Lesson Transcript

Intro

Becky: Welcome to a special Inner Circle Audio Lesson! I'm Becky and I'll be your host. My co-host today is the founder of InnovativeLanguage.com... Peter Galante!
Peter: Hi everyone! Peter here.
Becky: In this Inner Circle, we’re talking about How to Learn Language in 2017
Peter: ...with Rock-Solid Anchor Points, Goals And Routines
Becky: You’ll learn...
Peter: One: The Importance of Having Anchor Points to Master a Language
Becky: Two: Peter’s Holistic Learning Approach and his Goals for the Month
Peter: And Three, How You Can Apply These Learning Tactics
Becky: ...And Use Them Yourself This Year.
Peter: ...All so you can master your target language and reach your goals in 2017!
Body
Becky: Listeners, welcome to the Inner Circle.
Peter: This is for those of you who took the 2017 Challenge.
Becky: And this is the monthly, no-holds-barred newsletter giving you tried and tested learning methods...
Peter: ...to help you reach your language goals this year.
Becky: Now, I don’t know how many of you were around, but last year, Peter took on the challenge of learning German...
Peter: That’s right. If you’re a Premium or Premium PLUS member,
Becky: You can access last year’s Inner Circle on the site inside the Bonus Courses Category.
Peter: And last year, I hit 20 minutes of German conversation. That was my goal for the year.
Becky: What’s your plan for 2017? What exciting, new language are you taking on this time?
Peter: Actually Becky, I’m not taking on a new language.
Becky: Oh?
Peter: I’m revisiting a language I’ve learned before.
Becky: Really? What’s the language?
Peter: It’s Chinese. I was learning it in 2013.
Becky: Hmm, revisiting a language you’ve learned before...
Peter: If you think about it, Becky. A lot of people do this.
Becky: How do you mean?
Peter: They study, take a break, come back. Then, life happens so they take a break again and come back again later. It’s on and off.
Becky: Now that you mention it, yeah, I do see a lot our users coming back. They get busy with school or work...
Peter: It’s a very common pattern. So for Chinese....
Becky: You’re making a comeback....
Peter: I am. And, I want to get proficient in it.
Becky: Ooh, so what’s your big goal for the year?
Peter: Well, I have my monthly goal but I haven’t decided on a yearly one.
Becky: No worries; there’s still time to decide.
Peter: But, something BIG. Maybe... passing a proficiency test.
Becky: So what’s the plan for this month?
Peter: Let’s get into today’s Inner Circle.
Becky: How to Learn Language in 2017 with Rock-Solid Anchor Points, Goals And Routines
Peter: I have quite a few reasons for coming back to Chinese actually.
Becky: Really? What are they?
Peter: The first two are big ones. Family and travel.
Becky: I think those are very powerful reasons to master Chinese, Peter. Especially family.
Peter: You’re right. And they serve as powerful anchor points...
Becky: ...which is what you’ll learn in the first, part.
Peter: Let’s get into it.
Becky: One: The Importance of Having Anchor Points to Master Language
Peter: If you’re wondering what an anchor point is...
Becky: Listeners, it’s one of the first few things you need to succeed with a language.
Peter: An anchor point is what keeps you motivated and committed to your language goal. It’s the reason why you’re learning.
Becky: And, it makes your life revolve around your language goals...
Peter: ...and not the other way around.
Becky: Kind of like an anchored ship. It might float a few feet here and there...
Peter: ...but it’s not getting away. So, an anchor point can be language classes.
Becky: It can be a significant other and you’re learning because of them.
Peter: Or... it’s your work. But, it keeps you committed to your goal...
Becky: ...and motivated!
Peter: Listeners, I’ll give you my example: last November, I was falling off track with my German studies because life... got in the way. So, I enrolled in an in-person language class to put my German back on track. And what happened was...my schedule revolved around this class. I’d have to do homework in the evenings. I’d have to wake up earlier and leave work earlier to get to class. It dictated my life. I had to be present in class, ready to speak, with my homework ready...
Becky... otherwise you’d fall behind.
Peter: Plus, I’d be wasting money, Becky.
Becky: Ah, you did pay a lot of money for it!
Peter: That’s right. Also, making that investment, that big commitment, is another powerful anchor point.
Becky: What about Chinese? What are your anchor points this time?
Peter: I have 3 powerful anchor points. First, I have Chinese in-laws.
