Choosing a language to study

[D Rusak]

I realized recently that knowing a foreign language is a goal of mine, one of the few things I really always dreamed of doing that I never did much about. I was wallowing in my program of, “I’m such an ignorant American, I don’t know anything” when someone put the question to me: “Why is it so important to know a foreign language anyway?” That really took me aback, I had not asked myself this before. Well, I know that knowing more than one language or not doesn’t make one any more or less ignorant really. If one is aware and trying to Work, and making some progress in this, that is more important than speaking ten languages. On the other hand, learning is important in general. I play a lot of world music for a living, so I have to interact sometimes with those who speak other languages. English is common to most but I still would like to not be limited to only this. Also knowing another language seems to help one be more familiar with the culture. I think there is some self-importance involved though, as in, “I’m so great/smart/worldly, I know all these languages”. Even with this in mind, I want to learn and feel it will be beneficial to my knowledge and study habits/discipline.

I know a fair amount of French from 2 years in high school and a visit to France in 2004 (can read simple books and have simple conversations- maybe intermediate beginner level). I know a little bit of Spanish from when I have tried to teach myself in the past year, but I have not been diciplined enough to stay with it. I also know some Serbian and Turkish in lesser amounts from sporadic self-study and also from singing some songs in these languages, and from friends. Lastly, I know some scattered words in German and Russian, also from self-study in the past. These experiments have taught me that while I can be a good student of language in a class setting, on my own I do not stick with it. Therefore taking a class seems to be the best option.

Unfortunately I am terrible at making decisions. I have investigated around town and the following options are ones I could start upon soon and seem to be a good value based on what I can afford. These are all small classes from 3-10 students.

German class for 2 hrs a class, once a week for 10 weeks. Costs $175.
Chinese class for 1.5 hrs a class, twice a week for 10 weeks. Costs $180 plus texts (does not say how much this is)
Spanish class 20 1 hr sessions for $320, schedule based on availability.

I learned a little German several years ago because I was thinking of visiting and applying for a fellowship to study there. I also had a crush on a German man at the time. I also have an attraction to a German man now, whom I will see this summer for a month, though we have decided at this point that we will not have a romantic relationship since we live too far from each other. I am worried that I have an interest to study this mostly to impress him. I will be working with someone this summer during that same month who speaks German as a first language, so there will be opportunities to use it at least in the near future, though probably not much beyond. I think the language is pretty okay, though I feel an attraction to French more.

Chinese is not something necessarily special to me- it is spoken by more people than any other language though. I live just north of Chinatown in the city I live, so I could likely use it. My best friend is also studying Chinese so I could speak it with her. This class is definitely the best time/money value, but I would have to miss the last two weeks of it (6 hrs total). Even so, it still costs about half of the other options.

Spanish I have to see what the availability is as far as schedule goes. I do not know if the school will allow me to either take more than one lesson a week, or let me miss a month without penalty while I travel this summer. I have two friends who have attended class at this school- one really liked it and one thought it was good- just okay. She is still taking lessons there though. I just started to play in a salsa band where I am the only one who does not speak Spanish fluently. They are fine with speaking English to me and tell me not to worry since I’ll end up learning it anyway. There are not likely to be many opportunities to speak this summer while I am gone though if I study hard and take two classes a week before then, I likely will be able to continue self-study more easily. This course requires me to invest more money at the outset, however.

I think in the long run I would like to learn more French (I have an affinity for the language and know this more than anything else), Spanish, Serbian, and Turkish (my best friends speak these, I sing in these languages and play music from these countries). I could figure out how to study these in the fall but not all of these are possible for the summer.

I am not really sure even after writing this lengthy bit what I think is best, so I figured I’d post it here to get some feedback.

 

[truth seeker]

I was just curious, is it necessary for you to learn Chinese? If it's not, I would suggest becoming more proficient in the language you know best. If I'm understanding your post correctly, you lose interest in a language once you learn the basics. Perhaps sticking to one language for a longer period of time will be good practice? Just some thoughts.

 

[mada85]

I was just curious, is it necessary for you to learn Chinese? If it's not, I would suggest becoming more proficient in the language you know best. If I'm understanding your post correctly, you lose interest in a language once you learn the basics. Perhaps sticking to one language for a longer period of time will be good practice? Just some thoughts.

