Whether you’re learning information or mastering skills, how you go about learning is crucial to your success. I’m constantly hunting for new insights into the most efficient and effective ways to learn so I can share those insights with my performance coaching clients.
There is a very engaging TED talk by polyglot Lýdia Machová on “The Secrets to Learning a New Language.” She decided to study other people who speak several languages and discovered a four-part system that all these people were using, whether they were aware of it or not!
Image Credit: TED.com
As Machová explained the methods these polyglots were using for learning more and more languages, I realized that she was actually outlining a learning method that can be applied to any type of information or skill. Her method includes these elements:
ENJOYMENT: When you come up with a learning method that you personally think is fun, you’re more motivated to keep learning.
METHODS: Choose a specific method that works for you to learn best. Machová recommends the space-repetition method and the Goldlist method. She also recommends finding apps that will help you learn your chosen subject.
SYSTEM: Plan ahead and schedule your learning method into your day so you give yourself time in your life to actually spend the time you’ll need to learn.
PATIENCE: Learning takes time. It’s important to give yourself enough time to absorb and use new information. (This part of her system exactly matches with my Ten Minute Virtuoso method of learning and practicing skills for a small amount of time every single day rather than trying to cram too much information into your head occasionally.)
In Machová’s method, I find the concept of Enjoyment to be the most intriguing. Even rote learning and repetitive tasks can be made fun if you use your imagination. When you’re happy with the learning method you’re using, you’ll stick with it and want to return to the work over and over again. If you’re having enough fun, the “work” will actually seem like play!
You can check out the entire TED talk here:
