Appendix F: The Principles

Principles of approach

Build a base and work up—start with simpler concepts first then build up from there
Work towards your goals—practice whatever tasks you are learning the language for
Keep up your motivation—find ways to stay interested in the language
Spend as much time as you can with your language—Time is the key determiner of how fast you learn
Trust the process—learning can be a slow process, so sometimes you need to trust that you will progress with time
80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your study—find the most effective activities and biggest weaknesses and focus on them
Push yourself—constantly challenge yourself by moving on to harder resources

Use the language in order to learn it—listen and read as much as possible, you will learn the language when you use it, not when you learn about it
Repetition—you need to encounter something a lot before you learn it
Engage your memory—try to actively recall the meaning of words and forms before you look them up
Noticing—Noticing forms in your content is a powerful way to learn
Don’t try to learn things perfectly the frst time you encounter them—you need to see the language in context a lot before it will stick in your mind

Get feedback on your ability—feedback helps you catch errors
Your level +1—use content just a bit above your level
Practise then drill—find weaknesses in your language skill then isolate them with drills