CONSCIOUS LEARNING VS. UNCONSCIOUS LEARNING
To achieve great results in language learning you have to know how to start your inner processes - in your memory and in your body - to acquire information fast and then your body and mind will do the rest.
Language learning is something so natural – it´s something that we have all done in at least once in our lifetime. Therefore the answer to finding the secret to language learning is already there inside all of us. We just have to understand how to unlock it!
Our bodies are immensely powerful – every second there are billions and billions of processes going on in our cells and in our brains and it´s something that we can´t understand by reasoning. But consciously, how many things can you think about at any given time? Maybe a few - not more.
The same idea applies to language learning as well and to understand it better we have to make an important distinction between conscious and unconscious learning.
WHAT IS CONSCIOUS LEARNING?
It´s something that we do by reasoning. A good example of conscious learning is the object of the traditional learning system. For example in the language class the teacher takes the foreign language, divides it into small bits and then tries to offer it to you in the hopes that it will be easier for you to understand.
Usually it´s already prepared for the teachers by the people who create the learning manuals. They divide the language into simplified exercises and simplified parts. It´s basically removing things from out of their context in order to make them easier to digest.
We have all experienced this thousands of times.
WHAT IS UNCONSCIOUS LEARNING?
It´s something that we all do automatically, when our mind and body feel that the new knowledge is important to us and engages us in a special way. Therefore our mind captures the new knowledge automatically and with great success.
To simplify this difficult notion: it´s something that we do naturally when we are genuinely interested in the subject that we are learning and if we – our body and mind – feel that the language environment surrounding us is as genuine as possible.
Why is this important you might ask? The answer is simple. Conscious learning is very slow and unconscious learning is very fast.
Unconscious learning harnesses the powers of our mind and body much more than conscious learning, which is like using the tip of the iceberg of our capabilities as human beings.
If we come back to the example of how I and many others have learned a language just by watching television, then this is actually one of the best examples of unconscious learning.
But what is so special about this situation? Why was I as a child so engaged in watching these foreign language cartoons? The answer is simple. Because I had great interest in these cartoons. And being interested always tops everything else. Actually, being interested in the task at hand is the key idea for success that we will use in the LIVE-method as well.
So - we have arrived at a very important conclusion. Personal interests are one of the key ingredient in activating your innate capabilities for language learning.
Secondly, the language environment that we create in our everyday lives has to be as genuine as possible, because only then can we harness the powers that we posess.
WHY DO PERSONAL INTERESTS MATTER?
What are your biggest interests? Mine are innovational language learning, basketball (NBA), business management and recording music. That´s basically it.
But why is it even important to know that and how could I use my interests to learn a language better?
To answer this question, we have to start with some scientific background. There has been a large number of studies that show how using our personal interests as human beings is the most efficient way to memorize and acquire new information. A conclusion of these studies is the following:
If we look at different international studies made in school systems all over the globe then we can see that usually 80% of our competence in the classroom – in actually whatever subject, not only in languages – comes from about 20% of learning materials.
20% of usual learning materials = 80% results
80% of usual learning materials = 20% results
So, basically only 20% of the learning materials are usually remotely beneficial to us and the other 80% is highly inefficient. This same rule applies to all learning manuals, CD-s or anything else that you have used for language learning.
But what is this 20% and why is it more efficient than the other learning materials? The answer is very simple – this 20% is directly or remot