Intro
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| Chigusa: Welcome to a special Inner Circle Audio Lesson! I'm Chigusa, and I'll be your host. My co-host today is the founder of InnovativeLanguage.com... Peter Galante! |
| Peter: Hi everyone! Peter here. |
| Chigusa: In this Inner Circle, we're talking about… |
| Peter: How to Integrate Self-Study &Learning with a Teacher… and Learn Faster. |
| Chigusa: You'll Learn... |
| Peter: One: The Power of Combining Self-Study &Group Classes |
| Chigusa: And Two: How to Integrate the Two &Learn Faster |
| Peter: All so you can master your target language and reach your goals! |
| Body |
| Peter: Last time, you learned how to maintain your mindset…. |
| Chigusa: ...and how to maintain your routine... |
| Peter: ...so that you can keep on going with the language and reach your goals. |
| Chigusa: And Peter, last time, you set a goal for 22 minutes of Russian conversation. |
| Peter: Chigusa, I actually meant to say 20, but I accidentally said 22 so if you re-listen to the episode… So yes, the goal was 22. |
| Chigusa: Well, there’s nothing wrong with aiming high! Did you reach it? |
| Peter: No. I did not, unfortunately. But one more month to go and if you remember, I’m also scaling my goal for the year down to the mid-20s, so 25 minutes. |
| Chigusa: Oh! So we have just a month left. Do you think you can hit 25 by December 31st? |
| Peter: I’m very confident I can. But it’s kind of not fair in a way. I’m just adjusting these goals to meet the schedule but I think that's an important part of continuing on and helping keep a positive mindset that... you can have some flexibility, because life is about adapting. |
| Chigusa: Great! But you are confident. |
| Peter: Yes, confident, but at the same time, Chigusa, I’ve also been taking our live group lessons for Italian. Excuse, excuse... |
| Chigusa: Ah, Italian is a language you maintain, right? |
| Peter: Right. And, live group classes are something we started earlier this year...so I’ve been doing Italian classes for the past few months. And I’ve noticed an improvement in my Italian with the unique… self-study and learning-with-a-teacher approach that the classes have. |
| Chigusa: Oh what kind of improvement? |
| Peter: Well, I speak better. Usually, I’d struggle with using grammar. You know, you can learn a rule… but using it as fluidly as a native speaker is hard. Like if you learn a grammar rule, it takes time to practice it... |
| Chigusa: Yeah... |
| Peter: But nowadays, I can speak a lot better and I can put the grammar rules to use quickly. |
| Chigusa: So there’s something you’re doing then…. with the classes and with self study that seems to be working. |
| Peter: And that’s the reason I brought it up. It’s actually the topic of today’s Inner Circle |
| Chigusa: How to Integrate Self-Study &Learning with a Teacher… and Learn Faster. |
| Peter: And let’s jump into part 1. |
| Chigusa: Part 1 The Power of Combining Self-Study &Group Classes |
| Peter: So, Chigusa, if you think about most language learners… most learn on their own with an app or a textbook... |
| Chigusa: Yeah, and I think some study with a tutor. |
| Peter: And then… you have some learners that do both, self-study and learning with others. But, for the most part, the two sides - the self study and learning with others - they’re not connected. |
| Chigusa: Meaning, you could be learning words with an app on your own… and something different…with a teacher? |
| Peter: Exactly. But with our classes. We integrate both - self-study AND learning in class with others… where you’re learning the same content on both sides, it’s actually a very interesting and beneficial experience? |
| Chigusa: So, how does it work exactly, Peter? |
| Peter: Well, before every class, you get an assignment - in my case, I get an ItalianPod101 lesson and assessment to complete before each class. And if you’ve taken our lessons, you learn a dialogue and all of the words and grammar rules inside the lessons. Then, you test yourself with the assessments. |
| Chigusa: And what about the actual class? |
| Peter: So, when the class starts, we cover those same exact words and grammar rules...and you get to practice it with the teacher. So, my process is… I learn ahead of time with our ItalianPod101 lessons. Then I practice it all with the teacher and the other students in the live class…. |
| Chigusa: I see. So, there’s overlap. You learn on your own… and then you cover the same thing in class? How does that help you learn faster? |
| Peter: That’s a really interesting question. First, there are a few parts to learning - the most important ones are 1) acquiring new information, 2) practicing using what you’ve learned, 3) getting feedback and practicing.. and implementing the feedback - so getting feedback and implementing it, and then 4) getting assessed: someone telling you if you’re on the right track or not. So, if you’re learning alone… Chigusa… What happens? |
| Chigusa: Well, you just acquire new information… there’s no one to test you or help you practice the words. |
