By Geralde Vincent-Bancroft
Every year in December I review which articles were more popular with my readers, and this year would not be the exception.
Here are the 5 most popular articles that you read most.
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The fifth most popular article of 2021 is Benefits of A Good Language Study Planner
A good planner will be a valuable aid in helping you take concrete steps in your language learning journey especially if you are an independent…
You have succeeded at making your language study plan. Now you need to breathe life into it. And a good language study planner will help you do it.
A good planner will be a valuable aid in helping you take concrete steps in your language learning journey especially if you are an independent learner, but it is also valuable if you are taking a formal college or university course.
Its best attribute is that you can use it no matter your level of competence in the language.
A language planner helps you achieve various goals:
It keeps you motivated.
This is maybe the most important because it provides structure to your learning. There should be a dedicated section for your goals: yearly, monthly, and weekly goals. You can then set them by implementing the SMARTER goal system.
Specific. You should identify exactly what it is you want to do.
Measurable. This will allow you to establish markers and milestones to keep you focused and on track to accomplishing your goal.
Actionable. You should use an action verb when you write your goal down. This will prompt you into action every time you review it.
Risky. Your goals should stretch you and cause you to rise to the challenge to accomplish them. Don’t set easy goals that play it too safe and keep you from growing.
Timebound. You must include a deadline, frequency, or time-trigger in every goal you write.
Exciting. Find a way to connect your goal to what is personally motivating to you. It should be compelling.
Relevant. Each goal should be relevant to your season of life, your values, and your other goals.
These will help you maintain the course while keeping you focused in making your short-term, mid-term and long-term goals a reality.
The smarter goal process helps you document your progress.
Make sure to also include a goal-progress tracker to allow you to see your improvements.
with it you become more organised
You should have a section for vocabulary where you will write the new words you come across with during your study, as well as a place to write their definitions and sample sentences that go with it.
Also, another section for grammar where you can write relevant or difficult rules to memorise as well as grammar exception, always with some sentences to illustrate.
A third section for verb tenses with example tenses is highly recommended.
Click Here for the other things to consider and also to download “My Language Journal”.
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The fourth most popular article of 2021 is Skills And Abilities For Effective Language Learning
To be an efficient language learner you need to develop some skills that will help you succeed. These are personal attributes that can be extremely useful in life and in your language learning journey.
Ideal skills for language learners.
Listening skills.
Make sure that you…
To be an efficient language learner you need to develop some skills that will help you succeed. These are personal attributes that can be extremely useful in life and in your language learning journey.
Ideal skills for language learners.
Listening skills.
Make sure that you listen more to the new language especially at a beginner’s level. Some people study a second language exclusively with a book and very seldom are in contact with the verbal form of the language. They guess the pronunciation of words by reading the phonetic writings as their only guide.
They are oblivious of pronunciation, accent, intonation, and speed. No wonder they cannot understand anything when facing a conversation. They are unable to link the words they have painfully learned with the sounds they are hearing and not listening to. When exposed to the correct pronunciation, listening equates understanding.
Focusing.
You should be able to work on improving your focus in these times where we are all prone to distractions. If you work on upgrading your attention you will be at an advantage. You could use for example the Pomodoro system for your language study. Split your time into twenty-minute slots and assign a language activity to each. Remember to reserve at least twenty percent of your time for revision.
Be flexible.
It will be difficult at times to stick to your language schedule, we all know that life gets often in our way. But, if you want to succeed in accomplishing your goals, you must learn to adapt to the circumstances and make the necessary changes to carry on in your language leaning journey. To achieve your goals, you must be flexible.
Accept criticism.
The only way to improve is by knowing where your weakness lies and only the feedback you receive will let you know. So, adopt a positive attitude to them. Welcome criticism as the way to achieve positive changes in your learning.
Teamwork is the dream work.
Even if you are an independent learner look for groups of like-minded language learners where you can find support, advice, direction, and practice. Remember that learning a language is a social skill.
Challenge yourself.
Set yourself daily, weekly, and monthly goals – at times challenging- to push yourself further. Trying to constantly push yourself at improving will keep you. Motivated.
Be confident.
Have an overall plan. Brake this in small goals and tasks. Set a deadline to each. Every time you accomplish them and ticking them off your to-do list, your confidence will grow.
If you’re too embarrassed to use the new language, you might try to avoid the situations where you must do so. Don’t let your fear of making mistakes prevent you from enjoying these conversations with the natives where you can learn so much about their culture and themselves. Don’t miss on the opportunity of creating beautiful friendships that might last a lifetime, who knows.
Your lack of confidence might also push you to giving up learning the language by thinking that it’s a waste of time or that you will never be able to overcome your fear of speaking. When you are in this state of mind, it is easy to throw the towel and blame yourself for your failure. This might increase your low confidence and even it might permeate to other areas of your life, leading to frustration and disappointment.
