Written by: Olivera Tolimir
So, you’ve decided to take a Serbian online course! Good for you! Online courses are an excellent way to develop knowledge.
You don’t have to follow a schedule during the whole semester, like in college. You don’t have to agree to certain times with your classmates, like in a group course. And you don’t have to stress about cancelling your class at the last moment and worry about paying for a lesson you didn’t have (or upsetting your teacher for ruining their plans).
You’re free as a bird to choose when and where to go through your lessons.
But is an online course the right choice for you?
Here are three reasons to drop the idea of taking a Serbian online course forever (or at least until you change your perception)!
1. You Want a Tailored Approach
As much as a Serbian online course can be fun and engaging, you won’t be satisfied if you expect a customized approach. Let’s look at the example together.
Most beginner Serbian students find it challenging to remember the difference between the two noun forms when explaining where something is happening. In Serbian, there’s a prominent distinction between location and direction. So, we won’t use the same grammatical case when answering where we come from and where we live. Imagine you’re an Austrian living in Austria. The country’s name in Serbian is Austrija.
- Dolazim iz Austrije. (I come from Austria.) *direction*
- Živim u Austriji. (I live in Austria.) *location*
So, as we said, most beginners struggle with the two forms. Because of this, every good Serbian online course will start with these two grammatical cases and insist on practising them as much as possible.
It’s because the creators of a valuable Serbian online course do their research and include lessons that help most people.
So, what’s the problem here?
The problem is if you’re a beginner but not an absolute one. In that case, you probably don’t find it difficult to distinguish between accusative and locative. So, the numerous exercises about it will bore you. You’ll skip half the course and feel like you didn’t get enough value for your money.
And rightfully so!
The solution to this potential problem is to go with the individual Serbian classes! Individual classes will be tailored to your needs, so you won’t miss anything by skipping parts you’re familiar with.
2. Lack of Motivation and Self-Discipline
We all struggle with it sometimes – we make a perfect plan and get so excited about its implementation, and suddenly – it’s gone. The motivation fades away like Sun in December.
Oh, well.
It’s normal, and it isn’t easy to stick to Serbian learning with your college/work/kids/partner, etc. But what to do if it constantly happens despite your burning wish to learn Serbian once and for all?
First, don’t buy a Serbian online course. You’ll get lost in the vicious circle of procrastination and self-loathing. All self-taught classes need strong motivation on your part, so you can persevere and complete them.
Yes, the biggest perk of a Serbian online course is that you can learn wherever and whenever. But if you’re too busy or not motivated enough, wherever and whenever easily become nowhere and never.
In the case of lacking motivation, it’s best to opt for the individual Serbian classes. That way, the Serbian teacher can track your interests and find a way to engage you. On the other hand, a group course might be an even better idea if you need some extra motivation! The energy of the group can motivate you to stay consistent.
Also, it’s not so easy to cancel the class if there are other people in the group, because you’ll fall behind them. That will definitely give you a sense of accountability! So, even if you don’t feel like having a class at the moment, you’re more likely to attend!
3. You Want to Meet New People
If you’re a communicative person whose goal isn’t only to learn Serbian but also to find companions to suffer through the process together (just kidding!), an online Serbian course isn’t the best idea. It can be a lonely activity if you’re accustomed to learning in a group and passing notes to your classmates.
Like everything else, this also depends on your background and motives for learning Serbian. For example, if you married a Serbian abroad and you’d like to learn your significant other’s mother tongue, meeting new people with whom you could practice wouldn’t be crucial. So, an online Serbian course might be a perfect thing for you. You’ll have enough time to organize your lessons and for the speaking part, you can always turn to your loved one. It’s a win-win situation.
But if you don’t have a native Serbian in your home and want to practice speaking, you might want to consider Serbian group classes. You’ll have a professional Serbian teacher (who is also a native speaker) to supervise you, and your peers to practice communication.
Also, if you’re outgoing, you’ll find it much more fun to learn in a group than alone. It can work as a motivation tool, also. Seeing your peers struggle with similar things will show you you’re not alone.
Serbian group classes can also be a great choice if you’re shy. Shyness often stops us from trying to communicate with natives. We’re afraid of making a mistake, and the ridicule we imagine goes with it.
Your Serbian teacher probably repeats that no one will laugh at you and that Serbians adore hearing foreigners speak in their language. But it’s easy to say and difficult to believe when we have a barricade that stops us from trying.
While an online course isn’t the best solution for this problem, Serbian group classes can do wonders! As soon as you see your colleagues making similar mistakes, you’ll realize there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a standard learning process. If you also have that positive person in your group that always laughs it off and makes jokes, success is guaranteed! And maybe you can be that loving motivational person in your group!
I Don’t Have a Problem with Any of These!
If you find working individually at your own pace the perfect way of learning Serbian, forget about all our pieces of advice and go for an awesome Serbian online course! If you love the idea of the course but aren’t sure how to organize yourself yet, check out the best ways to pace learning Serbian by yourself!
