If you’re going to study a language, you might as well go all out. Half-hearted attempts may get you somewhere, but it’s far from the way to truly effective learning.
Lack of motivation is a common problem among many adult learners. In fact, it’s probably more common than you already suspect. Many of us are simply not motivated to do further studies — we’ve done all that grind before back in elementary, high school, college and graduate school, after all. It’s just a lot more difficult to get yourself to do it now.
That’s why finding a compelling reason to learn a language is such a crucial step for everyone. If you don’t have that motivation to drive you, it’s easy to cruise your way through any language learning program, even one you paid good money out of your pocket for!
It’s also one of the reasons why I prefer language software to classroom settings. Fact is, many students in language classrooms don’t take their studies seriously. When you’re a fellow student who works nine hours a day on top of your classroom responsibilities, it’s easy to be swayed to follow their lead.
With home-based language programs, you’re solely responsible for your own attitude. There’s no one to sway you either way, so if you can find that compelling reason, it’s normally easier to stay on course.