Thanks Gisella. Interesting!
I’ve downloaded the Level 1 course and I go thro them as I’m decorating, etc. I don’t press the pause button at all. I repeat tricky sessions more often, but generally take turns going thro the sessions. Sometimes I have a quick look at vocab and example lists if I’m struggling. Seeing the words and phrases sometimes helps.
This thread is very interesting hearing everyone’s experiences trying to learn a new language.
Personally, I do each practice once and then move on to the next one. I find that when I complete a lesson I don’t always feel confident about how well I’ve retained the latest material but since everything seems to be repeated with each lesson, I generally feel good about it once I complete the next lesson. That probably made no sense so let me give an example. When I am learning new patterns and vocabulary in lesson 8, for example, those same things are covered and expanded upon in lesson 9. Therefore, when I complete lesson 9 I feel really good about lesson 8. When I complete lesson 10 I feel really good about lesson 9 and so on. There are a few exceptions where I have had to repeat a lesson a couple times but for the most part I push forward and it feels like it all falls into place.
I have no doubt that I use the pause button probably way more that I should. I have found that when covering new material, if I don’t use the pause button, I tend to feel rushed and I can’t recall the material as well because I am trying to beat the clock. This really defeats the purpose of trying to learn the language so I use the pause button as much as I like so I can really concentrate on recalling and absorbing the material.
Also, I rarely ever take notes but I read the vocabulary list when the new material is being introduced in the lesson. When I try to recall those words later, I find it easier to visualize the spelling that I saw on the vocab list. If I had to rely solely on the auditory piece of it I would find it very difficult to retain the material. I try not to check the vocab list too many times during the lesson but sometimes I need a reminder of how the word looks and is spelt and that helps me retain the material.
I am currently using the Old Course. I’ve completed Level 1 of the newer version but I find that I prefer the Old Course better. I am currently in the middle of Old Course Level 2.
Just remember that everyone has a different learning styles and the best way is to experiment and find what works best for you. Maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about. 
I live in the US and have no one to practice with at the moment so I have not been put to the test yet. If you live in an area where you can practice with fluent speakers, then that is a blessing and I am envious of you. 
2 Likes
On this - at least! 
- you are absolutely correct. No two people learn a second language the same way.
I tend to go through them just once, depending on how well I think I’ve grasped it. For brand new material I’ll repeat a couple of times, like for challenges 1-3 of level 2, but once the foundation is there, I’ll just keep going.
I mainly listen on my commute to/from work, and most of the time I can concentrate well enough, but every so often I know nothing’s going in, so I just passively listen and start again later or the next day when I can focus.
I tend to be a fast learner and grew up in Cardiff so I already know, or at least, have been reminded of a bunch of words and don’t struggle to see the words, or pronounce them, and I have found that repeating lessons can really cement the info into a solid foundation to move on from.
So while I think, and agree with, the general advice to just move on is great, I think that repetition is also great. I think the advice is mainly to stop being a perfectionist (I can be that) and to put frustration to one side as both will be massive barriers to progression.
In summary, If you need to repeat, repeat. If you don’t, don’t. Don’t compare yourself to others; this is your journey. If you’re happy with the speed and aren’t getting frustrated then great!
Thank you panzeros for sharing that.
Yes agreed.
Thank you Samantha for sharing your experience.
Thanks for your reply Mary.
I usually do them 2 or 3 times but over the time I’ve been learning (8 months ) I frequently go back to previous Challenges to revise.
I have found that what works for me is to make use of the “pause” and “back 15 seconds” buttons pretty much whenever I need to, for those phrases where my neural network simply collapses. I get myself back on track with that phrase, then press on and find myself flowing along rather nicely the rest of the time. I haven’t been repeating challenges for a couple of months now, I think, so it seems to be working.
I make use of other methods to help me remember what I’ve learned in the challenges from week to week, such as writing down the vocab (Welsh and English) and the example sentences (Welsh only) that come with each lesson into a notebook that I look through now and then, and I review the most recent entries before each new challenge.
Recently, I have started making flashcards using Anki and revising what I’ve learned from challenges, podcasts, songs, tv shows, and whatever else by using Anki’s spaced repetition flashcard system. I mentioned it in another thread earlier, but here’s the link if you want to check out the page and the app. It’s amazing, and it helps me make sure that extra time is spent working on specifically the words and phrases that I am struggling with the most.
I look forward to geeking out on my statistical breakdown Anki generates to show my progress over time every day when I finish my set. I have a whole folder full of PDFs with pie charts and bar charts and line graphs and numbers to look at when I want a boost because my progress is visually represented! 
I have a pretty good sense that nothing is falling through the cracks, and considering how panicked I was in December/January because I am a “visual learner,” the method is working. Hope this is helpful for some folks! Pob lwc!
2 Likes
Yes, I find I have to go over the challenges several times. The first few were OK, then it started to get harder to grasp! I go over previous challenges while trying to keep up with the current one. I also write things down to try and get them into my head.
1 Like
Generally once but sometimes twice depending on time etc. Use some of the content when working in N Wales 2 days per week.
I definitely do each one 3 times one time each morning then move onto the next one meaning I can do two per week. I then get the chance odd afternoons to repeat so on the whole about 4-5 times each.
Thanks SImon, thats helpful - I’m on week 9 of a full year course, and it is getting to be rather taxing. i try to do a little bit each day, but usually end up doing chunks of 10-15 minutes each week.
Very useful thread. I’ve just joined the 6 Minute a Day course, starting next Monday. I’ve been doing the level one challenges on the app for the past couple of weeks. I found I only had to do the first couple of challenges once, but I needed a repeat session for the ones after that, especially 4, since I don’t think I really nailed down the “that I” construct from number 3. I think part of my problem is my perfectionist streak. It’s helping me to remember that perfection is the enemy in this approach. I’m slowly relaxing my grip (gobeithio!).
1 Like