The 85 % Rule for Language Practice

The 85 % rule suggests that growth will be maximise when we practise tasks we can succeed at roughly four fifths of the time. If you're getting more than one out of every five questions wrong, well you probably want to work withouti help. In many skills, a task can be graded on a scale of difficulty. Piano pieces have levels assigned to the challenge they pose. Ski slopes are ranked from green to double black. Language practice can range from simple greetings to rapid fire debate. Reading in a foreign language likely requires understanding closer to 95 % of the words to not be maddeningly frustrating.