Experience plays an important role in learning, as it gives rise to reflection on either the past or the future. Your experience as a language learner may have been positive or negative, depending on the languages you learnt or the times in your life when you learnt them.
It can be more or less academic, through translation activities, grammar exercises, rote learning of word lists, etc. It can also be more informal through :
- authentic exchanges with people who speak and write the target language
- the media (Internet, television, radio, press) through films, games or songs, for example.
Your learning experience can help you develop more effective strategies for yourself, especially if you reflect on the significance of your difficulties and successes along the way. It doesn’t necessarily explain your current situation, but writing about or discussing your experience can help you learn in a way that is more effective and rewarding for you. Critical reflection and a positive attitude will help you overcome obstacles or anxiety that might slow down your learning.
Don’t hesitate to make an appointment for a counselling session to take stock of your learning experience and how you can make the most of it for your current and future learning.
The logbook (“My activities”) is where you can write down your thoughts on your experience.