Becky: Ah, family. You MUST be able to talk with the in-laws.
Peter: There is NO way around it, Becky.
Becky: What’s the second?
Peter: Second, i’m fortunate enough to be going to China later this year.
Becky: So in-laws and travel...
Peter: These 2 ALONE are powerful anchor points that will keep me glued to Chinese.
Becky: And the third?
Peter: I’m a big basketball fan and there’s a popular chinese player that I like. So, I’ve been watching him a lot lately. That’s a minor one.
Becky: Okay, so you’re starting with 3 anchor points...
Peter: That’s right. These 3 points helped me set my routines and goals for the month.
Becky: Ah, what are your routines and goals? How are you learning?
Peter: Let’s get into the second part.
Becky: Two: Peter’s Holistic Approach, Goals and Routines for the Month
Peter: This month, I’m going for a holistic - meaning a complete... listening, reading, writing, speaking – approach.
Becky: Huh. That’s interesting. You usually focus on speaking.
Peter: That’s right. With a new language, I want to get to a conversational level first.
Becky: Ah, but you already know enough Chinese.
Peter: Exactly. So like I said, I want to get even better... which means focusing on all aspects of it.
Becky: Got it.
Peter: So here’s what I’ll do. Here are my goals for this month.
For listening: I’ll listen to 2 hours of Chinese lessons and content.
For speaking: I want to have a 10 minute conversation with an in-law.
For reading: We have a family group chat going. I’ll be reading that. This is a passive goal.
And for writing: I will send two text messages a week to my family in Chinese... in that group chat.
Becky: Wait, for reading, you’ll just be reading text messages? Isn't that a little...?
Peter: Well... It might sound easy but, Becky, keeping up with a group chat... in Chinese.... It’s tough.
Becky: Okay, I believe you. It does sound like a good idea. Texting is HUGE nowadays. I text more than i talk on the phone!
Peter: You’re totally right. And in Chinese, with all the characters, it won’t be easy.
Becky: That’s quite a bit of goals for the month! How will you get ‘em done?
Peter: The great thing is...our ChineseClass101 program has grown into a complete learning system. It has it all.
Becky: So, listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Peter: I’ll be tackling all 4 with ChineseClass101 and my Premium PLUS teacher. For listening: I will take 3 ChineseClass101 lessons a day and watch YouTube Basketball videos.
Becky: What about speaking?
Peter: Actually, I’ll pair that up with listening in my study session. So, I’ll shadow what I hear.
Becky: Listeners, by the way, if you don’t know what shadowing is...
Peter: It’s a learning tactic where you repeat what you hear out loud...
Becky: ...as a way to practice speaking. As a result, you learn to speak faster and with confidence.
Peter: This is great if you don’t have immediate access to a native speaker. And I’ll be doing that with the help of the lesson dialogue track....
Becky: ...which gives you just the conversation of that lesson. No English.
Peter: I’ll also use a strategy from last year...
Becky: Oh, is it the embarrassing one? Speaking out loud and talking to yourself about your day?
Peter: Becky, I firmly stand by that tactic. But it’s 10 times more effective if you can record yourself and have a native speaker review the audio....
Becky: Ah...and give you feedback and corrections!
Peter: Exactly. So, I’ll record 3 audio messages a day and send them to my Premium PLUS teacher for review.
Becky: For reading, is it just reading the group chat texts?
Peter: Not only. With ChineseClass101, I’ll be reading along with the lessons. We have the line-by-line tool and lesson transcripts that give you the dialogues in writing and all of the translations. There’s also the new reading comprehension video lessons.
Becky: Okay, what about writing?
Peter: My plan is to send 2 text messages a week... But, I’ll be using my Premium PLUS teacher FIRST to review my writing and correct my mistakes.
Becky: Ah, that’s smart. If you get constant feedback, your Chinese only gets better.
Peter: Exactly! So, I’ll be texting my Premium PLUS teacher three times a week. I’ll get the corrections. And I’ll send them to the group chat.
Becky: I’m impressed, Peter. You have a solid routine laid out. Will this be a daily thing?
Peter: It will be every other day with the Premium PLUS teacher because I have to get the corrections.
Becky: Ah, I see.
