When Language Learning Isn't as Fun Anymore
Rethinking time-tracking and challenges.
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Week 30-31/53 | Study Log 2026
This study log combines two weeks of study, as I wasn't feeling well last week. I took it as a chance to take a break from my routine. This meant that there were a few days I didn't meet my minimum 1 hour of study time for the 75 Fluent Challenge.
It was a bit disappointing to lose my streak, and I did lose some motivation to continue studying. The break made me reconsider why I'm doing this challenge and putting pressure on myself to meet these goals.
I wonder if itās the aspect of time-tracking that adds a layer of pressure. I not only have to do whatever study task I choose but also make sure Iām tracking and meeting the minimum time requirement.1
I find myself weighing everything I do and contemplating how much value itās bringing me. I already do this normally, because itās how my brain works, but I think after some time, tracking can cause more harm than good in those moments when I canāt meet my goals.
At this point, Iām contemplating whether I should continue with this challenge. Itās now been 6 weeks, which is the halfway point, and I think the joy is no longer there,
Here are my stats and charts, which cover the past two weeks. I didnāt study at all on Monday the 27th and only did a couple of minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday. My average is still an hour a day since there were days when I spent 2 hours or more.
Most of my time was spent with French (8H23M) and Japanese (6H15M). The āOtherā languages were Mandarin (13M) and Icelandic (5M).
š„ French
I completed the vocabulary workbook Iāve been working through. It feels good to be able to move on to the final workbook, which is the listening workbook. Since Iām focusing on speaking, I want to use some of the audio recordings as shadow practice.
About a week and a half ago, I picked up some early-reader books from the library. I plan to read them out loud to practice working on my pronunciation and intonation in French.
Speaking is one thing Iād like to improve, so Iāve also started taking lessons on Italki. I had a trial lesson a few days ago which went well. I liked the tutor I chose and have already booked my next few lessons with her.
I plan to have a post up soon about how I pick language teachers. Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding that!
Migaku Stats
French Total Words Known: 3382 ā 3521 words
LāĆtranger Part 1 Deck: 119 ā 138/445 cards reviewed
The deck had 446 cards originally, but I deleted one since it wasnāt a word I felt I needed to spend time studying.
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Iāve been watching Clannad with my partner, which has made up most of my Japanese study. There were a few episodes where I looked up some new words, and Iām quite happy to say that theyāve stuck with me without having to memorize them. One of those was ććć / ęµ·ę (Starfish).
Iām still finding it hard to get into Japanese. It feels like I have so much to learn, so more study or immersion has to be done before I can start enjoying what I do know. This feeling is what makes me want to step away from diligently tracking and go on to experiencing and finding the joy in the process.
āØLanguage Wins of The Week
Had a language lesson in French which went well!
Completed my French vocabulary workbook
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Next Weekās Plans
Attend French conversation lesson
Thanks for being here. See you next week!
Ironically enough, I technically have not been officially meeting all of the 75 Fluent goals.
I have been in a major funk with the challenge this past week or so also! I had already dropped the hour requirement and Iām just trying to complete all the other tasks every day, but I still find myself ārebellingā against that structure š I love the progress Iām making with the daily study so for now Iām just trying to adapt and continue but we shall see š¬
Perspective from someone who works in the postmodern office world: if I'm not getting paid, I'm not tracking anything at a fine grain. I know, and I suspect you do as well, when I've done a good practice session, a good workout, read and wrote enough for the day, and part of that knowledge is knowing when the fun to be had has been had. Otherwise, we risk losing the things that make living worth it to chasing productivity.