Learn Chinese with Everyday Chinese: Staying Motivated

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new episode of "Everyday Chinese."

Hi everyone, I'm Wang Yu.

It's great to see you all again!

Wang Yu, you look in really high spirits today. Is there something happy going on?

(Laughs) Li Ming, you're so observant. I've been learning to draw lately,

and yesterday I finally finished a drawing I'm really happy with, so I feel a real sense of achievement.

But to be honest, the learning process isn't this fun every day.

Oh? How so?

It's just... sometimes I feel really tired, don't want to move, and have absolutely no motivation.

I think many of our friends who are learning Chinese might feel the same way, right?

Having to study every day can sometimes feel really boring, and you just want to give up.

You are so right.

That's indeed a very common problem.

No matter what you're learning, passion and motivation aren't there every single day.

Many people start with great interest, but slowly they find it hard to keep going.

Yeah! So today we're going to talk about a very important topic, right?

Exactly. Today we want to talk with everyone about:

how to stay motivated to study every day,

and achieve "never tiring of learning", or rather, "learning without getting frustrated"?

This is a fantastic topic!

I have so many questions to ask you, Li Ming.

You always seem so organized and disciplined.

(Laughs) I have my methods too. So let's start with the very first step of learning.

Wang Yu, I feel that before we discuss "how to study,"

the more important question is "why study." What do you think?

Hmm, "why study"?

I see, you mean learning goals, right?

If you don't know where you're going, no wind is a favorable wind.

It's the same with learning.

If you don't have a clear goal in mind,

it's very easy to get lost when you run into difficulties,

and then give up.

I agree.

For me, when I started learning Chinese,

my initial goal was actually very simple.

It was because I really loved watching Chinese TV dramas, especially historical dramas.

I thought back then, if I could understand what they are saying without looking at subtitles,

how cool would that be!

That's an excellent goal!

Because it's very specific, and it's connected to your own interests.

It's a goal that can bring you joy.

Yes! Every time I don't feel like studying,

I'll open an episode of a drama I like,

listen to the dialogue I don't understand, and then tell myself:

"Keep going, Wang Yu! Once you study hard, you'll be able to understand it!"

Once I think of that, my motivation comes right back.

See, that's the power of interest.

My goal might be a bit different from yours. I'm more

like a planner.

When I learn a new language, it's usually for work,

or for a long-term personal development plan.

For example, when I was learning English, my goal was very clear:

to pass an important exam within a year,

get the certificate, and then I could apply for a better job.

Wow, your goal sounds... like so much pressure!

(Laughs) Indeed.

But for me, a clear, challenging goal like that

is like a lighthouse in the distance.

I know that as long as I work towards that direction, every step I take is meaningful.

I would write down my big goal and paste it in front of my desk, so I could see it every day.

It reminds me that today's hard work is for a better life tomorrow.

I see.

So, your motivation comes from future expectations and plans.

While my motivation comes more from present joy and interest.

You could say that.

But I don't think these two kinds of goals are contradictory.

We can have a long-term goal like a lighthouse,

such as "passing the HSK Level 6 exam,"

and we can also have many short-term goals like little flowers on the roadside,

such as "learning to sing a Chinese song" or "understanding a Chinese movie."

Yes! Combining them like this is perfect.

You have a big direction, and lots of fun little scenery along the way.

That way, you won't feel the journey is too far or too boring.

So, dear listeners,

what is your "why" for learning Chinese?

Is it for work, for travel,

or to chat with Chinese friends?

Find your answer, write it down,

and tell yourself: this is the reason you work hard every day.

Li Ming, I've found my "why."

My big goal is "to be able to chat fluently with Chinese friends."

But that goal is really so huge!

It feels like an elephant—I have absolutely no idea where to start eating.

Sometimes just thinking about how much there is to learn

makes me feel so tired that I don't even want to start.

(Laughs) That's a very interesting metaphor.

How do you eat an elephant?

The answer is: one bite at a time.

It's the same with studying. We need to take a massive goal

and break it down into many manageable small tasks.

Break it down into small tasks?

That's your strength, teach me quickly!

It's actually very simple.

For example, the goal of "chatting fluently."

We can break it down into several parts:

vocabulary, grammar, listening, and speaking.

Then, we break each part down into even smaller,

daily tasks that can be completed.

Oh! For instance, for vocabulary, I could set a goal like

"learning 10 new words every day."

Excellent!

"Learning 10 new words every day"—

that is a perfect small task.

It's very specific, easy to do,

and you'll feel a great sense of achievement once you've finished it.

You can also plan to "listen to 15 minutes of a Chinese podcast every day,"

"shadow read a short text every day,"

or "find a Chinese friend to practice speaking with for half an hour every week."

I get it!