French, Mandinka, & the Mande Xylophone

In addition to the Mande xylophone, I'm studying French and have begun learning Mandinka. My 10-minutes-a-day resolution for the xylophone has been very successful so I've thought to apply the 10-minutes system to my French and my Mandinka. And that's been going well until now. I have an observation about those studies that will offer insight to my xylo-practicing: In my French studies, I always seem to want to try to learn everything all at once. I don't have patience with myself. I try to accomplish too much, spread myself thin, and end up not learning anything particularly well. I think that (as I've been doing with the first and second batch of Mandinka flashcards), if I make sure I don't move on until I've mastered the material at hand, I'll be better off for it in the long run. I think that my French studies would improve if I achieved greater mastery over a particular set of flashcards instead of being in a rush to just get to the end of the list. Mario Gaetano (2001) asserts that "the primary goal for each practice session is progess." But progress could be a strengthening of knowledge of old words (manifested in speed, accuracy, and confidence.) Adding new words is of course important, but an "exercising" of your existing vocabulary must also take place.

When practicing xylophone, be calm. Be patient. Focus on the task at hand. Concentrate on improving the specific skill or movement. Set a time-limit so you don't spend all night on one thing, but don't just move through the practice in a hurry to get to the end of the exercises. You will enjoy your practice more, and it will pay off for you in the long-run.