Learning the Spanish Language — Project Day 2

After yesterday's disappointments, routine-building was the highest of my 2 priorities for today.

The other, unsurprisingly, was to get more done. Without fretting, if I failed to tick-off every language learning task for the day.

If I stuck to the schedule, I'd 'know' for certain how plausible the task list was. If I couldn't, developing one that can be stuck to would be the top priority for tomorrow.

Review

Well, I didn't stick to the schedule entirely and I didn't get a whole lot more done than yesterday. But there was definite progress. Most importantly, both the schedule and the task list look do-able.

On the positive side, I got some exercise in. I concentrated for much longer. And I have a pretty clear idea of my schedule for tomorrow.

Once I got the schedule drawn up, I only really slipped-up by eating at the wrong times and failing to crack-on in session 4.

Both are entirely fixable, if I can get going early tomorrow and avoid string-length research activities.

I missed tea at 6 o'clock, because I had my beakfast for lunch and ended up taking a large-ish snack in the late afternoon.

I screwed-up session 4, because I stumbled over a seam of graded audiobooks, while organising my files in the previous maintenance session. And a hunt for similar resources spilled over, into what was supposed to be session 4.

Although I did eventually force myself to stop hunting, I'd lost the rhythm and focus that had enabled me to blaze through tasks in the afternoon.

Today's 'lessons' suggest the following priorities for tomorrow:

  1. Get going immediately — as soon as I wake
  2. Force myself to eat breakfast and cycle — before 0830
  3. Do not touch the task list or the schedule — before 1715
  4. Reduce task times — so a bit of everything gets done
  5. Find ways to reduce the writing burden
  6. No resource hunting — got enough to finish project

Learning Tasks Checklist

Task M T W T F S S
Read - Spa. press (10)
Read - Spa. fict. (10)
Read - Spa. nonfict (10)
Talk - aural Spa. press (10)
Talk - aural Spa. fict. (10)
Talk - aural Spa. nonfict (10)
Listen - Spa. audio news (5)
Listen - Spa. audio fiction (5)
Listen - Spa. audio nonfict (5)
Listen - review aurals
Listen & Talk phrases (10)
Listen & Talk sentences (20)
Listen & Talk aural Qs (30)
Listen & Sing - a song (10)
Write - Sum. audio news (10)
Write - Trns. audio news  (15)
Write - comprehension test
Write - List today's 'issues'
Write - Stop positions
Physical - exercise (40)
Watch - subbed drama (30)
Watch - subbed Film (30)
Watch - no-sub docu (10)
Research - lang. acquisition
Review - this checklist (15)

Routine Checklist

Explanation

  • Records schedule-keeping
  • Not performance quality, quantity, or completion
  • Ticks = right activity on time
  • Crosses = not done to schedule
  • Starts midday, first Tuesday
Task M T W T F S S
0730 - Wake - -
0745 - Light exercise - -
0815 - Break (-fast) - -
0830 - Set-up - -
0845 - Session 1 - -
1015 - Break - -
1030 - Session 2 - -
1200 - Dinner -
1245 - Main exercise -
1415 - Break -
1430 - Session 3 -
1600 - Take-down -
1615 - Review -
1700 - Break -
1715 - Maintenance -
1800 - Tea -
1830 - Session 4 -
2000 - Break -
2015 - Relax -
2200 - Review, wind-down -

Contact Davie Fisher

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+44 (0)113 234 4611

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davef@davefisher.co.uk

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Flat 3 15 South Parade Leeds LS1 5PQ United Kingdom