Pleasant Environment

by AJ

Part of making the learning process enjoyable is doing it in a pleasant environment.

One of my favorite subjects to rant about is the butt-ugly atmosphere of most schools. Bland colors, office style furniture, and a general vibe of sterility and ugliness are the norm. Who in their right mind wants to spend time in such places?

One of the best things about independent learning is that you can choose the setting where you study. You aren't stuck in a bland classroom, confined to an uncomfortable desk, sitting under fluorescent lights. You can choose to study in places that stimulate and nourish you.

My favorite location is Cafe Puccini-- an Italian cafe in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco. Most afternoons I can be found there with my iPod and a couple of Spanish books. Cafe Puccini is everything that a classroom is not-- its lively, its interesting, its human. Its a great place to spend the afternoon hours.. whether studying, chatting with friends, or people watching.

At times, the Italian owner cranks up his favorite opera music. Neighborhood regulars mix with tourists. Sometimes I even overhear Spanish conversations... for while the owners are Italian, many of the workers are native Spanish speakers.

Cafe Puccini has soul. I attribute much of my studying consistency to the fact that I mostly study there. If I were in a school every afternoon, I would have quit by now.

But since I'm an independent learner, I'm able to choose a place that makes me feel happy and alive. Not surprisingly, this has benefited my language learning tremendously.



San Francisco, CA