Practice talking the language with a fellow learner or a native speaker regularly to improve your beliefs that you can use the language effectively. And as a plant grows, you will gradually become more assertive using your speaking skills.
Develop a positive mindset.
Have a growth mindset. Growth mindset is when people believe that they can develop their brain abilities.
Learners with a growth mindset develop a love for learning, a drive for growth and are resilient when facing setbacks. For them these just highlight problems and issues that they will need to deal with and learn from. They are always in the lookout for new learning opportunities. They learn from criticism and suggestions and are always seeking to implement new strategies to improve. Learners with growth mindset act on the feedback they receive.
Language students with a growth mindset always look for learning strategies that can help them improve (My blog newsletter is jam packed with them); and they look for the adequate solutions when they are confronted with setbacks. Students find the right support, and invest time and effort in practising the language. With the right mindset they know they can develop their abilities and grow beyond expectation.
Students with growth mindset crave feedback, because as previously mentioned, they know that it is an important tool for their growth. They cultivate a positive attitude to learning, they don’t give up, they try and try again until they get things right. Striving for excellence boosts their motivation.
Click here to read more and download the “How to create a language learning notebook” Cheat Sheet.
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The third most popular article of 2021 is The extraordinary benefits of working with a language coach
What is all the fuss lately about language coaching? Do I need a language coach? How will I know if I need one? How will they help me anyway? I hear you say. This is the purpose of this article. I want to open the curtain so that you have all your questions answered.
What is a…
What is all the fuss lately about language coaching? Do I need a language coach? How will I know if I need one? How will they help me anyway? I hear you say. This is the purpose of this article. I want to open the curtain so that you have all your questions answered.
What is a language coach?
I have written extensively about it but in a nutshell a language coach is an experienced language learner who uses various methods and techniques available in various other disciplines like sports, business, cognitive science, positive psychology, neurolinguistic programming, to help others solve their language problems.
Do you need a language coach?
You have been learning this foreign language for a while now. But lately you feel stuck, you’re not progressing as you used to. The need to get passed fears and inhibitions grows in you. You wish to refocus in your language learning or redefining new goals.
Reach certain milestones in your language learning is a must, may be due to some deadlines at work. You need to increase your performance. You’re overwhelmed. Or you are just starting and want to establish your learning path.
Low motivation, lack of time, negative attitude towards learning, are also a strong indication that it is time to think in the possibility of working with a foreign language coach.
I already have a teacher, or I just bought this course, I hear you say.
“Why do I need a language coach?”
To improve your Mindset
Mindset is an established set of attitudes and ways of thinking about things. Mindset can dictate how you view the world and yourself.
A language coach helps you reach the right mindset for language learning.
He/she helps you cultivate a growth mindset.
Growth mindset is when people believe that they can develop their brain abilities.
With it you will learn to cultivate a love for learning, a drive for growth and be resilient when facing setbacks. You will know that these just highlight problems and issues that you will need to deal with and learn from.
The new you will always be in the lookout for new learning opportunities. You’ll learn from criticism and suggestions and will always seek to implement new strategies to improve. You will act on the feedback you’ll receive.
All these will show you what you can accomplish and help you learn the language more easily.
To help you learn how to learn.
With your language coach you will map out your language journey.
A-Plan
You should have a clear idea of the reasons why you want to learn the language. Is it just for fun, or because it is required for your job, or because you plan to travel to a country where this language is spoken?
You should ponder the following:
What do you want by learning a language?
➢ First, the reason why it is important to you
➢Second, Ways you can achieve this
➢ And how you will know that you have reached your goal
Answering these questions is of prime importance because it will shape your plan.
Imagine that you are learning this language because your business is trading with a foreign company, you will have to learn specific vocabulary linked with your job to communicate with your foreign counterpart, so, your choice for a course will be different from someone else learning to go on a dream holiday.
Then, you should create concrete steps to lead you to your goal.
Make these realistic and remember that they should be compatible with the rest of your daily routine.
➢ It is important to challenge yourself, but not to the point of overwhelm.
➢ Most importantly, your goals should be attainable (at least 50% chance of success).
➢ And plan short-term goals (3 to 6 months) as well as long-term ones (1 to
3 years).
➢ Your goals should be S-M-A-R-T-E-R (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Risky, Time-bound, Exiting and Relevant).
This article is packed with excellent advice Click here to learn more!
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The second most popular article of 2021 is 7 steps to create a brilliant study plan
Planning is key, and this saying “Success is in the planning” is true.
Once again it is a new year, and it is when we tend to rekindle our resolutions. These are usually vague – “I want to learn Japanese”- and this does not mean that it will happen. You must make a language study plan, put all…
Planning is key, and this saying “Success is in the planning” is true.
Once again it is a new year, and it is when we tend to rekindle our resolutions. These are usually vague – “I want to learn Japanese”- and this does not mean that it will happen. You must make a language study plan, put all your ideas on paper if you genuinely care about achieving your goal; and here I will tell you how.
