoy the adventure of learning and its boundless possibilities.
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THE WPS SYSTEM
If you haven’t read it yet, here you have the first one.
Don’t miss the last part next week.
If you’d like to read this article in Spanish, you can do it here.
