Introducing Everything You Need To Know About Making a Personalized Language Learning Schedule
Many language learners misunderstand the power of a strong study schedule.
If you feel like schedules have never worked for you in the past, you need to read this post!
Because I’m going to completely blow your mind about schedule creation for your language studies, and reveal exactly what it hasn’t worked for you in the past.
It’s seriously not your fault, so let’s hop to it!
Language Learning Schedule 101
Whenever I’m helping my students and clients create a more personalized schedule for themselves, I make sure that we’re on the same page about what a schedule even is and the purpose of it in our language learning “system”.
Schedules are the when and where.
They tell us when we’re completing tasks (and sometimes where if you require specific environments to get your studying done).
If you want more on the differences between a study plan, study schedule, and study routine, you can check it out here.
But essentially, the plan is the WHAT and WHY. The schedule is the WHERE and WHEN. And the routine is HOW.
Plus, the routine puts all of the pieces together.
4 Types Of Schedules You Can Create For Yourself
The four types of schedules can be divided based on two different factors.
The time you’ve set to complete your studies, and the tasks you’ve chosen. It can either be flexible or rigid, and it is SO important to know what you need.
(and to know that your needs might change over time, and that’s okay!)
Rigid Time – Rigid Tasks
For this type of schedule, you are setting specific times for your studies as well as specific tasks.
This means that you study for the same times each day or each week, and you generally complete tasks that are preset BEFORE you ever sit down to actually study.
So for example, studying every Monday and Thursday, and focuses on completing a set of activities from your textbook. And that’s it.
This is the schedule for people who tend to struggle with two different things:
- Decision fatigue after trying to decide which activity to complete and strategy to follow
- Weak habits around getting your studies done because you forget to do it, or hate deciding in the moment when to study.
Rigid Time – Flexible Tasks
This type of schedule focus on those same rigid times like the example above, but offers more of a selection of tasks for you to choose each study session.
This means that you are still studying the same time each day or week, but your tasks are not preset in advanced.
Instead, you might have a list of 2-3 tasks that you can complete at any given time that all align with your study goals.
So for example, studying every Monday and Thursday but deciding on those days if you want to complete a set of activities from your textbook, or listen to a podcast, or work on sentence building.
This is the schedule for people who need reliable and predictable times to study, but also want more variety in what they do each time they sit down to study.
Flexible Time – Flexible Tasks
Now we’re in the schedule type for the people who LOVE tons of variety.
This offers a lot of space for you to do what you want, when you want, while also making consistent progress in your studies.
So for example, setting an expectation to study for 3 or 4 times each week, and you decide when that happens either the week of, or the same day.
Then, you also get to decide what tasks you want complete, usually from a list that you’ve curated based on your study planning work.
Flexible Time – Rigid Tasks
And finally the schedule that combines flexible time expectations with rigid tasks.
This means that you are studying when you have the time rather than setting specific times or days on a regular basis.
But, on the other hand, you are completing tasks based on a preset list BEFORE you actually sit down to study.
So for example, setting an expectation to study for 3 or 4 times each week of your study cycle. But no matter when you decide to get the studying done, you will always stick to completing a set of activities from your textbook.
This is for the people who’s schedules aren’t the same all the time, who hate forcing themselves to study at specific times, but also struggle with that decision fatigue when actually sitting down.
And this is really important to know, because often times, if you lose tons of energy deciding what to do during your session, by the time you actually decide, you might end up just putting it off until tomorrow.
…and how many times has that happened to you before?
Let’s prevent this in your future schedules.
Want more support with creating your study schedule and plan?
If you are ready to take that next step and create a personalized study schedule that works for you, check out my course! In the B.E.T.A. Study Blueprint, I walk you through the entire process of creating your plan and schedule with confidence.
