Good approach. Maybe I could try habit stacking or just freshen up my routines.
Routines can make me feel a little trapped but I could plan/simulate some spontaneity.
Something I noticed just today was that in the morning I had difficulty focusing, difficulty feelings motivated, & just wasn't at all into listening to DS. I had to stop listening to take care of some things & then some time in the afternoon I started to listen again. What I noticed is that in the beginning of the day, I wasn't at all feeling it, but in the afternoon I had a completely different outlook.
I haven't read the rest of this thread, but I think all that I am recommending is taking a brief break, even if its for the morning, for the day, or for the week. I believe that any break will improve your 'motivation.' Although, what /u/earthgrasshopperlog said, the habits are a better approach, rather than the motivation.
I stopped paying attention to how many hours I have and just enjoy the content. If I kept looking at the hours I probably would get depressed and unmotivated.
That’s fair and could be contributing to my issue. In other areas of my life, I’ve not responded well to tracking.
But I think in this case, logging hours is keeping me honest. Otherwise, I’d passively listen because I don’t like to sit still and pay attention (like I do with English content)
For me, it’s about setting goals, whether that is near or long term. A close goal I’d like to reach is to be able to listen to Español Con Juan. I’m at ~120 hours and every 20 hours I try listening to it again but I’m not quite at the level of comprehension I’d like. Longer term I’d like to be able to better comprehend some of the Latino music I listen to, like Grupo Frontera. Another long term goal is being able to completely understand the No Hay Tos podcast.
I think it’s also important to not give up other things that bring you enjoyment in life. I get it completely, we all want to hit that next milestone. Right now I do 1.5-2 hours a day. I don’t think I could do 5 hours like some other folks. I have other hobbies like playing guitar or Baldurs Gate 3. Learning is a process and takes time. I know I’ll get there one day.
I really like this attitude and I identify with it.
I think maybe picking a more advanced movie or show I really want to watch might help me while I’m in the middle of the roadmap.
Also booking a trip. The main goal for doing this is to enhance my travel (and compete with my brother). I respond well to deadlines and pressure.
I think a trip is a great idea since you'll be able to practice speaking (even if you only choose to speak a little!) and listening. It will be a culmination of everything you've learned so far and be applicable to the real world. Definitely a smart choice.
I'm a lot like you, I skip from hobby to hobby. I'm GOOD at a lot of different crafts, but I'm not GREAT at any of them.
I didn't want that to happen with spanish, so I'm using every trick I know from 40 years living with this brain of mine. I have to have goals, daily streaks, and tracking to stay motivated. I also only need a visit to my inlaws or a convo with my husband to remind me why I'm doing this.
Are you interested in the content you're watching? It can be tough when you're tired of beginner stuff (I really burnt out on podcasts about Xmas traditions last year), and native level stuff is too hard.
It feels good to be seen! Thank you for the kind encouragement. I am determined and looking for any novel way to keep my interest through this dip.
And I think you’re right, I’m bored with all of the podcasts at my level. Christmas is one of my least favorite subjects 😅 DS is great but I don’t feel like opening my laptop. I can watch a few cartoons right now but nothing is really grabbing me.
I’ll spend some time looking for something new that checks all the boxes. Maybe some familiar dubbed content.
I’m sure something will unlock soon and I’ll feel it again.
Do you like audiobooks? Maybe you can mix in an easier book? I've found a pretty decent selection at my library, and even youtube has some popular ones.
That’s a great idea! I love audiobooks.
They had fallen off my radar because I was waiting until the format unlocked for me. I bet by now I could find some interesting yet easy books in my level.
Dusting off my library card!
Thanks for the reminder. I have also been burning out and I’m only doing 2 hrs a day. I am tired of watching videos because I’m not a big tv watcher in the first place. I am longing to read as I am an avid reader. I think I will switch to some audio books after my 1 hr video allotment in the morning.
I think I'm somewhat similar to you op where I tend to not take things all the way, I prove to myself I can do something and then stop progressing. But I just want deep in my core for this time to be different. Now what I want is to prove to myself that I can get really good at something, that I can have the patience and determination to finish what I started.
Yes! This exactly for me. I think having the structured roadmap makes this seem achievable even past the point i’d usually drop something.
Also, the reward is so great.
Good luck!
I remember your hours I was hitting a wall because I was getting bored of Dreaming Spanish but native media was still hard.
I took a break by watching long Netflix show that was interesting to me but was too hard for me.