It might feel a humongous task at first, but it is not that complicated.
Prep work
First, block out a few hours in your calendar for this task. Have a notebook, pens, pencils, markers, erasers ready. Try to avoid interruptions: silence your phone notifications, tell your family about the importance of not being interrupted, set the mood with music, if it inspires you, and let’s start.
If it is your first time wanting to learn this new language, assess your learning priorities: ask yourself how important it is for you to accomplish this new goal, how this will be advantageous to you, how does knowing this new language will shape your future, where you would like to be at the end of the year, or in two years time with this project.
If you’ve been studying the language for a while, your first step should be to review your language journey in the past year. Did you meet your objectives? If you had one. What where your successes? Where did you fail? What went wrong? How can you improve your plan this time around? This yearly review will help you assess exactly where you stand so that you can determine which direction you want to pursue in your language journey. It will also tell you what worked – you’ll be able to add more of these strategies in your current plan- and what you should get rid of this time.
Having a language diary can be helpful for this exercise and if you are not used to it, it’s a good time to start because your yearly review will be very easy.
“What should I log in that diary?” I hear you say.
Here it goes:
Time of your learning session
Place: Is it a college or university course? Is it an online session?
Type of resources you are using: a textbook? A YouTube video? A language podcast?
Type of practice: was it a grammar revision with exercises, a 30-minute conversation with a language partner? A class with an online tutor?
New words, phrases and sentences learned during the language session.
It will only take a few minutes at the end of each learning session and in hindsight, it will give you valuable information that you can analyse.
Be aware of what you can do with the language.
If you do not know your current language level, answer these simple questions:
Listening
Can you understand phrases and the highest frequency vocabulary related to personal and family information, shopping? Can you catch the main point in short, clear messages?
Reading
Can you understand texts that contain everyday job related language?
Speaking
Can you communicate in simple and routine task requiring direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities?
Can you describe in simple terms your family and other people?
Writing
Can you write short, simple notes and messages? Can you write a very simple personal letter?
If you wish to assess more in depth your current level, please click here.
“Plan your work today and everyday, then work your plan”. Margaret Thatcher
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I am proud to let you know that the first most popular article of 2021 is 11 Language Experts Share Their Best Tips For Understanding Native Speakers
Click on the links to read their priceless advice. This is truly one of a kind opportunity to have them all agree to share their expertise with you.
I have helped hundreds of people learn a foreign language. And all the adults – the school age children are only interested in improving their grades- dream of easily speaking their new tongue. Each learner has had to go through lots of obstacles.
I was curious to know what their biggest problem…
I have helped hundreds of people learn a foreign language. And all the adults – the school age children are only interested in improving their grades- dream of easily speaking their new tongue. Each learner has had to go through lots of obstacles.
I was curious to know what their biggest problem was. So, I decided to send a poll to my language community asking them what their number one concern with language learning was, and they came out with the following:
“I struggle understanding native speakers. What do I do to improve?”
I thought it was a great question to ask a group of language experts: coaches, teachers, polyglots, serial language learners. Who better than them to shed a light to how to solve this problem?
Content
Founder of Black Girls Learn Languages
IG @blackgirlslearnlanguages
Italian language coach and author
@silvia_italearn
3- Marissa Swanson (Global Marissa)
Enthusiastic serial language learner
blogger from Cape Town, South Africa.
Language learner
Founder Fluency Pending
Italian psychology student, serial language learner
@languagecrossing
Polish American heritage language user and polyglot.
@multilingualMarissa
7-Nayeli Mulato @ZALOA Languages
ZALOA Languages is digital company that offers the possibility to learn with innovative methods Spanish as a foreign language, German for Spanish speakers, and Indigenous languages from Mexico.
Spanish tutor
Spanish creator for ZALOA Languages
Director of outreach at International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA) non-profit and non partisan association.
Law student, Multilingual, speaks 6 languages
@ambiegonzalez
German and Hungarian language coach
Founder of Prolingua Global
@gabriella.ferenczi
French learning coach
Founder French Fluency
@Frenchfluency
11 language experts share their best tips for understanding native speakers
This was great!
I hope you have also found these suggestions very helpful, and I feel that you have also learned what to do to start understanding native speakers.
I’m heartily thankful to each language expert who has contributed here and shared their best advice. You people have taken the time and tried to help other language learners in some ways.
We are #togetherthroughlanguages
Thank you all.
Now it’s for you, my readers-
Now it’s your time
Hey.! Language learner, I’m super excited to have your comments and compliments for this post. Feel free to write, what you like best from this article, what were your mistakes, what key points you’re taking away, and how this post is proven helpful to you.
“A tiny request, please share it anywhere on the internet you would like to, just because these experts have shared their best with you and for you.”
These were the 5 favourite readings of the year.
if you didn’t download the freebies for each article, you can still do it by clicking on the links.
Here’s for a successful 2022 jam-packed with strategies for better language learning.
Cheers ?