Learning as if you were shopping

Learning as if you were shopping

How often do you go shopping?

What makes you purchase goods or services? Pleasant looks, your needs, a sales season, your shopping mood?

What makes you study? Your need to learn something new, attractive ads of a learning course, your "back to school" feeling in September?

So, what can help you be persistent in learning, just like you are in shopping?

You are in a shopping mall full of attractive stores. You look around, get curious about certain offers, pass by some stores, enter others, leave without buying, purchase something you weren't even going to... It might look similar to choosing a learning course: the Web is like an enormous shopping mall with lots of proposals, jumping at you, appealing and inviting. You click on a link, find yourself at a website, probably buy and then... it depends on how determined you are to learn.

You are attracted by seasonal sales or a special offer, buy a course and then again your result in learning depends on your own determination.

Being a more reasonable buyer, you analyze the course and see whether or not it fits your needs. If you do so, there is a better chance to make a good choice, get what you really need and not just to make an emotional purchase.

If you don't want to be influenced by super-attractive proposals and buy what you won't really use later, the best way to escape suggestion is making a shopping learning list. What exactly would you like to learn? How long should the course last? What's the expected duration of the course? Is there a certificate you could get in the end? Having the detailed list you are better prepared and can just check if an offer meets your expectations. All ticks - buy. Cross - keep on searching.

Another way to do smart "learning course shopping" is subscribing to an online learning platform with a vast choice of topics and specializations. This will help you take your time before you decide which course to take, as well as keep updated with the most relevant learning options.

Whatever kind of buyer you are, an emotional, a reasonable, a smart or a reluctant one, good luck with your shopping learning and enjoy the process!

Nel mezzo del cammin: quattro passi indietro

Quattro passi indietro che ci porteranno avanti

Andare avanti e mai fermarsi è uno slogan che - paradossalmente - ci tiene lontani dalla meta tanto desiderata, cioè imparare bene le cose che stiamo studiando.

Vi è mai capitato fare un test per verificare il vostro livello di lingua straniera, ottenere un buon risultato e stupirvi: "Sono arrivato così lontano, allora perché non ho ancora la scioltezza quando scrivo o parlo?" E' proprio questo il punto quando bisogna fermarci e fare quattro passi indietro, anziché correre.

Il primo passo: fare la revisione del vocabolario. E' bello ripassare le parole, le frasi che appartengono al livello precedente per non perdere le cose più semplici in cerca di quelle più difficili, appartenenti ai livelli avanzati.

Il secondo passo: prendere un libro o una lista di argomenti per parlare corrispondente al livello precedente (per esempio, A2 se avete fatto il test con il risultato B1) e ripassare i temi proposti. Una possibilità è parlare per un minuto di un argomento che trovate nella lista ("La mia casa", "La vita sana", "I vantaggi e gli svantaggi dello studio all'estero", ecc.).

Il terzo passo: ascoltare molti audiolibri, podcast, guardare i video in lingua che state studiando per controllare che capite abbastanza prima di andare avanti. Questa "pausa" nella corsa per sempre più velocità e difficoltà serve a creare la certezza e la comodità nel contatto con la lingua straniera.

Il quarto passo: parlare con delle persone madrelingua, sentire il piacere di comunicare in lingua straniera. E' importante rendersi conto che per sviluppare la scioltezza in una lingua straniera bisogna parlare - anche delle cose abbastanza semplici - spesso e molto, con gusto e piacere di scoprire un nuovo mondo attraverso un'altra lingua.

Buon viaggio e buono studio!

Decluttering: things, words, life

Declutter whatever you can to get space for what you enjoy

How many times have you heard of memo notes, sticky notes, memory cards? You know, those small pieces of paper with new words in a foreign language that you are supposed to put on every single object around your house in order (or rather in the hope) to memorize.

As well as of all the things hung on your notice board to remember to do things that you need to do today, this week, this month?

Does your place remind you of a pile of unorganized stuff? Including both objects themselves and words describing them. It's time to declutter!

Move things online. I mean it! Whatever you can! 

First step: things. Have you got a notice board full of tasks, reminders, to-do-lists? Use Google Keep or any other tool to help you organize stuff and get rid of paper, pins and rubbish in the place where you live.

Next step: words. Use Quizlet or any other app that allows you to organize words in groups, match them to pictures or equivalents, synonyms, ecc, practice and - finally - memorize them!

Final step: freedom. Choose to do just the essential things during the day. Do what you really enjoy doing (and if you think, "Sounds good, but I have to work, study, whatever" - change what you are currently doing and choose the activity you really love!) and you'll be surprised how much you can do, head for, and achieve.

So, this is what I am going to do NOW (and I am not putting it on a to-do-list): declutter, feel free, and enjoy!