Enjoy the Process

Nowadays, learning English is a guaranteed profitable investment. When we do it, we will get profits. Indeed when learning, we spend many resources such as energy, time, feelings, emotions, food, tools, or costs. However, all we do is worth it. It will develop ourselves to be better. Everything we learn will be useful in our lives, now or in the future. 

Unfortunately, not all people want to repeatedly do it at any time, even throughout their lives. This is because we usually don't get the reward directly now but in the future. Some people feel that they don't get anything when learning English. They don't use it in daily life. So, they conclude that learning English is not useful because they don't get direct profits. As a consequence, once they finish their formal education, they stop to learn English.

Other people still learn English but they don't succeed. They just feel that they have to do it. They learn because it is a demand from out of themselves. English skills are needed to improve their careers or academics. Unfortunately, they don't like it. They then face many difficulties throughout the learning process. Of course, the result will be not optimal.

One of the reasons why some people stopped or failed to learn English is because the activity has not become their habit. Our habits are shaped by our repeated behaviors. If we don't repeat them, we cannot make them as habits. Sadly, some people have negative perceptions of learning English so they don't want to repeat it. Learning English is perceived as a difficult and boring activity so many people don't want to do it again and again. 

The negative perceptions may be caused by bad learning English experiences in school. It's not uncommon that the English teaching and learning climates in some classrooms are not conducive. It is usually taught by using boring traditional methods. No variation in learning activities. Students do similar activities day by day. There are no challenges to be conquered. English not be taught as its nature. Such a condition is aggravated by English teachers who are seen as scary figures. 

The simple principle to make learning English a habit is to do it regularly, similar to learning other languages. Emotions and feelings have a significant effect on our tendency to repeat something. Researchers have unveiled that humans tend to repeat enjoyable activities rather than boring ones. So, if we want to make learning English become our habit, we have to make it a pleasant bustle. Enjoying the process of learning English is the most important thing that we have to do. 

Much research has uncovered the nature of learning. Emotions and feelings have another big impact on the learning process. When we are happy, our brain produces dopamine. It is a hormone that can help us remember and understand better everything we are learning. So, there is no doubt that we have to enjoy learning English to achieve better outcomes. 

How do we enjoy it?

Firstly, we have to learn English based on our learning styles. Each of us has unique learning styles based on how we receive and process information. Some people may like information from their eyes. Others may like information that they hear. Meanwhile, some people tend to use their bodies and move to understand and store information. Recognizing our learning styles and using them to learn are important things to make learning English enjoyable.

Secondly, an enjoyable activity can be made by doing what we like. We can use our hobbies or interests to choose methods, tools, or activities to learn English. If we like movies, we can learn English through Hollywood films. To those who like radios can listening many online radios from the English countries. Many online magazines or papers can be harnessed as information resources. Reading English novels is also a good option for people who have a reading hobby.

Thirdly, giving ourselves direct rewards is another enjoyable thing. Not all people have a good patience. Some people need direct rewards after a second they finish some tasks. We can use this principle to make learning English enjoyable. After we learn something and achieve good enough results, we can give ourselves interesting rewards that will conserve our motivation. After finishing an exhausting English course, we can reward ourselves by cooking noodles, for example. Hihi.

This is just my opinion. It may succeed for myself, but not for yourselves. However, I hope it is still useful for you all. Find your enjoyable ways, and then you can enjoy the process. I hope we all enjoy carrying on the English learning process.