My study plan: -make a list of five words and one kanji that I am going to learn everyday in my planner. -make flashcards for the words and kanji everyday. -take notes from my textbook in my notebook. -listen to a podcast from Japanesepod101 - feel productive😊

I look at what I want to achieve in the specific day and write down a rough scedule. I find short excercises (vocabulary, but also grammar ) to be perfect to engage with a language. I use colours to colourcode depending on the importance of a task.

This is one is actually trial and error which brings me to my first point: 1- Check-ins! Are you achieving your goals or just sticking to the plan and hoping something works out? Always make sure to test yourself and pivot accordingly. 2-Fragmented time is usually where you least expect: do you browse social media? Then cut that time down to half. Open up any other work thing you gotta do; reading a comic would benefit you more in the long-term. Like-wise with standing in-line, commute, waiting for a meeting/test/lecture/friend, before you sleep, when you're still waking up, doing the dishes, exercising, etc. ~5 minutes a day adds up to 35 minutes a week: a full lesson!!! 3-Change things up a bit: don't be too rigid with what you do. Have a fun day. Choose one thing that you enjoy doing and make that a goal for the rest of the day. 4-Stop the multitasking myth! People think they're hitting two stones with one bird but really you're just letting the bird fly away after the first throw and waiting for it to land on the stones. Your attention is important: when directed our Allah-given senses are outstanding, fast, intricate; non-duplicative. Direct it for 5 minutes and gain more than a scattered-brain hour. 5-Pair things together that work together: I practice listening and pronunciation; I practice writing when I read. As you can see, I practice reading, speaking and writing all at once when typing! Humans are blessed with these senses from Allah innately; utilize them correctly. Try to have fun; usually the cheer you get when you achieve a milestone, say having a proper conversation, is enough to fuel you for the rest of the month. Use that as you will.

Studying language is something I love to do, so I think the passion helps a lot. I like to think of different activities that can count towards language practice. Sometimes just memorizing vocabulary doesn't cut it so I like to try and find things in the language I am studying to read, even if I can't ready every word, it helps to start recognizing new words. I also use movies and anime (I'm studying Japanese) as listening practice. Sometimes I do a craft project while "watching" something in Japanese to help my brain get used to normal conversation speed. I try to do a little something every day. Sometimes I study for an hour, sometimes I do one work sheet during my lunch break, and some days I just watch my favorite shows, just a little something every day to keep my brain in learning mode.

During breaks and after work, I try to speak to myself in my target languages as much as possible. Just articulating random thoughts like 'where did I put the salt?' while cooking, immediate reactions to videos I'm watching etc. That way, I do not only practice fluency but I also broaden my vocabulary. Basically, I am forced to look up the words I actually need to express myself.