I think truth seeker has a good point here, D Rusak. I'd like to add that my impression from reading your post, and I may well be off here, is that you tend to flit from one goal of study to another, without really going deeply into any one language. This can easily give one a lack of self-confidence, which may be the root cause. In any event the two (lack of confidence and flitting from one language study to another) create a negative feedback loop. I think that advancing in French would be good choice, as you have a solid foundation to build upon, and with some work you could probably become really fluent, perhaps even start translating. Being in the salsa band sounds like a great place to learn Spanish, possibly without the need for a formal class. I notice that you did not include a French class on your list. Is French something that 'it' doesn't like?

 

[D Rusak]

I definitely would like to take a French class at some point...however, the French class I found for the summer runs June 7 to August 14. I will be traveling from July 17 to August 17, which means I would miss about half of the classes. This class costs much more per hour ($250 plus books for 10 2-hr classes) than the Chinese one, so missing the classes does not seem like a good option here. I think taking the French class in the fall is what I will likely do, however. I could take something at a community college, but the classes will be much larger (20-30 students instead of 3-4) and I may have to review a lot of material- the French class at the French language center (they are called Alliance Francaise) has more intermediate placements.

In the meantime I found a small book for reading French that has exercises. It is basic, but not too basic, so I try to do a couple of lessons a week to get my brain back in shape in that language without losing too much interest.

As for "it", I think it doesn't like doing a language in general, I've been putting it off, and off, and off. I think that just doing something, in an actual place that I have to go to and have spent money on, will start to knock it off its feet a bit, so to say.

 

[D Rusak]

Actually i just found out that I get a 10% discount on the German class since I am an employee of that school for music. Food for thought I guess.

Yes, you both are right, Chinese may be cheaper but really does not seem to be the most useful option. So it seems like either Spanish or German for now.

So German class is $7.88 an hour, and Spanish is $16 an hour (though there are more sessions of Spanish- will be twice a week at one hour, instead of once for two hours). Spanish looks to be much more useful in the long run, but I will be able to speak German this summer with several people.

 

[Chu]

D Rusak,

I think that the real issue here has nothing to do with languages but what reads between the lines in your first post.

When you love languages, you love learning them. You are deeply interested in the culture behind it, in the people who speak it, and in being able to communicate with them at a reasonable and fluent level. You don't seem to be really meaning any of that, even though you mention it a bit.

I know a fair amount of French from 2 years in high school and a visit to France in 2004 (can read simple books and have simple conversations- maybe intermediate beginner level). I know a little bit of Spanish from when I have tried to teach myself in the past year, but I have not been diciplined enough to stay with it. I also know some Serbian and Turkish in lesser amounts from sporadic self-study and also from singing some songs in these languages, and from friends. Lastly, I know some scattered words in German and Russian, also from self-study in the past. These experiments have taught me that while I can be a good student of language in a class setting, on my own I do not stick with it. Therefore taking a class seems to be the best option.

If this is the case, perhaps the problem is that deep inside you are not really interested in languages. Or is that lack of discipline normal for all things you study? If so, do you know what could be at the root of it?

Unfortunately I am terrible at making decisions. I have investigated around town and the following options are ones I could start upon soon and seem to be a good value based on what I can afford. These are all small classes from 3-10 students.

German class for 2 hrs a class, once a week for 10 weeks. Costs $175.
Chinese class for 1.5 hrs a class, twice a week for 10 weeks. Costs $180 plus texts (does not say how much this is)
Spanish class 20 1 hr sessions for $320, schedule based on availability.

Personally, I would never decide which language to learn based on how much the classes cost. If I can't afford it, I study it by myself with all the information available on the Internet, and then find someone interested in a language exchange. Your approach could very easily lead you to drop it as soon as you start.

I learned a little German several years ago because I was thinking of visiting and applying for a fellowship to study there. I also had a crush on a German man at the time. I also have an attraction to a German man now, whom I will see this summer for a month, though we have decided at this point that we will not have a romantic relationship since we live too far from each other. I am worried that I have an interest to study this mostly to impress him. I will be working with someone this summer during that same month who speaks German as a first language, so there will be opportunities to use it at least in the near future, though probably not much beyond. I think the language is pretty okay, though I feel an attraction to French more.

You are attracted to this man and you still choose to meet him and perhaps "impress" him. If you lack discipline in other aspects of your life, you may want to re-think about your intentions for meeting him. I mean, is this a real friendship, when this "attraction" is in the middle? What will you be getting from that meeting? IMO, it is important to be really honest with yourself here and never underestimate the power of your hormones.

