Intentional Learning

Hi,

This week’s email is about a key type of learning that we engage in.

Here are the key practical points you should know (mainly from my article):

• Intentional learning occurs as a result of activities where learning is a deliberate (and often primary) goal for the learner.

• For example, someone who’s reading a book in a foreign language to learn new words is engaging in intentional learning, whereas someone who picks up new words while speaking a foreign language for fun is engaging in unintentional (or incidental) learning.

• Intentional learning is sometimes more effective, efficient, or enjoyable than unintentional learning, depending on various personal and situational factors, but sometimes it’s the other way around, and sometimes a combination of the two is best.

• When planning intentional learning in advance, make sure to consider your goals, preferences, and circumstances, but don’t let this become a way to procrastinate on actual learning.

This can be useful both for improving your own learning, and for encouraging and guiding good learning in others.

As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts.

Have a great week,
Itamar