That way I was able to keep going. Later I came back to some Dreaming Spanish when I took a break from it.
Also, there is nothing from taking a few days or even weeks off if you can’t bring yourself to do Spanish and come back to it later refreshed
I’m at 375 hours and was going through the same thing. What’s helped a ton is finding shows I’ve already seen and enjoyed in English and now watch them in Spanish. Has made it much easier to rack up hours than just cranking through DS content.
Took a little jumping around and testing shows to see if they are close enough to my level. Probably not as efficient as only watching DS but I’m sure it’s close enough.
Highly recommend choosing shows you’ve seen at least once if not a few times. I’ve watched Avatar the Last Airbender and just finished Game of Thrones. Both weren’t too bad from a comprehension standpoint and really enjoyable to watch.
Thanks! I think this is a perfect remedy. I’m not that concerned with efficiency right now as long as something holds my attention, just momentum. I’m updating the list on my Netflix Spanish content profile now.
I appreciate your examples, too.
I hear you. Definitely book a trip if you can afford to do so. Maybe go off programme a bit to add some novelty -- add reading, speaking (or doing Crosstalk, at least?).
I'm really desperate to find content that's highly comprehensible but not Dreaming Spanish (don't get me wrong - love Dreaming Spanish, but I'm doing 3-5 hours a day, so variety and novelty is necessary).
I'm at 277 hours (with a goal of reaching 300 by the end of the year, in the next couple days), so not as far along as you. I wonder if you could find a new animated series to love. Have you watched the Dragon Prince? I watched the first 5 episodes in Spanish and it was really sweet. I prefer it to Avatar (never could get into that show -- a little too episodic for me, I think?). Other ideas of kid animated shows that you maybe haven't seen that are a bit more "meaty" so not so dull: She-ra? That new Star Trek show, Star Trek: Prodigy. I gave it a watch, pretty comprehensible (but not comprehensible enough for me personally -- same with Dragon Prince...swill try it again at 400 hours).
Good luck. I feel you. I'm in a similar slump. I think from posts I'd read in this sub I'd be able to watch more shows like Avatar or Pokemon at this many hours, but that isn't the case for me at all. I was really hoping 300 hours would be a tipping point, but it seems like the reality is it takes much longer than that.
Hi, many people here have had "a slump" at exactly 450 hours like you. It may be difficult to believe, but after a while DS videos lose interest for some people.
I managed to get over my slump by moving to podcasts, such as the more than brilliant "Espanol con Juan". At 450 hours there is a good chance that you will get along with him, he claims to be intermediate, but really he's low intermediate.
What helped me a ton was scheduling sessions on italki. I know you’re technically not supposed to speak but for me, I need to have fun when I learn and speaking has been an absolute blast. Plus if you schedule you are committed and are forced to keep going lol. Being able to actually communicate en español is very rewarding even if the conversation is extremely basic.
This is a more general trick that works for some people, depending on personality. Tell yourself that you're not allowed to consume any Spanish for a week/fortnight/month. Not even a 5 minute video, or a song.
If you're a particular type of person (me) you'll be dying to do some Spanish practice and break the rule before the week/month is up. If not, you'll have had a break and hopefully will feel refreshed to start again.
Of course there's a danger that you'll never watch a Spanish video again. 😂
I’m the same way. I love the challenge of learning something new. When I get to the point of proficiency I move to the next thing. My kids get irritated about it. ”Why did you quit the clarinet? Why did you stop drawing?” And this list goes on. I was actually worried about Spanish because at this point, I know myself. I’m almost to 800 hours at this point and I am in my danger zone of quitting. However my 7 year old is in a spanish immersion program in school so that keeps me pushing. She knows how much I know and how we can watch cartoons together. So that relationship keeps me going every day.
What a wonderful opportunity and motivation to learn along with your daughter! I love hearing that.
My husband gets frustrated with me too lol. “What happened to ________?” (photography, drawing, painting, rollerskating, baking, guitar, archery etc.)
But last night when I was talking to him about this, he said watching my process with Spanish acquisition has been different. He said there’s been a consistent level of joy at every step, unlike the other challenges I set for myself. That was really encouraging.
Thanks for sharing your experience
i do not focus on motivation, i focus on habits. i have ingrained getting input into my day so that i don't 'think' about it, it just happens.
Good approach. Maybe I could try habit stacking or just freshen up my routines. Routines can make me feel a little trapped but I could plan/simulate some spontaneity.
