education

Plan? What plan?

adminLeave a comment

As I mentioned a while back, when I visited Sweden in 2023, my cousin (my mom’s second cousin’s son, so my third cousin?) asked me, “What’s your Swedish plan?” As in, did I plan to continue studying Swedish? If so, why?

Cue me freezing, because I didn’t have a “Swedish plan.” I mumbled something about “possibly living in Sweden at some point,” which got me a talk about how it’s impossible to find an apartment in Stockholm. And that was that.

But the question followed me back home to the US. Why was I learning Swedish? Beyond wanting to improve, what was my goal?

Yesterday, I picked up The Inquiring Mind by Cyril O. Houle from my gym’s little free library. It’s a short collection of talks about “adults who continue to learn” and their motivations. The author grouped them into three categories: those who learn to reach a goal, those who learn for the associated benefits (such as taking a class in order to have a social group–the subject may not matter so much), and those who learn for the pleasure of learning. I overlap somewhat with the second group, but I’m squarely in the middle of the third.

It was a relief to know that I’m not the only one who doesn’t necessarily have a goal or plan for their learning. At the same time, it makes me wonder about the source of this motivation. Maybe it’s a result of the long-delayed gratification of being in school. If your long-term goal is “to get into a good college,” you’ve got to find some way to make all that time studying bearable. For me, solving complicated math problems and translating sentences were like solving puzzles. Once you finish one, on to the next! There is no real “goal” to reach. Each puzzle is a reward in itself.

But what about people who do have a particular motivation for their learning? I was struck recently by an episode of Lätt svenska med Oskar in which the host discussed the statistics of people listening to his podcast. I assumed (because I am in this group) that the largest group of his listeners would be from countries without daily exposure to Swedish. However, he said that 41% of the people listening were living in Sweden. Similarly, the language the most people in the US are studying on Duolingo is English (according to Duolingo’s 2025 report). Needing a particular skill for day-to-day life can be highly motivating.

At the moment, being a language nerd is motivation enough for me. I’m enjoying learning about Swedish grammar from Peter SFI’s YouTube channel. SFI is “svenska för invandrare,” or “Swedish for immigrants.” Because immigrants have a range of native languages, all of the lessons are in Swedish. It tickles me to be learning in another language about grammar, especially since much of what I’ve learned about grammar I’ve learned from studying other languages.

I suppose I do have another motivation–maybe even a plan: applying to a program that would let me try out the idea of living in Sweden for a few weeks while learning more about Swedish language and culture. For now, I’m cramming my brain full of Swedish to make the most of my time there. I’m also trying to learn to be less judgmental about my own mistakes as I’m speaking, so I can avoid freezing like I did on and off the last time I visited. (The Dr Languages YouTube channel has a lovely video about this: Why your brain freezes mid-sentence in a foreign language (and how to fix it fast).)

In summary? Indulge your desire to learn. You never know where it will lead you.

Varför?

adminLeave a comment

The question “Why?” is important in goal setting, which is popular around this time of year. The answer to that question provides the motivation that drives you to accomplish said goal(s). Many of my goals are learning-related, and for me, the “why” is where things often fall down a bit.

For most of my compulsory schooling, as well as college, the “why” was a distant carrot. Do well in school so you get good grades; get good grades so you get into a good college; get into a good college so you get a good job. Practical applications of what we learned were few and far between; much of what we learned was presented as a foundation for what came next. We had to find ways to love learning for the sake of learning.

I am a professional word nerd, and I’ve been taking Swedish since the winter of 2022. I love that the word for “Why?” in Swedish–varför–translates directly to “Wherefore?” in English. They’re both Germanic languages, so this makes sense. For their shared roots, think back to Shakespeare: Wherefore art thou Romeo? So, wherefore (or “for what,” per Merriam-Webster’s) am I learning Swedish?

Originally, I had a goal: I wanted to travel to Sweden to meet my mother’s second cousins and their families. A bit over a year later, at a family reunion in Sweden, I was asked about my “Swedish plan”: Was I going to continue learning Swedish? If so, why? I muttered something about maybe wanting to live in Sweden at some point, but I didn’t have a real answer. (When I was in Sweden, I had issues with the affective filter, often freezing up when trying to talk to someone. They, in return, often took pity on me and started speaking in English, which kinda defeated the purpose of learning Swedish.) So why do I keep signing up for classes?

Beyond being part of the American Swedish Institute’s (ASI) community of learners, I enjoy reading in Swedish. While in Sweden, I bought a copy of En Man Som Heter Ove (A Man Called Ove) to read. I also received several books in Swedish from the ASI, including one about handweaving (no loom needed!). So far, I’ve finished Short Stories in Swedish for Beginners by Olly Richards and En Droppe Midnatt (the condensed version) by Jason Diakité. Next up, Astrologi (a graphic novel) by Liv Strömquist, which I need to return to ASI’s lite bibliotek at some point.

I have more ambitious learning goals as well:

  • Relearn/refresh my calculus via Barron’s E-Z Calculus by Douglas Downing (Despite the cheesy title, and the fact that the learning is narrated via a fantasy story, I’m getting more out of it than I was out of the intro to calculus course I was taking via Coursera. I’m currently on chapter 5.)
  • Take Introduction to Probability (which requires calculus) or Fat Chance (which doesn’t) via edX
  • Refresh my Python knowledge (which will likely involve going back through CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python)
  • Take Introduction to Data Science with Python
  • Complete my Master Naturalist Volunteer certification and maintain my Master Gardener Volunteer certification
  • Profit???

These goals may not seem related, but they all converge around citizen science and research involving the natural world. I want to find ways I can contribute through my interests. Though I have a general idea of what citizen science entails, I need to educate myself more about that world before I get too far along. That’s where my last endeavor fell apart. From helping students with math homework at a local library, I thought I would enjoy tutoring students in math at a local elementary school.

. . . Let’s just say they didn’t want my help and leave it at that. Here’s hoping that groups asking for volunteers will be more welcoming. (I like the quote from Rumi “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears,” but sometimes it’s not the way you really want to be going.)

What are your ridiculous goals for 2025? Are they grounded in reality, or are you soaring on a wing and a prayer?