25x365= 9125
So if I can learn 25 words a day, I can learn that many words in a year.
As mentioned last post, my goal is to learn 10k words by the end of 2027, but looking at that math, I feel like I could probably bring my goalpost forward to the end of 2026. I won't because I can't commit to not taking breaks when I have other priorities, but let's see how many I can learn in a year anyway!
Do the math, sometimes you'll find your goals aren't as far out there as they seem. If I say 10,000 words, that sounds ridiculous. But if I say 25 words a day, that may sound ridiculous to someone who isn't in a habit of studying, but to anyone who has studied a language seriously, it's not unreasonable.
Add to that review of 50-75 words a day, so when I say "study" I mean learning the word to the point where I can recognize and recall it, if not use it in a sentence.
Imagine how much better you can get at an instrument? Imagine how much you could learn about your business to help you level up?
Learning isn't everything, just knowing more won't automatically lead you anywhere, but it's a start. It also kind of turns school on it's head. Think about how many words or dates you memorized for school... I think I learned 25 words in Spanish per week.
Of course we had a bunch of classes we were balancing, but maybe we shouldn't have. Maybe we should have focused on one thing at a time. I imagine 2 or 3 is the sweet spot, not 5, not 7, and definitely not 10 or 12.
Maybe studying for the test prevented us from actually learning. We didn't review after the final exam. We went through everything once before the test and once before the final. That's it. We did it all on a unit based schedule.
We didn't have to analyze our week points and focus on strengthening them. We just had to pass the test.
This is one of the few hills I'd be willing to die on, self study is exponentially more effective, at least when it's done with interest and you can generate interest out of nothing if you try.
Learn the surrounding context. Ask why. Focus on the point that's most interesting for you and let that motivate you. Gamify.
I don't think Duolingo is the best tool in the world, but if the gamification can motivate you, you can find a way to make it useful. Take notes. Review them. Seriously, review is everything. The sentences are somewhat randomly generated, but if you use them as prompts to find what YOU need to improve, you'll learn fast even from Duolingo.
If I were to use it seriously now, I'd do 1-3 rounds a day and write down 2-3 sentences with grammar I needed to practice. Then I'd copy the sentence structure and make my own sentences with words I wasn't familiar with, using a dictionary to figure it out. Maybe I'd check with a native to make sure they are correct.
Plus I'd make some word lists. Every word you learn on duolingo belongs on a flashcard. Review them for 5 minutes a day.
So maybe 10 minutes of making sentences, 15 minutes of playing duolingo, and 5 minutes reviewing vocabulary.
So by turning your 15 minute habit in a 30 minute habit with some strategy involved, you'll likely learn 10x faster.
Duolingo is like school. School doesn't prioritize you're learning, only you can do that.
And you don't need to use duolingo or an app, I have never stuck with any of them. Whatever motivates you to learn and can be worked into a routine that is actually practical to help you learn as much useful information as possible.
Not all subjects are the same but you can apply this to anything.
History can be learned contextually. You'll find that when you watch a movie about a certain time period (and check online to see which parts were fact and which parts were fiction), suddenly the information in a history book are much easier to recall. A memoir about that time period helps make everything less like information and more like real events.
Take your learning into your own hands.
My music and video experiments:
https://youtu.be/Zn96mtavdHo?si=TKc5UYUMdiXisKPs
https://youtube.com/embed/bQ9yK7oudec?si=v-fbFZ1nCQY6MF5P
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