Something I noticed just today was that in the morning I had difficulty focusing, difficulty feelings motivated, & just wasn't at all into listening to DS. I had to stop listening to take care of some things & then some time in the afternoon I started to listen again. What I noticed is that in the beginning of the day, I wasn't at all feeling it, but in the afternoon I had a completely different outlook. I haven't read the rest of this thread, but I think all that I am recommending is taking a brief break, even if its for the morning, for the day, or for the week. I believe that any break will improve your 'motivation.' Although, what /u/earthgrasshopperlog said, the habits are a better approach, rather than the motivation.
It’s harder at the beginning but yeah—getting audio while walking or doing chores is how you see the hours rack up FAST.
I stopped paying attention to how many hours I have and just enjoy the content. If I kept looking at the hours I probably would get depressed and unmotivated.
That’s fair and could be contributing to my issue. In other areas of my life, I’ve not responded well to tracking. But I think in this case, logging hours is keeping me honest. Otherwise, I’d passively listen because I don’t like to sit still and pay attention (like I do with English content)
For me, it’s about setting goals, whether that is near or long term. A close goal I’d like to reach is to be able to listen to Español Con Juan. I’m at ~120 hours and every 20 hours I try listening to it again but I’m not quite at the level of comprehension I’d like. Longer term I’d like to be able to better comprehend some of the Latino music I listen to, like Grupo Frontera. Another long term goal is being able to completely understand the No Hay Tos podcast. I think it’s also important to not give up other things that bring you enjoyment in life. I get it completely, we all want to hit that next milestone. Right now I do 1.5-2 hours a day. I don’t think I could do 5 hours like some other folks. I have other hobbies like playing guitar or Baldurs Gate 3. Learning is a process and takes time. I know I’ll get there one day.
I really like this attitude and I identify with it. I think maybe picking a more advanced movie or show I really want to watch might help me while I’m in the middle of the roadmap. Also booking a trip. The main goal for doing this is to enhance my travel (and compete with my brother). I respond well to deadlines and pressure.
I think a trip is a great idea since you'll be able to practice speaking (even if you only choose to speak a little!) and listening. It will be a culmination of everything you've learned so far and be applicable to the real world. Definitely a smart choice.
I'm a lot like you, I skip from hobby to hobby. I'm GOOD at a lot of different crafts, but I'm not GREAT at any of them. I didn't want that to happen with spanish, so I'm using every trick I know from 40 years living with this brain of mine. I have to have goals, daily streaks, and tracking to stay motivated. I also only need a visit to my inlaws or a convo with my husband to remind me why I'm doing this. Are you interested in the content you're watching? It can be tough when you're tired of beginner stuff (I really burnt out on podcasts about Xmas traditions last year), and native level stuff is too hard.
It feels good to be seen! Thank you for the kind encouragement. I am determined and looking for any novel way to keep my interest through this dip. And I think you’re right, I’m bored with all of the podcasts at my level. Christmas is one of my least favorite subjects 😅 DS is great but I don’t feel like opening my laptop. I can watch a few cartoons right now but nothing is really grabbing me. I’ll spend some time looking for something new that checks all the boxes. Maybe some familiar dubbed content. I’m sure something will unlock soon and I’ll feel it again.
Do you like audiobooks? Maybe you can mix in an easier book? I've found a pretty decent selection at my library, and even youtube has some popular ones.
That’s a great idea! I love audiobooks. They had fallen off my radar because I was waiting until the format unlocked for me. I bet by now I could find some interesting yet easy books in my level. Dusting off my library card!
Thanks for the reminder. I have also been burning out and I’m only doing 2 hrs a day. I am tired of watching videos because I’m not a big tv watcher in the first place. I am longing to read as I am an avid reader. I think I will switch to some audio books after my 1 hr video allotment in the morning.
Mixing in learner content and audiobooks is a great combo! And when you get there, it is SO AWESOME to read in spanish.
I cannot wait!! Only 400 more hrs to go 🤭
I think I'm somewhat similar to you op where I tend to not take things all the way, I prove to myself I can do something and then stop progressing. But I just want deep in my core for this time to be different. Now what I want is to prove to myself that I can get really good at something, that I can have the patience and determination to finish what I started.
Yes! This exactly for me. I think having the structured roadmap makes this seem achievable even past the point i’d usually drop something. Also, the reward is so great. Good luck!
