The Cunning Linguist

"all the pain" by Ali K.

Returning to study after a break can be really painful, particularly with a tool like Anki bombarding you with questions you’ve forgotten the answer to (and having to click a button to admit it)! I’ve found this pain is related to my strong aversion to not knowing things, and of “getting it wrong” – I suspect I’m not alone.

Getting through this pain barrier is vital, or you’ll avoid the discomfort by giving up at the expense of your study and aspirations. The important realisation is that you’re studying because you don’t know the answer right now. Studying is what turns “not knowing” into “knowing”, and your tools are helping you achieve this by identifying the areas that require attention.

So next time you find yourself putting off study or feeling that pain after a break, try to remember this is one of the most valuable parts of your language study. And always write down your best guess before revealing the answer, you might be surprised by what you do remember!