Useful Mindset for Self-Learning German

In a world where we're accustomed to attending language schools to learn the skill from teachers, traditional learning remains the first go-to method that remains at the top of our minds. However, in a busy adult world where personal responsibilities make it impossible to follow the traditional method, attending traditional language schools becomes far less convenient.

Today's world is constantly evolving with technology. While traditional schooling is still a viable option, the advent of technology has opened up new opportunities for language learning, making it now accessible to everyone and self-study possible.

In this article, we will talk about tips for learning German on your own, including the mindset you need to embrace it. This follows on from an article about tips for learning languages using language learning apps, for those who are looking to study German on their own.

We All Possess the Capability to Independent Learning

This is because we have all been through the student-life stage before (or for some of you, are still studying). However, when entering the working world, the old student mindset may no longer serve you best. If we recall, the mindset in the typical working world usually involves:

• Making no work mistakes

• Utilise existing knowledge and experience to perform the job

• A job done quick is praised whereas a job done too slowly is punished

• Going back to the basic work level is seen as a step backwards and a gradual development is rather expected as we progress

If you're studying a language while working, you may notice that your ability to learn new things isn't as fluid and effective as when you were a student. This is partly because your current mindset is not fine-tuned to effective learning. Instead, the mindset helps you to perform the work well.

Adjust Your Mindset to Be Open to Learning.

Before you start learning a foreign language like German, take a moment to shift your mindset from the 'work mode' to the 'learner mode' by understanding that:

• Learning will involve making mistakes and effective learning is learning from those mistakes

• There will be knowledge gaps within ourselves and learning is the creation of new knowledge within oneself. Relying on past experience and skills will only close yourself from taking up new theories and methods, which are major components in learning

• Developing new knowledge always takes time. Finishing the learning 'quick' does not hold equal outcome weights to finishing the work 'quick'

• Revisiting old materials is part of a step forward to strengthening your knowledge, since it helps to strengthen your long-term memory on the subject

It can be seen that the mindset for learning new things is very different to the mindset used for working - if applied the learning mindset to language learning, they may come out in the form of:

• Making mistakes in recalling a noun's gender to then acknowledge it and learn the correct gender for that noun, going forward

• Recognise that the nominativ / akkusativ / dativ / genitiv grammatical rules are new components that do not exist in the Thai language. Thus, they serve as a new learning opportunity to fill the knowledge gaps

• Give yourself time to understand complex grammatical rules, don't rush. Remember, this is learning and not working. Strong foundational knowledge will serve you well later, since higher German language levels are built on solid knowledge from previous levels

• If you've been studying for a while and forget the rules or vocabulary, don't hesitate to go back and review them, even if they are A1 materials

Why This Mindset Helps ?

Because learning a language relies on frequent repetition until the brain can store it in long-term memory. Making mistakes stimulates the brain to learn from those mistakes better than a passive learning style, where no direct application of knowledge is made, hence making no mistakes. Adjusting your mindset to fit the 'learner mode' will change your perspective on how you view those mistakes and make you more receptive to learn from them. Whereas the 'work mode' mindset will influence your perception of those mistakes, seeing them as detrimental 'work mistakes', which blocks you from truly learning from them.

Our memory lengths vary, so it's common that we sometimes forget grammar rules or vocabulary. The key is to go back and review them again to build a solid foundation through repetition, and not seeing it as a 'step-backward' which would be the case if approached under the work-mode mindset, preventing effective learning.

The mindsets for working and learning are very different. For professionals learning a new language, it may be crucial to fine-tune their mindset back to the 'learner mode' while learning German and new grammar rules.

Consistency and practice doing exercises remain helpful, but adjusting your mindset to facilitate learning is even more so, especially if you are learning a language independently.

Try these tips and feel the transformation yourself.

By Language Made Possible