A Guide To Minimalism For Language Learners

Minimalism: a wonderful recipe for a simple life full of meaning, value, and happiness – but have you ever thought of how this applies to language learning? In this splendid short documentary, I'd like to share my thoughts on embracing the lessons of minimalism within our language learning practice for a richer, happier, and more fulfilling experience doing that thing we love ❤️ 🌎

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:49 - 1: What Is Minimalism?
2:31 - 2: Why Should You Care?
4:39 - 3: How This Helps Language Learners
9:38 - 4: Conclusion

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[RobinMacPhersonFilms]

Ahhhh I'm just so *SO* happy and excited to be creating work like this and to have such wonderful, amazing, kind folks supporting me ❤️ What did you think of this latest short documentary piece? Are any of you minimalists yourselves? Did you learn anything from the video or have any tiny little "aha!" moments? 💡 Sending big hugs, high fives, and all the good vibes to everyone! ☀️

[Sunshine-rqow]

I have such a bad habit of spending my time looking for new language resources. I should just be studying. 💔

[suzubee]

I feel like there should be a secondhand market in language learning communities, because I know that there is a lot of people on there holding onto resources they dont like, use, or no longer get value from

[deersakamoto]

"Keep getting input. Relax. Keep getting input. Relax. Read. Listen. Read. Listen. Make friends." - Stephen Krashen

[stevencarr]

Production values going through the roof!

[giselazunino]

This is the kind of video I'd definitely share with my students. With the pandemic everybody started to do much more because of lockdown. However, most people (I must say I did it too) fitted so much in that they ended up quitting whatever they took up. I totally agree with you, I think most of us have many resources already that we can use in a more efficient way. There's a nice saying in my country that goes: "El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta", which basically means that if you do a lot, you end up doing nothing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Robin.

[tn]

So everyone here because thumbnail 🤣🤣. Do what you gotta do😎

[정옥균-un]

Robin!! You are a my first language teacher and It is my first youtube comment.1years ago I saw your video first time.I don't understand it never.becasue I had have a terrible english skill.now also I am not flunt .but I understand 100% your talking.Thank you for your kindness video and I will expect your another video☺️☺️

[dragosimproves]

I was just thinking about this a few days ago! Having chosen a more minimal life style, but also being a language lover, I was thinking if I could somehow apply minimalism to language learning. Less is truly more.
Instead of jumping from one resource to the other, we should focus on less material but using it to the max.
Thanks for the short documentary, it's nice to see other language learning minimalists :)

[JayeSunsurn]

A lot of the comments you made in the video describe me quite accurately. I have phyiscal and digital archives of resource upon resource for each of the things I get interested in. Which I have only used perhaps 5% of them in each category. Luckily the digital resources don't take up much physical space, but I still have them a decade or more after I stopped being interested in that particular topic. I think right now I have expended more effort in language learning than my other interests in part because I am not the only one invested in the outcome (my employer is paying for a French Tutor I see weekly) and so I feel the need to make sure their interest in me learning isn't wasted. But I still collect more resources than I could ever expect to use. I constantly get lured in with the "Lifetime Access" tier of apps (it hasn't been a waste of money... but maybe not the wisest use of it). I had to reign in my spending and started using budgeting software (which itself cost money... ugh) and the current goal is to stick with what I have right now and make use of them until they are no longer useful to me... which realistically won't actually happen as I have too much. But thanks for helping me resolidify my commitment to stick with what I have to learn what I need. I needed this sort of reminder.

[jahayrac]

Goodness, Robin, your timing is impeccable!

Today, I'm reassessing things, what's working, and what's cumbersome, and simply refining my study tools and resources. And it's funny how usually I think 'oh there's gotta be an app for this that'll make things easier.' But recently I've been thinking, what do I have that I can just repurpose if needed? I don't have time to get used to and maintain a whole new thing anymore. Then I realized that often times that past me actually pulled a rather big brained move by learning or using one thing in particular and using to it's fullest. But with the ease of getting the new thing and accumulating more of 'what's hot right now' I've forgotten that I already have what I need and that's 'hot' too lol.

It's so easy to get overwhelmed when you're starting something new and even more so when you've been at something for a while. Mainly because in the later stages, you've accumulated things that were supposed to help or might help you when you get to 'that future' you've imagined. Then that future becomes the present and you realize that who you are, what you're capable of and what your interest are in the 'now' is very different from the one you imagined yourself to be then. I've actually tried to incorporate this minimalism type of thinking as much as possible just to combat the overwhelm I can feel in the day to day. Getting things down to the bare essentials, or simply just what I need has become my new focus in recent months. One element that you mentioned that I should definitely consider as well is what will bring me joy.

Your video is as poignant as ever and at times hilarious! Well done!

[nori_tutor]

"Clothes are not very minimalistic, let's take em off"

MacPherson Robin~

[connie]

Thank you so much for this video. I am happy to know that I'm not alone. I am totally a resource hoarder, especially when they are free. And I have resources now for every level, even though I would still be considered a beginner. I think one more contributing factor is the FOMO when discounts or limited offers are at play, I think then "I should get it now because it's cheaper or free, and it won't be in a month". Bad habit 🤣 I think your arguments about thinking for my future self and spinning wheels in the same level are great ones and should help me in the future decisions!

[AriodanteITA]

I was at an esperanto meeting once, i met a guy who decided to live his life on a caravan visiting the world. He told me that when he needed to buy something he asked himself:
Do I really need this thing, can't i really do without it? Do i really need this thing, now?
If the answer was no, it meant it wasn't really needed in that moment.
And, honestly, now that i live in a 16sqm studio, I started applying the same principle :D

[grai]

this has really clarified a lot for me
I've aquired so many of these rescourses for my Italian study that I'm overwhelmed, confused, jumping from one thing to another and not really doing anything properly

thanks so much!
Time to minimise

[Leeedavan]

simplicity is one of the greatest power we need because what we focus on grows we should be careful to only focus on the right things

[anngiuli]

Brilliantly stated and described me perfectly. Isn't it more fun to research new language resources that to actually study my target language. Thank you for sharing this wisdom.

[AndreThebobs]

Hello, Robin!
I'm enjoying watching your videos.
Thank you so much!

[Darren_S]

Awesome video. It gave me the motivation to keep it simple and to stay disciplined. ❤

[adrianapacheco]

Hi Robin, thank you so much for this video, I really enjoyed it and loved it. Also, I want to tell you that you are one of the main resources in my English learning, with your channel I have been able to practice my listening, I understand you perfectly, which makes me feel that I am on the right track to achieve the fluent English that I have always dreamed of. I have been following you for a while, your stories, experiences and recommendations really inspire me not to give up in the process of learning languages.