Love (of Language) in the Time of Corona

Chances are, you are reading this from home. That is where most things are happening these days: from home. In light of the novel coronavirus  (COVID-19) pandemic, we are all collectively living in unprecedented times. We have never before, as a whole, had to worry about running out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer or even food. We’ve never had to navigate how to restructure our businesses, education systems, or even home life. A lot of people find themselves at home now, trying to learn how to continue their job from a computer, while also gaining new co-workers — pets, children, roommates, siblings, spouses, and parents. We are all covering new ground together right now, figuring out this new way of living. In this post, we hope to remind you that language learning can be the perfect source of fun and positivity at a time that is otherwise uncertain and grim. 

With the ‘social distancing’ and ‘shelter in place’ requirements in many places, our normal routines of coming and going have shifted, keeping us indoors. Unless you are working an essential job still (sending love and immense gratitude to you all!) most of us have found something we may have never experienced before — free time! This is perhaps a silver lining during this ‘coronapocalypse’ that you haven’t considered. After all, when working from home, there are no commute times involved. No places to be, no appointments to make. We have free time! So then the question is: What do we do with this all of this extra time?! 

We suggest finding new hobbies and trying new things! So many different experiences are now offered via the Internet and social media. Artists have created at-home projects; yoga studios have gone virtual; therapists hold appointments over the phone; musicians perform livestream concerts via Instagram and Facebook; and even TikTok has connected us through learning the same dances. Here at  LanGo Institute, we have been navigating the virtual world and what that means for language learning. 

We now offer many classes and other events via Zoom. Fig. 1, for instance, shows how we’ve adapted language learning activities for the online classroom in our Beginner I Chinese class.

Fig 1. Learning Mandarin numerals in the Beginner I Chinese group class via Zoom.

We are also hosting conversation hours each week for English, Spanish (see Fig. 2 for details about our upcoming Spanish conversation and happy hour on Fridays), French,  Chinese, and Korean. What better way to practice social distancing while still being social? 

Fig 2. New for our current session: weekly Spanish conversation and happy hour events.

In the rest of this post, we outline some of the reasons why we recommend using your newfound free time to dive into learning a new language.

Maybe learning another language has crossed your mind before, once or multiple times over the years. You’ve probably thought, “Oh I don’t have the time to commit to that right now.” This is a completely valid thought, as language learning is not a simple task and requires some commitment. However, like with most things, consistency is the key here. Even if your language practice starts with dedicating only 10 minutes a day to study, you will see growth and improvement. 

There are quite a few things to consider when choosing to learn a language. The whys and the hows.  Most people would agree that putting the Y in study is one of the best ways to increase your desire to learn as well as helping you embody it. The idea of the why really fuels your practice and makes it feel easy (even if it isn’t). Pinpointing your why can be tricky and  you want to really feel connected to why you start this endeavor. Some good general reasons for learning are: 

• quenching your curiosity about a new culture and expanding your worldview;

• connecting to your own culture on a deeper level;

• having the ability to relate and empathize with more people;

• experiencing travel in a more engaging way;

• access to more job opportunities;

• meeting new people and being part of new communities;

• being a socially responsible, “good global citizen”; and

• doing something good for your brain!

Use this list of reasons as a tool to get your juices flowing. Do any of these light your brain up a little bit? Explore that interest further! Or maybe just ask yourself, why DO I want to learn this language? Is it for any of these reasons above? Whatever comes to mind, follow that. Don’t overthink it.

Language learning requires a healthy amount of self-motivation. A good way to stay accountable is finding a friend or family member who may also be interested in learning, whether in the same or a different language! This way you can practice together and check in on one another’s progress. This could be someone you are currently quarantined with, or someone you meet with on a video chat. These language learning “meetings” can  also help fill the need for human connection that we are all probably lacking a bit these days! If you don’t have someone close to you learning a language, we can help to connect you! We are offering different online events, including classes and conversation hours, giving you opportunities to make connections and meet someone who may be interested in having an accountability partner.

To start your learning practice you need to come up with some sort of a plan as well. Structure and routine play an even more important part in our daily lives now that so much is out of our control. All of the uncertainty floating around and the changes to our lives can lead many of us to feel more anxious or confused than normal. Adding some sort of structure and normalcy to your everyday can be very grounding and help you to find comfort in these trying times. Creating a language practice is a perfect activity within your day that you can plan and have complete control over. In a previous post, we discuss this a bit further, giving tips for how to add structure to your language-learning adventure. The post discusses identifying your why, the importance of focusing on high-frequency vocabulary, and learning linguistic patterns, along with several other great tips. This is a great starting point! When creating structure, keep in mind that too much can be overwhelming. Don’t forget to balance out this framework with room for fun and enjoy your practice.

Finally,  consider taking a language class (online for now, of course!) or joining virtual language learning events, such as our Spanish Happy Hour! We have restructured our curriculum here at LanGo to create rich and flourishing online language-learning experiences. You can check out our new online language programs through the links below:

• Website: www.langoinstitute.com 

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/LanGoInstitute 

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/langoinstitute 

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/LanGoInstitute 

• TinyCards: https://tiny.cards/users/LanGoInst 

Hopefully this can be a bit of inspiration for you to fill your time with something fun and meaningful during this crazy time.

Stay safe, stay home, and wash your hands! 안전하게 집에 있고 손을 꼭 씻으세요! ¡Cuídense, quédense en casa, y lávense las manos! Statemi bene, restatevi a casa e lavatevi le mani! Cuideu-vos, quedeu a casa, i renteu-vos les mans! Bitte seien Sie vorsichtig, bleiben Sie zu Hause und waschen Sie sich oft die Hände! S’il vous plaît restez en sécurité à la maison et veuillez vous laver les mains! 請保保重，待在家裡，而多洗手！ 安全を守って、家にいて、手を洗ってください！

Speak soon!