Atomic Habits for Language Learning

By Graham Skerritt

Learning a language takes hundreds of hours of study. Therefore, as any teacher will tell you, classroom study alone is not enough. However, many people find it hard to get into the habit of studying outside of class. So how can you develop this habit and stick to it?

James Clear’s best-selling book?Atomic Habits?provides some useful?insights. In his book, Clear draws on insights from biology, psychology and neuroscience to propose “an easy and proven way to build good habits”. He explains that habits involve four steps:?

• a?cue?from our environment leads to?
• a?craving?for a reward that we know is available, which causes?
• a?response, which leads to?
• the?reward.

For example, in the mornings, we feel tired (cue), so we want to wake up (craving), so we drink a cup of coffee (response) and then we feel more alert (reward). Once we do this action a few times, we learn that it’s an easy solution to a problem (in this case, the problem of feeling tired). Eventually, our response to this cue becomes automated – in other words, it becomes a habit.

Clear argues that by understanding how habits are formed, we can create the conditions to encourage a desired habit. The key, according to Clear, is his “four laws of behaviour change”:

• Make it obvious – by providing a strong cue about what we need to do?
• Make it attractive – by making ourselves crave the reward of the action?
• Make it easy –?so that we don’t have an excuse not to respond to the cue
• Make it satisfying – by providing a reward

So how can we apply the insights from?Atomic Habits?to language learning?

1. Make it obvious

First, you need an obvious cue to prompt you to study. One way of doing this is by having a set place that you study – so that you know that when you are in this place, you need to study. You should also establish a regular time for studying.

However, you also need to be specific about what you will do – saying that you want to “study vocabulary” is not enough to establish a habit. Clear suggests making a plan using the following structure:?

I will [BEHAVIOUR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].?

For example, “I will study ten new words at lunchtime on Wednesdays in the cafeteria”. This defines the time, place, and goal for your study, which makes it more concrete and therefore more likely to happen.

Another way to help you stick to your plan is to connect your desired new habit to an existing part of your routine using the following structure:?

After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].?

For example, “After I finish my lunch, I will study ten new words.” By stacking habits like this, you make it more likely you will remember to study and that it will become part of your usual routine.

2. Make it attractive

You need to make sure you want to study. Clear suggests several different ways of making a habit attractive. One is to promise yourself a reward after completing the desired action. Again, he suggests a structure you can use here:?

After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. After I [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].?

For example, “After I finish lunch, I will study ten new words. After I study ten new words, I will have a cup of coffee.”

Another way to make the desired habit attractive is to surround yourself with people who already have the kinds of habits that you want to pick up. For example, attending a class, joining an online community, or even talking to people you know who are also studying can be good ways to feel some gentle peer pressure to continue to be part of this group.

3. Make it easy

To make sure you actually study, it needs to be something that doesn’t require an enormous amount of effort. You want it to be as easy as possible to start studying, so make sure everything you need is easily accessible and ready when you need it. For example, keep your notebook, textbook and pencil on your desk, so you can start studying right away.

It’s also important not to be too ambitious with a new habit. If you try to study two hours a night right away, you will probably manage it for a couple of days and then you’ll be exhausted and your motivation will be gone. Start with a much shorter study session and when you’ve got into the habit, try gradually studying for longer.

4. Make it satisfying

Research shows that rewards are more satisfying and more likely to lead to habit formation when they come right after the action, whereas studying with the promise of a delayed reward is not as effective. So, why not treat yourself to a cookie or an episode of your favourite TV show as a reward for completing your study session?

Treats are not the only way to get a reward, however. It can be equally satisfying to feel that you have achieved something. Tracking your progress is a good way to highlight your achievements. The simplest way to do this is to mark the dates when you studied on your calendar with an “X” and then you should feel motivated to try not to “break the chain” of Xs. If you miss a day, don’t be too hard on yourself but make sure you get back on track the following day – try to “never miss twice”.

You could track your progress in other ways too – for example, you could keep a list of the words that you have learned, write a list of sentences with the structures you have studied, or keep a list of the books you have read.

So why not try these ideas to help you form some new study habits? Remember, if you really want to learn a language, you’ve got to get into the habit of studying.

If you would like to learn more about?Global Bridge, please contact?[email protected]?or call 03-3518-2620.?