The Dip: How to Push Through When You Want to Quit
Every language learner goes through the same cycle:
- The Honeymoon: "This is fun! I learned 'Hello'!" (Day 1-30)
- The Dip: "This is hard. I forget everything. I'll never be fluent." (Day 31-??)
- The Breakthrough: "Wait, I just understood that sentence!" (The Future)
Most people quit in "The Dip". Seth Godin calls it the moment where the fun is gone but the results haven't shown up yet.
How to Survive The Dip
1. Embrace the Suck
Accept that it is supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would be a polyglot. The difficulty is the barrier to entry that makes the skill valuable.
2. Stop Comparing
Do not look at "Polyglot YouTube". Those videos are highlighted reels. You don't see the 5 years of boring flashcards behind the scenes. Compare yourself only to yourself from last month.
3. Change Your Methods
If you hate your textbook, burn it. Watch Peppa Pig in German. Read recipes. Play Skyrim in French. If the method hurts, you will quit. Find a method that feels like play.
4. Remind Yourself "Why"
Why did you start? To talk to your grandmother? To watch anime without subtitles? To live in Barcelona? Connect with that emotional core. Write it down and tape it to your mirror.