⭐ Quarter 1 Review & Reflection (2024)
Including stats and charts and my plans for quarter 2
Time to reflect on the start of 2024!
Below, you’ll find detailed summaries of the past three months:
Archive: Monthly study logs | Weekly study logs
📊 Time Tracking Insights (Q1)
In the first quarter, I spent time with 7 different languages. Some were only a few minutes. That's why, when combining the total time spent on all six, it's still significantly less than the time I dedicated to French.
French: 151h 06m (1.65h/day)
Mandarin: 25h 5m
Korean: 4h 3m
Spanish: 1h 49m
Cantonese: 51m
Japanese: 28m
Icelandic: 27m
Total study time in Q1: 183h 52m (2h/day)
📅 Monthly Language Study Time
Observing the fluctuation in study time between months highlights that consistency isn't just about studying the same amount each month or even each day. On average, my total study time in the first quarter amounts to 2 hours per day.
My weekly study logs reveal that I don't consistently study for 2 hours each day. Some days, I may only study for a few minutes, while on others, I might dedicate a few hours.
Resource: How I make my visualize my tracked study data + templates
January started well mostly because I had days off from work that gave me more time to study. The same was true in March when I completed a 40-hour language challenge. Although February was a shorter month, it reflects a more typical scenario of my study routine when balancing full-time work, with weekends offering the most study time.1
Looking at how I divided my study time and the languages I focused on each month, it's clear that French continues to be a priority. On average, I spend just over an hour each day studying French. In March, this time nearly doubled because of the challenge I mentioned earlier.
I'm curious to see if the pattern of French being my primary focus will shift later in the year.
💭 Reflection Questions
What have you noticed in your language learning journey thus far?
Since prioritizing French and dedicating more time to it than Mandarin, I've noticed that when I try to speak Mandarin, French tends to dominate. This occurred early in my French learning journey, even when my skills were low. Now that I’ve improved, it’s difficult to get French out of my head.
While this feels inconvenient at times, it’s amazing to see how far my French as come. Every few months, I notice improvements, such as a difference in my French pronunciation now compared to before.
What challenges have I encountered this quarter?
At the end of Q4 in 2024, I found that I had less time for language learning and this remains true now. With increasing life responsibilities, my available study time during the week diminishes. It's challenging not to let this impact how I perceive my language progress, but I'm coming to terms with it being a natural part of life. I’m still working on prioritizing relaxation and not letting language learning consume me.
⭐ Small Wins in Q1
Explored a French-speaking place. I visited Montréal in March and had a fun time exploring the city, hiking, and buying French books.
Dabbled in two new languages. Learning about Korean and Spanish was a refreshing change. Though I only dedicated a few hours to each, it was intriguing to revisit the beginner stages of language learning.
Used more French during structured learning time at work. When I first started leading activities with the students I was extremely nervous I’d make mistakes and not use as much French due to a limited vocabulary. Despite making mistakes, I’ve noticed significant improvement over time supported by encouraging feedback from the other teachers.
Started and completed my first language group class in French. This was a fun experience to meet other language learners at my level. It also gave me dedicated weekly time to focus on improving my speaking.
🎉 Q2 Plans
At the end of my 2023 Q4 recap, I mentioned wanting to improve my French communication skills in 2024, with French remaining my main focus for the first half of the year. Based on the progress I've seen in the first three months, I'm feeling good about my progress.
Most of my plans revolve around French for Q2, particularly improving my reading and writing. I’m still contemplating taking a proficiency exam later in the year. If I do take it, I think all my skills will be at a good level by then.
I'm taking things slow to ensure that French becomes natural and comfortable for me. I've already started feeling this shift by the end of the first quarter, and I'm excited to see my confidence grow.
Regarding my other languages, I casually explore whichever one I feel like. Once my French is solid, I hope to dedicate more time to them.
Next month marks 1.5 years since I started relearning French, which feels like a significant milestone in my language journey!
❓ How was your first quarter of language language learning?
Were there any achievements or challenges you encountered?
What are your small wins?
If you’re looking for more questions to help you reflect, check out the list of quarterly reflection questions
created.Thanks for reading!
A subscriber had asked me to share how I balance my study time with work. I’ll be sharing a post about this sometime in the future along with a detailed look of what my tracked activities look like during the week.