Chinese is not something necessarily special to me- it is spoken by more people than any other language though. I live just north of Chinatown in the city I live, so I could likely use it. My best friend is also studying Chinese so I could speak it with her. This class is definitely the best time/money value, but I would have to miss the last two weeks of it (6 hrs total). Even so, it still costs about half of the other options.

But do you love that language? Having learned Chinese and lived in China, I can tell you that given what you have described, you would probably find it too hard, because it requires a lot of consistent work and application.

Spanish I have to see what the availability is as far as schedule goes. I do not know if the school will allow me to either take more than one lesson a week, or let me miss a month without penalty while I travel this summer. I have two friends who have attended class at this school- one really liked it and one thought it was good- just okay. She is still taking lessons there though. I just started to play in a salsa band where I am the only one who does not speak Spanish fluently. They are fine with speaking English to me and tell me not to worry since I’ll end up learning it anyway. There are not likely to be many opportunities to speak this summer while I am gone though if I study hard and take two classes a week before then, I likely will be able to continue self-study more easily. This course requires me to invest more money at the outset, however.

Again, do you love that language?

I think in the long run I would like to learn more French (I have an affinity for the language and know this more than anything else), Spanish, Serbian, and Turkish (my best friends speak these, I sing in these languages and play music from these countries). I could figure out how to study these in the fall but not all of these are possible for the summer.

I suggest you really think about what learning a language would add to your life, and whether this is for your real Self of to fulfill some false part of you.

Please don't take me wrong. I think learning languages is wonderful! I have done that myself a lot. But something in your posts sounds like you weren't really asking a question about which language to learn, but rather feed some part of yourself that feels insecure about your self-worth, while also feeding the "multilingual" ego.

When you do something practical to occupy your mind and compensate for a lack of self-worth, it doesn't always solve the problem. More often it acts as a temporary fix, but one still feels hollow inside. OSIT

I hope it helps.

 

[D Rusak]

Hmm, Ailén. I think you pointed out something important- I HAVE had trouble sticking with self-study in recent years. Growing up this was not a problem for any field. I really notice this to be a problem, now that I think of it, since shortly after I finished my "official" education at university. Actually, in school "proper" (elementary, high school, college, graduate school) I felt really not challenged. I always had very good grades with little effort, and did not have teachers that pushed me. I really do think I tried hard to self-study in areas I felt interested in and was motivated at the time. One example was for a history of music class- the class was moving REALLY slowly and I was bored out of my mind, I tried asking questions to liven up the class but still it was boring. So I started reading a biography on a composer we were studying each week and would listen to a few recordings, sometimes even studying some scores. I learned much more this way than anything we covered in class. Another was when I was interested in ancient Greece. I read everything I could about it, then decided I wanted to learn the language. I couldn't find any way to do this (no books available, and I didn't have internet yet), so I started looking up etymologies in the dictionary and made a journal of any Greek words I could find. I only got to about Ab---- though....

I also think, now that I "think" of it that I have this issue where I want to do a million things, and reasonably well. If I can't do them, then it seems like "I" don't want to/am not motivated to do anything at all. I am not sure where this program came from but I've had it a long time. For instance: In grade school I had many interests, painting, sculpting, gardening, and doing several sports in addition to school. In high school I played sports, and played music (even one instrument was not enough, I learned all wind and brass instruments in the course of one year to basic level, plus my own instrument to college level, along with music theory), and worked 20-30 hours a week, and did volunteer activities, and did a few clubs at school, and studied astrology, and, and, and, etc. All while having the top grades in class. In college I studied two totally different degrees- science and music, and worked again 30+ hours a week, played in many ensembles at school, studied conducting orchestras besides my instrument. I see this here- I want to learn 4 or 5 languages, not just one. Then I end up not learning any.

I could imagine that perhaps after graduate study (where I did only 1 program- a degree for my instrument), and was focusing on just one field, might have activated this program of not measuring up or something because I wasn't learning or doing all these things. Actually I was feeling very good at the time, I had just come across the C's material, SOTT, Laura's work, etc. I was not making a lot of money from gigs but I had a good desk job at a music school that paid fairly well and allowed me much time to study and read. Then my apartment was broken into and my instruments were stolen. I eventually found them at a pawn shop, but this incident seemed to rattle me off the progress I was making and I think I haven't really gotten back on track since. I will say that last summer while I was at this program with that guy I was the most focused I'd been in ages, although I don't know how much of it was him (doubtful- though he was the one who got me into the program, and really did help work with me in my study of my instrument, also he was very encouraging of me finding out what I want to do with myself as a person) or that everything was provided for me for free- food, lodging, tuition, and that I didn't have to worry about things like, what am I making for dinner, how am I going to pay rent this month, etc.

