I know how you feel if you’re reading this post, because I’ve been there myself.
I’ve been learning languages my whole life, and at some point, I linked my success in this activity to my self-worth. Now I realize how faulty this way of thinking is, and I’m actively trying to unlearn it. But something tells me you might be struggling with the same thing, and so you might very well know how hard it can be…
Here we are, at what seems to be the very beginning of a new era – the era of AI. All the fuss about how great or awful it is might have already reached you, and if you are in a job that might be directly affected by this brave new thing, you are definitely not alone.
I am an English teacher and have been one for quite some time. I remember the time when online education took off and became a fixture in countless people’s lives, including mine. There was, and still is, debate about the pros and cons of this, and rightly so. But this new chapter is somewhat different, isn’t it? Now that a language learner can easily access an AI tutor and equip themselves with “all the right” tools, is there still a place for the good old teacher or tutor?
My definitive answer, after a lot of consideration, would be: absolutely yes.
And to all of you who agree, disagree, or are undecided, here is my reasoning behind it. It might cheer you up if you feel worried, ground you a little if you have been carried away by all the excitement and buzz, and give you a new perspective that may help you look at things differently.
So, for one reason or another, you are learning a foreign language alone – without a teacher and without classmates to team up with either in class or outside of it. And you know, that’s awesome. Now you can learn at your own pace, do learning activities you find meaningful and enjoyable, and do it all at a time convenient for you. But despite all the advantages, there are still potential problems. How do you stay focused on the goal? How do you set that goal in the first place? And how do you know what things to spend precious learning time on and do it effectively so that the results are visible soon? Read on for tips on how to study alone better.
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