The Support in our Corner
How do we use the wisdom of old language-learning methods to motivate us and maximize the use of modern tools?
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a team is face-to-face conversation.
When I started learning languages in the 80s, connections were made in person, on the phone, and in print. Language-learning materials were mostly in print with some audio. I remember checking out from the library a Berlitz Swedish audio phrasebook on a record which I recorded onto cassettes to listen on my Walkman. At one bookstore in the entire city of Denver, I could buy a Russian newspaper: an occasional copy of Pravda for $5 that was a month old. Self-study required residing on an island relying on such scant materials.
Now, I can find more news on-line than I can digest in any language I study. Lectures, music, and podcasts can fill my ears — even live in real-time. The world of video opened, as well, offering film, music videos, and sitcoms. Pedagogical materials have progressed beyond paper flash cards and fill-in-the-blank exercises, to spaced-repetition apps and dynamic exercises.
Is there anything we can learn from the old days?
Back in the day, language learners were heavily reliant on teachers, as technology limited access to native speakers. Pedagogical methods did not always meet our needs, but at least they told us what chapter or exercise to study next.
Nowadays, we still see a lot of demand for classes. How could this be considering how technology has allowed so much self-reliance? We don’t need to rely on esoteric teaching methods and scenarios (how badly do you need to learn how to interact at the post office?) and we can find our own exercises to do. Nevertheless, people still want a class. What do classes offer that technology does not?
Similarly, personal trainers offer sought-after services and earn plenty of money. Why? You can learn any exercise on YouTube. Blogs will give you additional pointers. If you have specific questions about your own case, such as how to lift weights if you suffer from back pain, you can join a Facebook group for free.
Only actual, human trainers offer accountability and real-time feedback. Live trainers will say, “You’re late,” or, “What you’re doing with your foot right there, that is causing your pain.” Customers are paying money to hear from a human being talking just to them on a regular basis.
Similarly, language classes offer interaction, which provide the same accountability and feedback. A teacher will ask you to turn in your homework on such-and-such a day, and classmates provide social stigma if you don’t turn it in. While the App Store is filled with 50 ways to learn your language, a teacher offers order in the chaos. A good teacher knows precisely what will work for your learning style and needs. You can measure your success with lingots on an app, but a teacher and even other students can give you feedback that indicate your personal strengths and weaknesses.
The backbone of the #AgilePolyglot is regular meetings. First, we meet to verbalize and write down our goals for the next two weeks and to hear those of others (planning). Then, we meet daily to declare our progress, our plans, and our roadblocks, and to witness to those who declare the same (standups). Finally, we review our goals to decide if we met them or not (review). Occasionally, we’ll meet to oversee how our team is working together as a whole (retrospective)
We do not necessarily pair learners and teachers, but learners with learners. Each one of us wants to learn the language we’re studying the best we can in the shortest amount of time. Some of us have more experience with a particular language. Some of us have less experience with language-learning in general. All of us can listen and talk to hold us together to motivate one another.
Let’s use all the technology, apps, games, and videos. But nothing can substitute a human in real time hearing your state your goal and congratulating you right when you announce you accomplished it.
