Best ways to study for someone with a short attention span

Posts0Likes0Joined31/3/2019LocationManchester / GB
Native
English
Learning Italian

Hi everyone! I am hoping to move to Italy one day and of course I study the language whenever I can, but a big problem is, I have quite a short attention span. 


Does anyone know the best methods of studying for someone with a short attention span like me?


Thankyou very much! 

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#1
Posts1630Likes1092Joined18/3/2018LocationBellingham / US
Native
English
Learning German
Other Chinese - Mandarin, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai

Hi Charlotte. What exactly do you mean by short attention span - you get bored easily? If that's the case, the best remedy is probably to study stuff the really interests you. For example, listen to podcasts about your favorite topics, read books or articles in your favorite genres and watch interesting movies in your target language. You can also do things like play games, chat with friends, and just do fun stuff in your L2. What you lose in efficiency you can make up for by naturally paying more attention.

In Thailand now. Next up Tanzania and Philippines.

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#2
Posts0Likes0Joined19/9/2019LocationSão Paulo / BR
Native
Portuguese
Learning English, French, Italian, Spanish

Just a quick tip from someone used to teach kids (attention span is, then, an important issue to take into consideration): tag things around your environment. You'll be memorizing, at least, vocabulary. Repetition is also a high recommendation, so choose some subject you are interested in and expose yourself to that semantic universe, through podcasts, vídeos, blogs.

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#3
Posts0Likes0Joined18/6/2019LocationSan Jose Del Monte / PH
Native
English
Learning Afrikaans, Cebuano, Chinese - Mandarin, Danish, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Spanish, Tagalog

Hi, I have ADD PI. I agree with Leo's post above, about doing things you like just in your L2. You do have to however eventually study things you don't like or else you will have huge gaps. My advice is time box. Set a timer and just study and focus for that amount of time, then move on. The so called pomodoro method is a popular version of this.

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#4
Posts0Likes0Joined23/9/2019LocationNovi Sad / RS
Native
Serbian
Learning Danish, English, Russian

The thing I love is to just try and think of random sentences in Danish or Russian when I'm doing the dishes or walking the streets. Basically, anytime I have nothing on my mind, I try to do this, and it makes my brain much more connected to your L2. Sometimes I even start thinking in L2 without realising it, and I guess that's the best part, right?

JEG KAN IKKE FORSTÅ

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#5
Posts18Likes12Joined16/10/2019LocationUS
Native
Danish, English
Learning Chinese - Mandarin, French, German, Macedonian, Norwegian, Spanish

I would find short and easily comprehensible short stories on youtube etc, and I would listen/watch or read a couple of those each day, and overtime go back and revise the older ones and then on to the new ones. just doing something language acquisition related everyday is the most important thing, don't skip. :)

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#6
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