Once again, an email to a Chinese friend got too long so I posted it here.  The friend wrote: "Thank you to share these things with me!" I responded:

You're welcome! 

When I started studying Chinese, I had no Chinese people to talk to.  I used language tapes.  The best recordings used the method you should use.  Words were reviewed several times.  I listened to the tapes several times.  Then in the next tape, more new words were introduced.  But the old words were often repeated sometimes.

Learning new words is not a one time event.  You have to keep practicing them as time passes.  For example, if someone is isolated and cannot talk to other people for a few years, they lose some of their ability to speak ANY language.  We forget what we don't use.  So, even in our native language, continuing to practice is important.

I don't spend a lot of time reciting words, because speed is not important to me.  What is important?  Making SOME progress EVERY day.  I USE Chinese but I don't study Chinese very much.  For example, chatting in Chinese helps me, on QQ.  Chinese people use common words, and I learn common words more quickly that way. 

The most important thing is to keep working on it.  Some days we will feel like we are making no progress at all.  On other days, we will feel like we made great progress.  Both kinds of days are important.

A famous (and true) statement is, "It takes 10,000 hours."  One Chinese man studied English for 10,000 hours using this method.  He studied 18 hours each day, 7 days each week.  That is, 126 hours each week.  So, each month, he studied about 500 hours.  Then, he kept studying for 18 months.  That is, 500 X 18 or 9,000 hours (about 10,000 hours).  Then he took the Chinese national test.  He scored the highest score in all of China for that year.  He was admitted to college with the children of Chinese ambassadors, but he was a boy from a poor family in Fujian.

I am like him.  I want to study 10,000 hours but I want to use 20 years!  That is 500 hours per year (not per month!).  So, I need to study for 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes) each day.  I started learning Chinese in 2004 and I expect to be fluent in 2024 (at the age of 71!).

So, how fast you put in your 10,000 hours is not important.  You don't have 10,000 hours this week.  So, take your time and relax.  Believe me!  After you study 10,000 hours, you will be more comfortable with English.  But if you only study 10 hours in the next 20 years, your English will not be very good.  The choice of method is yours. 

pH