Peter: But, for the most part.... I’ll be doing it twice a day for 30 minutes for 5 days of the week. Once in the morning or at lunch time. Then at night, around 9, after my kids are asleep.
Becky: And listening gets paired up with speaking. And reading goes with writing.
Peter: You got it. I’ll alternate. So reading and writing in the AM. Listening and speaking in the PM.
Becky: Okay, you have the anchor points, your goals...
Peter: ...and the routines.
Becky: So how can our listeners set these up for themselves.
Peter: Let’s jump into the third part.
Becky: How You Can Apply These Learning Tactics And Use Them Yourself This Year.
Peter: Alright, listeners, let’s start with anchor points...
Becky: ...or making your life revolve around your goals instead of the other way around.
Peter: Believe it or not, if you’re listening to this and you’re with us right now...
Becky: ...You have this first part done already.
Peter: Simply by investing in a learning program – such as a subscription here...
Becky: Or even if you choose to enroll a class. That is a powerful anchor.
Peter: And that’s because you don’t want to lose the money that you’ve invested. Losing is an incredible motivator.
Becky: It is. I remember you had a tutor that overcharged you!
Peter: Great memory, Becky. So listeners, some of you might’ve heard this story before but... the first time I was learning Chinese, I had a Chinese teacher that would charge me DOUBLE if I came late. First, for wasting her time, and second, for the lesson itself. After the first time, I never came late again and my Chinese only got better.
Becky: Also, having family or a significant other that speaks the language are powerful anchors.
Peter: Traveling or living in a country that speaks it is another.
Becky: Or if none of these are realistic....
Peter: ....it can be as simple as just exposing yourself to music...
Becky: ...Youtube videos, movies or TV shows in the target language.
Peter: And here’s why.
Becky: By exposing yourself to the language on a daily basis, your motivation to learn will only grow.
Peter: Your ear will become accustomed to it.
Becky: You’ll be coming across tons of words that you don’t know and that’s good!
Peter: It will fuel you to WANT to learn and get better.
Becky: I actually do something similar.
Peter: Oh, what is it?
Becky: I listen JapanesePod101 Advanced Audio lessons. They’re above my level. And it’s funny because I like to listen and just immerse myself, but, I also get frustrated that I can’t really understand it...
Peter: ...and so you want to get better, right?
Becky: Yes! It’s great for motivation. And, just immersing myself.
Peter: That’s a great example, Becky. Next, let’s talk goals.
Becky: Listeners, every month, we ask our Inner circle members to set...
Peter: ...small, measurable, monthly goals with deadline.
Becky: For example, speak 3 minutes of conversation...
Peter: ...or learn 100 words by February 28th.
Becky: Listeners, the point here is to make the goal small enough to reach...
Peter: ...because most learners overwhelm themselves with vague goals like...
Becky: ...“I want to be fluent.”
Peter: That’s a great example of an overwhelming goal that sets you up for failure.
Becky: But, a 3 minute goal is easy.
Peter: Plus, it’s measurable so you know when you’ve reached it....
Becky: ...so you can stop and celebrate.
Peter: And the deadline is the final mark of success or failure.
Becky: Right. Either you hit 3 minutes by February 28th or you don’t.
Peter: If you want to learn more about goal setting, be sure to check out the 2014 January Inner circle.
Becky: For your routines, just work backwards from your monthly goal.
Peter: For example, if your goal is to learn 100 words... that’s 25 words for a week...
Becky: ...for the 4 weeks of the month. So, if you do 5 days a week....
Peter: ...that’s 5 words a day, say, from Monday to Friday.
Becky: Now, you know your plan of attack. Learn 5 new words a day, from Monday to Friday.
Peter: And all you have to do is decide...
Becky: ...when you’ll study, where you’ll study and how you’ll study.
Peter: So, say 8PM, every evening, by your computer.
Becky: How? By using our Vocab Lists, Flashcards...
Peter: ...or writing them down in a notebook.
Becky: And that’s it!
Peter: Listeners, let us know what your goals, routines and anchor points are.
Becky: Email us at inner dot circle at innovative language dot com.
Peter: And stay tuned for the next Inner Circle.

Outro

Becky: Well, that’s going to do it for this special Inner Circle lesson for this year!
Peter: Bye everyone!
Becky: Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.

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