Have you ever felt stuck in a situation because you’ve already invested time, money, or effort into it?
Perhaps you studied for a degree, that you actually didn’t want to study, but as you had already started and paid for the first year you kept studying. Or maybe you have had a work project that you know was not going to work, but you carried on because of all the previous time you spent working on it.
This is known as the sunk cost fallacy.
It happens when we let past investments (time, effort, or money) influence our decisions, even if sticking with them doesn’t make sense anymore. Whether it’s a project going badly, a relationship failing, or language learning feeling like a dead end, the sunk cost fallacy can trip us up.
This podcast is going to look at the sunk cost fallacy and English learning. We will look at what the sunk cost fallacy is and some examples. We’ll see how the sunk cost fallacy can affect English learners and people studying foreign languages. And we will discuss a few ways to avoid the sunk cost fallacy!
Interactive Transcript
Listen Here
What is the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
Examples of the sunk cost fallacy?
Sunk Cost Fallacy and English Study
Why Does the Sunk Cost Fallacy Happen?
How to Avoid the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
Final Thought
Vocabulary List!
Vocabulary Games and Activities!
Learn and practice vocabulary from this Thinking in English episode. Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