Well, looks like there's a can of worms to go through...thanks guys!

 

[D Rusak]

Also, yes, I think I really DO want to learn languages. I am fascinated by cultures, I love to read about travel logs, descriptions of places. I like exploring the cuisines of a culture (tricky with all these dietary things but that makes it more challenging!), seeing what sort of plants grow there or the geology of a region, also to sing and listen/play music of a country as well. This has been so for about as long as I can remember. I think a certain amount of the fascination is genuine, it's just getting messed up by this "do a million things well or not at all" program.

 

[Buddy]

D Rusak,

I think that the real issue here has nothing to do with languages but what reads between the lines in your first post.

When you love languages, you love learning them. You are deeply interested in the culture behind it, in the people who speak it, and in being able to communicate with them at a reasonable and fluent level. You don't seem to be really meaning any of that, even though you mention it a bit.

I agree with that. I studied the very basics of two languages - Spanish (related to my extended family) and German (related to my family's past). Spanish is easier for me because it's easier to remember the rules of thumb for the grammar. German is the hardest to learn, but I very much like the rhythm and sounds of it. I'm not very good at either, though, but I enjoy experiencing the process of seating the mechanics of expression in the moving center and noticing how 'normal' certain thought/sentence structures 'feel' when you get used to them.

But all that was when I felt like I had a lot of time in my life to do what I wanted to do, so that's just offered fwiw. :)

 

[Chu]

Have you read the recommended psychology books, D Rysak? If not, I strongly suggest you do. In some of those books the issues that you described are explained, and you may find very interesting answers as to why you have this tendency.

I don't think it's uncommon at all. Many people act and feel this way, and there is usually a reason for it. It seems to me that you are trying to deal with the symptoms but not the cause. Sometimes multitasking can be excellent, but not when we occupy ourselves in order to feel some control over life, comply to a certain perfectionist standard or avoid dealing with our emotions. I don't really know whether this applies to you or not, but your posts give me the impression that you are looking for distractions. I could be wrong though.

btw, in some people, a lack of commitment to one task in particular is link to some kind of brain chemical imbalance. Perhaps you need some supplements.

Also, any idea why you chose to reply only to some of my questions, and not comment on the rest?

Like Bud, I used to learn languages when I had a lot of free time. I still learn constantly by listening, speaking those languages, translating, etc. But it's not one of my main activities anymore because I simply don't have time and don't see how they would further our goal here. Maybe this is also something you can look into? What is your goal in life, and how would these different activities help you reach it?

Again, it's not that learning a language (in your case possibly French) would be bad at all, but it's the WHY that it's important. My 2 cents.

 

[andi]

Hi D Rusak,

If your life goal is to learn everything about cultures and languages, as you say you are fascinated by them, than that would be a great start - but if that were your goal you would probably not have asked it in the first place. IMO
So it seems to me that you are trying to avoid something, bypass something, find a new hobby.

If you really wanted to learn a new language, you would probably want to have started yesterday or a week ago- you would immediately find a book in the library to get you started instead of getting comfy in a class and having to pay for something you are not sure is going to serve your purposes.

But you post made me think. Because I see that I have become so mechanical in using my English, only using some words that I have retained here and there and than I switched to French when writing in my journal. It made a big difference- I was able to express myself a lot better and more objective. But in doing so I will probably render my French just as mechanical as my English ... so the obvious choice for me, and thanks Ailen for pointing it out, is to go back to my English and put more effort there and trying to be more conscious of my words.

 

[D Rusak]

Hi Ailén,

I will try to do a better job about answering this time.

Have you read the recommended psychology books, D Rysak? If not, I strongly suggest you do. In some of those books the issues that you described are explained, and you may find very interesting answers as to why you have this tendency.

Yes, I have read the recommended psych books and find many issues resonate with me. Each time I read them (most I have gone through a couple times) I realize more things that have happened to me, or that I see in myself, etc. But it seems as though even here I am not getting the whole meat out of these, again it looks as though I may have been skimming to read "more". I really did try to grok these, each time I go through I am amazed, why didn't I see that before. So I think maybe learning more in depth needs to be addressed.

