S5E30: How can we make language learning cosy too?
Full transcript:
Good morning, happy Friday and welcome to the LCP, the daily dose of language courage for people who love languages, and those who really don’t, but have to learn one anyway. All this week on the podcast in preparation for the Cosy and Compassionate Productivity for Language Learners workshop which is taking place next Monday, we are reflecting on how to set our final goals for 2023, get things done in the darker and colder seasons while also being really kind to ourselves and paying attention to what we need. And if that sounds like something you really need right now, all the details are coming at the end of this episode. And today, I’m asking, while the pumpkin spice and blanket aesthetic is well and truly in, how can we make our language learning cosy too?
Because I know that in previous years, I’ve spent so much time trying to push aside that need to feel warm and cosy and to almost hibernate as it gets darker and colder. It’s always been about pushing through, of overriding that natural instinct to slow down or to be a bit more reflective.
But you know, we can do both. We can be cosier, lean into it as far as we can, and still get things done. And that might mean changes to your study space, the blankets, the cookie scented candles and all of that, but really, what I want to talk about today is how we can bring your language learning process in line with the season and best align it with how you feel right now.
So today I want to ask you, what sorts of tasks do you naturally want to lean into right now?
If your natural instinct right now is to spend your evenings curled up under a blanket with a book and a hot drink, is there any way you could bring that into your study time? Bilingual books, short stories, whatever you can find in the language you’re studying.
Or if this is a slower, more reflective time of year for you, is journaling in your new language something you might want to explore right now? There are so many ways to journal, even if you’re a beginner in your language. Most people immediately think of writing pages and pages and quite profound thoughts, but it really doesn’t have to be that. Journaling can be writing one sentence every day in your language, often called One Line a Day. It can be mixing pictures with words, sticking objects like photos, recipts and tickets onto the page, more like scrapbooking, and writing about it. It can be making mind maps and lists, or making notes every day about what you’re grateful for, and there are so many amazing prompts out there to get you started.
And if you find that as the winter draws in, your brain just refuses to work in the evenings, it’s been dark since 4pm and you really can’t be bothered after work, maybe now the perfect time to look at how to do as many fun, comforting, low energy things in your new language as possible. Get your music playlists together, start setting up a list of things you want to watch, start training your social media algorithms to send you more content in your language.
I know there are going to be times where the tasks on your to-do list are unavoidable and you have to push through and just get them done. But let’s not make that the default this year. Let’s at least see if there are ways we can invite the warm and cosy into our language learning, at least some of the time, so that we don’t have that constant tug-of-war between the need to snuggle up and slow down, and the need to achieve. Because sometimes, we can have both.
And if you want to really explore how you work best in the autumn and winter seasons, reflect on how things are going so far and set your goals or themes for the rest of the year, I’d love to invite you to join me for my Cosy and Compassionate Productivity for Language Learners journaling workshop next Monday 16th October, and tickets are on sale now in my IG bio and in the shownotes for this episode. It’s going to be a super relaxed and cosy way to look at how we’d like to round off the year and get some encouragement from likeminded creative, introspective and mission driven language learners. It's next Monday, on Zoom, 7-8:30pm UK time, tickets are £8 or just under $10, and if you would love to come but you can’t make it live, there will be a replay available too. For more information or book your place, head to the shownotes for this episode, OR my website www.languageconfidenceproject.com, or in the link in my IG bio at @teawithemily. Bring a notebook and your favourite pens, bring a beverage, and let’s make the end of this year magical.
Have a wonderful day, have a wonderful weekend, I really hope to see you at the workshop, and I’ll see you at 7am UK time on Monday.
If you would like more information about the Cosy and Compassionate Productivity Workshop, and to book tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/734781660727
I can’t wait to see you there!