1. About this guide

What is this

This is a guide for you, the language student. It is aimed at students of any language but it contains an appendix focusing on how to apply this to learning Czech. It is about a new way of learning called deliberate practice. It will tell you how you can succeed if you work hard and smart. Here’s the key advice:

• Think about your teacher as your coach and your class as a place to get feedback. All the hard work will happen outside of class.
• Set very specific goals for your learning. Not just to learn a language but also what you actually want to be able to say after a set amount time.
• Think about the aim of learning as overcoming the limits of working memory by building up bigger and richer chunks of language.
• Organise your learning into 6-week sprints and plan to spend at least 20 hours in each sprint on focused practice.
• Practice in smaller, more frequent segments, but have at least some 30 minute or longer intensive practice sessions.
• Get feedback on how you’re doing as soon as possible. And monitor your progress with regular audits.
• Use various strategies and techniques to make your practice effective. Get familiar with useful tools and apps.