I don't think it's uncommon at all. Many people act and feel this way, and there is usually a reason for it. It seems to me that you are trying to deal with the symptoms but not the cause. Sometimes multitasking can be excellent, but not when we occupy ourselves in order to feel some control over life, comply to a certain perfectionist standard or avoid dealing with our emotions. I don't really know whether this applies to you or not, but your posts give me the impression that you are looking for distractions. I could be wrong though.

This certainly seems to be true now that you have brought it up. Yes, perhaps this sort of perfectionist thing (it's odd though, not about being the "best" at everything, but more about doing "everything", or at least doing many things, having a wide range of things, at least now. Definitely when I was younger being at the top seemed important- although it was also very easy and something I never needed to work at in certain cases. Maybe now that I would have to work I just do things at a more shallow level instead of with full comprehension. If I'm doing more things that would "excuse" me not doing them at the highest level, etc.

btw, in some people, a lack of commitment to one task in particular is link to some kind of brain chemical imbalance. Perhaps you need some supplements.

I have not taken the ultramind tests in a few months, I can check to see where I am at with this. I've been doing supplements and all for a good while now...I guess about a year and a half? Almost two years I think, that will be mid-summer. I have been more lax the last few months and definitely have been noticing a difference the last week or two that I've been more strict about taking everything. Also I have been doing both the full EE twice weekly and just partial (the beginning part and the POTS) every day instead of just a couple of times a week and it seems to have helped- I'm posting more here and thinking more in depth. In general supplements have helped to an extent although not tooo much- I didn't really have a huge amount of physical issues to address- I do have more energy now but that could be due as much to the fact that I'm not working anywhere near as much as last year- giving me time to actually SLEEP! I quit some jobs so that I could have more time to rest and prepare for the others. I did have a diagnosis of depression/dysthymia (I guess you can say I felt that way for the bulk of my life to varying degrees) and was in CBT for just over a year last year. We felt I had come to a pretty good spot, my therapist was moving, and I was not certain what my income level would be for the coming year so we discontinued study last July. I don't know whether or not the supplements had really made a huge difference here, I guess it's hard to know what was supplements, what was therapy, what was getting more sleep, what was EE, etc. So I will try the tests again.

Also, any idea why you chose to reply only to some of my questions, and not comment on the rest?

I didn't answer all the questions because I didn't read your post carefully enough. Again, skimming and not being considerate enough to read in depth. I will answer the other questions you asked in the next post.

Like Bud, I used to learn languages when I had a lot of free time. I still learn constantly by listening, speaking those languages, translating, etc. But it's not one of my main activities anymore because I simply don't have time and don't see how they would further our goal here. Maybe this is also something you can look into? What is your goal in life, and how would these different activities help you reach it?

Well, what is my goal? I don't know. I know that since I came into contact with Laura's writings, the C's material, SOTT, then G's writings, the other books recommended, etc, that I have to follow this. That I don't have an I, I don't know myself anyhow. But my progress has been so slow and seems not to get anywhere too quickly, again I give up quickly or don't really put a real effort into things that I could possibly be doing to help SOTT, FOTCM, etc. And I feel that there is not a flame under my butt to get me moving. Sometimes I think about G's parable about how we are all in prison, not everyone will escape but a certain amount need to try so that some may. I think I may be one of those to try but not escape, and in a certain way I am satisfied with this, that I am helping somehow, though at other times I am not. So....not really sure where this leaves me but at least the neurons seem to be firing in a different way here, thanks!

As for the language itself, well, it would serve several purposes. First, knowledge is a great thing. I spend a lot of time at home by myself practicing and studying/reading, and sometimes that drives me nuts, it would be good to have a hobby that involved social interaction more. Other than practicing my music, and performing, and teaching a few students, I have two or three friends I meet with and that's it. My main hobby is gardening, which is awesome, but solitary. I usually feel good studying a language, and also interacting with people, and learning. And learning a language of music I am performing will help me to learn more about it- both through the study of a culture, and being able to read/speak with people in that language about the music. Now that I think about it, when I am involved in learning in a little more social setting, I seem to be more organized and motivated in general.

 

[D Rusak]

Unfortunately I am terrible at making decisions. I have investigated around town and the following options are ones I could start upon soon and seem to be a good value based on what I can afford. These are all small classes from 3-10 students.

