"Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals. Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not) in the most economical manner possible. Being efficient without regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe."

This is the complete version of a shorter presentation I entered in the "Fuze Tell a Story Contest." It expands much more on: 1) Why most learners fail to learn foreign languages depsite years of effort. 2) Tips on fostering the right attitude for successful language learning. 3) Advice on what materials to use for maximum efficacy and efficiency.

To do lists seem like a good idea in theory, but they have one major disadvantage: there is an infinite number of potential to do items. With this in mind, Timothy Ferriss, best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek (and a speaker of 6 languages), recommends "not to do lists" instead. Since they isolate a finite set of behaviors that are getting between you and your goals, they are far more effective than traditional to do lists. This tool applies perfectly to language learning, where most learners waste a lot of time on ineffective methods, bad materials, and counter-productive attitudes.