| Peter: Exactly. So, you’re not going to remember what you learn as well… because you don’t have an opportunity to practice. You’re missing some critical steps of the learning process. So, if you’re missing those steps… then you’re slowing down your learning process. And if you are learning on your own and with a teacher...but there’s no overlap… there’s still gaps… you’re still missing the practice for what you’re doing on your own. |
| Chigusa: Right, I also think it makes sense to have overlap. I think you learn better if you review the same thing in multiple ways, you know? So, with the classes, you get that opportunity to practice… |
| Peter: ...and get feedback and get assessed. |
| Chigusa:I see. But, what if you are just learning with a tutor? Why not just learn with a tutor… without self-study? |
| Peter: If you’re learning with a tutor or teacher, then it becomes a question of time. The learner is on a limited schedule. Teachers are on a limited schedule right? |
| Chigusa: Right, plus you have to pay for the time too, so.. |
| Peter: So, it’s a question of time...and making the most of that time. If you have 1 hour of classes a week with a teacher… how would you want to spend it? Do you want to spend that hour going over grammar rules or practicing speaking? Kind of, practice what you’ve learned? |
| Chigusa: Hmm, If you spend that hour learning words and grammar rules... then you have to wait until the next time to practice, right? |
| Peter: And that takes even more time. |
| Chigusa: Yeah, I think spending time practicing and getting feedback is best. |
| Peter: Chigusa, think about a real class. Back when you were in school. There always was that one student that didn't study, right? |
| Chigusa: Yeah, and the teacher had to stop and explain everything….and it kind of slows down the rest of the class. |
| Peter: And yeah, it'd be better for the student...and their progress if they prepared on their own. |
| Chigusa: Right. |
| Peter: So, it's a good example of how… it’s just a much better use of your time, the teacher’s time, and how you’ll learn faster if you integrate the two. |
| Chigusa: So, the classes integrate both - self-study - where you learn on your own with our audio/video lessons, |
| Peter: ...and in-class practice where you practice what you learned on your own time… with a teacher. And when you practice with a teacher in a classroom setting, the teacher’s processing the information that you share and giving you instant assessment: helping you with your pronunciation, your grammar, so… it’s actually a very very powerful way to practice and get feedback on what you learn on your own. |
| Chigusa: So, Peter, what can our learners take away from this? |
| Peter: Let’s jump into Part 2. |
| Chigusa: Part 2: How to Integrate Self-Study &Learning with Others. |
| Peter: Listeners, the point of integrating self-study and learning with others is to… |
| Chigusa: Make the most of your time with a teacher |
| Peter: Have a chance to practice what you’ve learned on your own |
| Chigusa: ...and get feedback as you practice. |
| Peter: Otherwise, if you come to a teacher without preparation, they’ll just spend the time explaining grammar rules or reviewing vocabulary and it’s not actually implementing what you’ve learned on your own… |
| Chigusa: ...which you won’t get to practice until next time, if at all. |
| Peter: And if you’re just doing self study… |
| Chigusa: Then you likely don’t get a chance to practice at all. |
| Peter: But, it’s the practice and feedback that helps the language stick, and that’s the part you can’t skip. |
| Chigusa: So, here’s what you can do: |
| Peter One: Join our live group classes. |
| Chigusa: We’re currently offering live group classes for… Japanese, English, Italian, Korean, Spanish, French and Chinese. |
| Peter: Two: Find a teacher or tutor that works with the same resource that you have - whether it’s our program or a textbook. Have the tutor see what you’re studying so they can match. |
| Chigusa: And it’s important that there’s overlap… that what you’re learning with the tutor and on your own is the same. So, you can learn on your own and practice with the teacher. |
| Peter: Three: You can also try our Premium PLUS plan...if you’re not quite ready for live classes |
| Chigusa: Our Premium PLUS teachers are familiar with our learning program, so there’s no disconnect between what you learn on your own... And what you’ll learn with them. |
| Peter: And Four: Find a friend or a community that’s learning with the same resource as you. |
| Chigusa: Alright, Peter. Let’s get back to goals. What’s your next goal? |
| Peter: I think it’s the 25 minutes. |
| Chigusa: Deadline? |
| Peter: So, end of the year, right? |
| Chigusa: Okay. Listeners, how about you? |
| Peter: What's your small, measurable monthly goal? And what's the deadline? |
| Chigusa: Let us know. |
| Peter: Email us at inner dot circle at innovative language dot com. |
| Chigusa: And stay tuned for the next Inner Circle. |
Outro
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| Chigusa: Well, that's going to do it for this special Inner Circle lesson! |
| Peter: Bye everyone! |
| Chigusa: Thank you for listening, and we'll see you next time. |
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