German class for 2 hrs a class, once a week for 10 weeks. Costs $175.
Chinese class for 1.5 hrs a class, twice a week for 10 weeks. Costs $180 plus texts (does not say how much this is)
Spanish class 20 1 hr sessions for $320, schedule based on availability.

Personally, I would never decide which language to learn based on how much the classes cost. If I can't afford it, I study it by myself with all the information available on the Internet, and then find someone interested in a language exchange. Your approach could very easily lead you to drop it as soon as you start.

I had tried doing these things in the past- getting books, information on the internet, trying to study with friends, trying to find someone to practice with. With books/internet I did not keep with it after a few lessons, I especially found the speaking part hard to do on my own. With friends I soon found that they did not want to do this, they wanted to just hang out and relax. I couldn't find any other way to do language exchange, I had tried posting some ads or asking around but got no response. I tried to do this via bartering (cook food for other, teach them an instrument, etc) but still could not sustain interest from anyone, and I couldn't force someone to speak it. So a class seemed good in addition to reasons I listed before about not doing it in depth.

I learned a little German several years ago because I was thinking of visiting and applying for a fellowship to study there. I also had a crush on a German man at the time. I also have an attraction to a German man now, whom I will see this summer for a month, though we have decided at this point that we will not have a romantic relationship since we live too far from each other. I am worried that I have an interest to study this mostly to impress him. I will be working with someone this summer during that same month who speaks German as a first language, so there will be opportunities to use it at least in the near future, though probably not much beyond. I think the language is pretty okay, though I feel an attraction to French more.

You are attracted to this man and you still choose to meet him and perhaps "impress" him. If you lack discipline in other aspects of your life, you may want to re-think about your intentions for meeting him. I mean, is this a real friendship, when this "attraction" is in the middle? What will you be getting from that meeting? IMO, it is important to be really honest with yourself here and never underestimate the power of your hormones.

Yes, this is a tricky situation. I do know that I don't know myself, and definitely am not capable of real love at this point. The situation is one in which I will be learning a great deal, have a good thing to put on my resume and include in my performance experience, make great professional contacts, and also be making money. He happens to be on staff at the center I will be working and studying. I know and he knows that hormones can make things nuts, so we decided last summer not to pursue something too serious romantically/physically while we are both dealing with personal issues and trying to gain self-knowledge, we figured, if something is supposed to happen, Universe will really get into overdrive. This could be very naive, I am trying to see things as well as I can. This situation seemed to work okay thus far although it's definitely a concern. I am not sure where the balance lies between treating this as an opportunity for discipline, almost like dealing with a petty tyrant, and being open to having someone care about me.

A couple of times you ask if I really love x language, gosh, I don't know if I love anything. I don't think I can love anything, maybe my cat, but that's about it. At least, I can't love anything at this point, so maybe this is really what my goal is.

I think I got to more things, thanks for the mirror!

 

[Mona]

Rusak,
I think that the best way to learn a language is to actually live in the country where that language is spoken. You will pick up the language much easier. You should consider teaching English overseas and while being stuck in that country for a year you will have no other choice but to learn the foreign language. The students can help you with that; you will teach them English and they will teach you whatever they speak. Russian is a good choice but considering that the Earth is cooling rapidly I would choose a warmer climate like Spain. I think I am getting a little paranoid about the ice age approching us soon. The Russian language is beautiful, and so is the Czech language. Both languages sound musical to me. Let the cultures help you choose.

 

[D Rusak]

I took the test again and scored in the lowest level for most categories (a big improvement from the first time I took it a long while ago, though!). Sure enough, however, I scored in the high level for acetylcholine, and moderate for inflammation, insulin, and GABA. I had stopped taking GABA (and 5htp) a while ago so that is easy enough to fix- it did seem to help at first but then I wasn't sure if it was doing anything or not, so I stopped it. For insulin it looks like chromium and extra fiber are the way to go, I don't take anything special for chromium, I can add more fiber to my shake also. Inflammation is diet mostly, not sure if I should take any additional supplements that I'm not already taking. As for acetylcholine, yeah, well we all know our favorite AC-type boosting activity is- smoking's a stand in for AC! I don't do this regularly though, I did not grow up with an interest in it. I tried it about 2 years ago and took like a fish to water, I did not cough or get sick as many people seem to do at the beginning. I did notice an increase in concentration, actually. I just seem to not do it though, I go through phases but generally don't smoke, even though I enjoy it and it makes me feel better usually. I'm not sure why I don't really, actually. I could also try the supplements listed in UltraMind.