Micro-habits in language learning
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Imagine it’s parents evening. You’re sat down with Katie and Dad. “Spend 10 min on Quizlet 3/4x a week”, you advise. The usual spiel. Katie agrees, but will she actually do it?
Some will, some won’t.
But is Quizlet and vocab drilling really all there is?
Last November, I was granted the opportunity to host #MFLchat and lead the discussion on micro-habits.
A recap, in case you missed it:
MFL teachers already do so much to help students form good study habits in language learning, but might there be a place for micro-habits where the onus is on the student?
Whether it be for revision, for fun or for the sake of encouraging more student agency, forming micro-habits simply involves doing something regularly, in addition to homework, that requires little to no effort. Students get to break it down, not into chunks, but rather to micro-level. What they consider to be the least effort will differ amongst them, so why not let the students decide? These may seem like tiny efforts at first, but in the end, they all add up.
Is this naive thinking?
I’ll put my hands up and say that this is still very difficult to achieve on a daily basis, but I also feel that it’s a great way to improve. It doesn’t have to be daily, just regularly enough – you decide what is little and often for you, so long as you keep at it. Adult language learners are encouraged to do this, so why not teach them young?
I couldn’t stop thinking about this after the #MFLchat, so I’ve put together a list of micro-habits that students could have a go at.
Care to try it out?
PDF includes a habit tracker for your students and useful links for you and your class!
It may be unrealistic, but if we are to instil a love for the subject and engage students further, we need to insist on the idea that, as linguists, regular contact with the language is crucial. This would enable them to see that languages can be useful, enjoyable and relevant to their lives.
I wonder what your thoughts are on this…
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