When we’re learning something new, in particular something that takes a long time to learn like a language, it’s hard to see the progress we’re making on a daily basis.
Learning a language is made up of small gains along the way. You might not see them as you go along, but they’re adding up. All of those small gains added together are the equivalent of learning French.
Every night before you go to bed, take a few moments to think of some of the gains you made that day. You can try this when you’re brushing or flossing your teeth. (If you’re not flossing your teeth every day, please consider it, okay? You’ll save yourself from problems later on.)
Be specific when you do this, for example: “Today I learned a new way to use the adjective niaiseux. I improved my pronunciation of the word réfrigérateur. I spent over an hour listening to French. I ordered a meal in French and got what I wanted. I told a joke in French and some people actually found it funny.”
Remind yourself that you don’t have to speak the world’s best French today. You just have to be a little bit better than you were yesterday.
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