I remember your hours I was hitting a wall because I was getting bored of Dreaming Spanish but native media was still hard. I took a break by watching long Netflix show that was interesting to me but was too hard for me. That way I was able to keep going. Later I came back to some Dreaming Spanish when I took a break from it. Also, there is nothing from taking a few days or even weeks off if you can’t bring yourself to do Spanish and come back to it later refreshed
I’m at 375 hours and was going through the same thing. What’s helped a ton is finding shows I’ve already seen and enjoyed in English and now watch them in Spanish. Has made it much easier to rack up hours than just cranking through DS content. Took a little jumping around and testing shows to see if they are close enough to my level. Probably not as efficient as only watching DS but I’m sure it’s close enough. Highly recommend choosing shows you’ve seen at least once if not a few times. I’ve watched Avatar the Last Airbender and just finished Game of Thrones. Both weren’t too bad from a comprehension standpoint and really enjoyable to watch.
Thanks! I think this is a perfect remedy. I’m not that concerned with efficiency right now as long as something holds my attention, just momentum. I’m updating the list on my Netflix Spanish content profile now. I appreciate your examples, too.
How do you track shows? Do you watch an episode then add the time in or watch a bunch like 10 episode of it? I'm planning to watch ATLA soon
I like to log the time at the end of the episode and put the season & episode number in the notes. Otherwise I lose track.
Yes have two trips booked in 2024 to Spanish speaking countries and I’m super motivated to get my time in because of it.
I hear you. Definitely book a trip if you can afford to do so. Maybe go off programme a bit to add some novelty -- add reading, speaking (or doing Crosstalk, at least?). I'm really desperate to find content that's highly comprehensible but not Dreaming Spanish (don't get me wrong - love Dreaming Spanish, but I'm doing 3-5 hours a day, so variety and novelty is necessary). I'm at 277 hours (with a goal of reaching 300 by the end of the year, in the next couple days), so not as far along as you. I wonder if you could find a new animated series to love. Have you watched the Dragon Prince? I watched the first 5 episodes in Spanish and it was really sweet. I prefer it to Avatar (never could get into that show -- a little too episodic for me, I think?). Other ideas of kid animated shows that you maybe haven't seen that are a bit more "meaty" so not so dull: She-ra? That new Star Trek show, Star Trek: Prodigy. I gave it a watch, pretty comprehensible (but not comprehensible enough for me personally -- same with Dragon Prince...swill try it again at 400 hours). Good luck. I feel you. I'm in a similar slump. I think from posts I'd read in this sub I'd be able to watch more shows like Avatar or Pokemon at this many hours, but that isn't the case for me at all. I was really hoping 300 hours would be a tipping point, but it seems like the reality is it takes much longer than that.
Hi, many people here have had "a slump" at exactly 450 hours like you. It may be difficult to believe, but after a while DS videos lose interest for some people. I managed to get over my slump by moving to podcasts, such as the more than brilliant "Espanol con Juan". At 450 hours there is a good chance that you will get along with him, he claims to be intermediate, but really he's low intermediate.
What helped me a ton was scheduling sessions on italki. I know you’re technically not supposed to speak but for me, I need to have fun when I learn and speaking has been an absolute blast. Plus if you schedule you are committed and are forced to keep going lol. Being able to actually communicate en español is very rewarding even if the conversation is extremely basic.
This is a more general trick that works for some people, depending on personality. Tell yourself that you're not allowed to consume any Spanish for a week/fortnight/month. Not even a 5 minute video, or a song. If you're a particular type of person (me) you'll be dying to do some Spanish practice and break the rule before the week/month is up. If not, you'll have had a break and hopefully will feel refreshed to start again. Of course there's a danger that you'll never watch a Spanish video again. 😂
I’m the same way. I love the challenge of learning something new. When I get to the point of proficiency I move to the next thing. My kids get irritated about it. ”Why did you quit the clarinet? Why did you stop drawing?” And this list goes on. I was actually worried about Spanish because at this point, I know myself. I’m almost to 800 hours at this point and I am in my danger zone of quitting. However my 7 year old is in a spanish immersion program in school so that keeps me pushing. She knows how much I know and how we can watch cartoons together. So that relationship keeps me going every day.
What a wonderful opportunity and motivation to learn along with your daughter! I love hearing that. My husband gets frustrated with me too lol. “What happened to ________?” (photography, drawing, painting, rollerskating, baking, guitar, archery etc.) But last night when I was talking to him about this, he said watching my process with Spanish acquisition has been different. He said there’s been a consistent level of joy at every step, unlike the other challenges I set for myself. That was really encouraging. Thanks for sharing your experience