I’ve Made Over 10 K Highlights (Books, Podcasts, Articles etc.) — Was it Worth it?
Insights into a chaotic language learner`s note making process (a tiny glimpse)
Highlighting texts is a common practice among readers (and language learners) to remember important information or ideas from resources like books, articles or even podcasts (SNIPD App). This technique involves marking specific words, phrases, or sentences with a highlighter, pen, or digital tool (my favorite). Highlighting can help with retention, studying, and organizing information. Digital highlighting tools have become increasingly popular, allowing users to highlight and save text across multiple devices and platforms.
Since I am a huge fan of highlighting techniques for learning vocabulary I want to share my 2 cents on that matter.
I collected 10 900 snippets
I gathered my personal text highlights/snippets from various resources like podcasts, books, tweets etc.
In total, over 10 000 highlights over the last 10 years. Not bad, isn’t it?
What have I learned from it?
The thing is, not that much. Or maybe I did but I am not aware of it because I learned rather unconsciously.
Unfortunately, I didn’t give that much thought what I’ve highlighted. To be more specific, once I’ve finished a book or a podcast, I jumped straight to the next resource to consume mindlessly. Sometimes it’s better to slow down or concentrate on less (less is more).
Learning languages thanks to note taking strategies
Being an English learner, most of the time I highlighted single words (BIG MISTAKE). It’s better to mark whole passages because context is king. It will help you remember because you have a reference point.
And also…
…it would have been way more wise to reflect on what I’ve read and learnt instead of mindlessly jump to the next thing.
Was everything for nothing?
I don’t think so.
I can still revise some of my previous texts and notes.
Podcast example
How to get the best out of it?
I am by far no expert because I have made a ton of mistakes but here are my suggestions anyways:
- Ask yourself what you want to reach by highlighting texts
What do you want to do with your highlights? What is your final goal? - Revise your highlights on a regular basis
- If you have the possibility, use tags to organize your highlights
- Safe the best highlights for the future… maybe in another organizing tool
- Say no to some excerpts/notes (less is more)
- Enjoy the process
I still need to get the hang out of it.
For me, it would be way more beneficial if I concentrated on less resources. Everyone is different and so are the different tools out there. So take my post with a pinch of salt.
The highlighting was definitely worth it. It was just the beginning though.
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