I like challenges and I always challenge myself to learn languages. Through these challenges, I have encountered so many interesting facts that I would not have known if I had not taken the challenge. Learning languages really broaden our minds to the outside world.
My first participation in an online language challenge happened in February. Italki, a widely-known language learning site, held the event with the goal of learning any language for 20 hours throughout the whole month.
My past experience
In such a short time, I challenged myself to reach the highest level possible in my target language. I dedicated the entire 20 hours to learning Portuguese. I chose Portuguese because it is more likely to be the next language for everyone to learn after Spanish, anyway, they are very similar.
It was intense learning with writing and listening practices all the time, and I tried my best to communicate only in Portuguese. I did preparations before the class, reviewing phrases that I might use frequently, and luckily, knowing Spanish really helps in understanding Portuguese.
Here are the articles of the previous Italki language challenge:
- New Year, New Challenge
- Italki Challenge: The Game Is On
- Valentine's Day With the Portuguese Language
- 20 Hours Of Portuguese
June Italki Language Challenge
Instead of dedicating the whole hours to one language, I am going to learn several in this challenge, but my level is already somewhere between beginner to intermediate. My main goal is to be able to start a conversation confidently and comfortably, as well as to keep the conversation going only in the target language.
If you are interested, you better be quick because the registration is already open so you will not miss the chance to win a 300 ITC reward! What I think is more important apart from the reward is actually self-achievement. I feel proud and satisfied when I am able to be much better by the end of the challenge.
Read the "2015 June Language Challenge "Get Started" Guide" for more information. The guide includes:
- Choose your teacher(s) ahead of time
- Schedule sessions (or a package) in advance
- Set your goal and discuss it with your teacher
- Tell your friends
Stay tuned to learn more about my target languages, my preparations, my methodologies, and many more.