Repetition is a very important part of language learning and although many students frown opon this idea and say, “Gosh, this is boring!”, it is of utmost importance.

I don’t know if you know this, but I’m also a professional singer. I sing at bars, parties, events, and a bit part of my week is dedicated to rehearsing. You may ask me, “But Adir, you’ve sung this song for so long and you still need to rehearse it?” The answer is “Yes! Most definitely!”

If I take for granted that my pitch is good and I know the lyrics I may miss out on the opportunity of improvement, that’s for sure. The same happens when you’re learning a language. Picture this: you go to your language class two or three times a week, participate in the activities during class and do your homework. But you still feel that you can’t seem to reach a higher level.

Now let me ask you: do you get home and learn that 8-line dialog thoroughly? By thorouhgly I mean repeating it until you master its vocabulary and pronunciation? Do you re-do exercises you had difficulty with? That’s where repetition comes in.

If you’ve ever played a musical instrument you know that skipping exercises or doing them hastily always leads to poor performance. So let’s not take for granted that we already know a certain subject and let’s learn it thoroughly. Who said you have to be fluent in a foreign language in 3 months? Think of yourself as a professional: if you’ve just graduated from college and started working recently, do you think you have enough work experience? No, of course. You need time and practice to become a good professional. That also happens when you learn a language because you build up your skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) every single day of study.

By learning thoroughly I don’t mean only grammar. I mean being able to master even the most elementary words and sentences you come across, the basic dialogs in your textbook. Remember how many times you heard people say, “I took Spanish in high school but I don’t remember anything”. They will often blame their teacher, the methods, etc., right? Well, it’s time you took responsibility for your learning and make it happen in 2012! You don’t need to study 8 hours every day, but study consistently and thoroughly and never give up until you’ve mastered it all; that’s the key to excellence.

Remember, repetition is an ally and it doesn’t have to be boring!

This is it for today. See you next time!