By Geralde Vincent-Bancroft

Language learning is currently important, but many people don’t know how to start the learning process. From deciding what language to study, to figuring out how you can fit it into your schedule, there are many things you need to consider before embarking on this journey. For your language learning strategy to be effective and sustainable, here are 5 tips that will help you get started!

Have a clear motivation for language learning

To learn a foreign language, you need to know why you are doing it. If your motivation is not clear and strong enough, then chances of failure will be high. You must outline what you truly want to obtain from your learning experience.

Some reasons for wanting to learn a foreign language can be:

-To travel and converse with locals in their native tongue

-For business or professional purposes

-To read literature or watch films in the original language

-To gain a deeper understanding of another culture

-To improve your current knowledge of your native language

Whatever it is, make sure that you are motivated to learn the foreign language before starting.

Remember:

-If your motivation is not clear enough, then chances of failure will be high

-Once you have your motivation in place and know why you want to do this; learning a new language becomes easier and more manageable.

In every long-term project there will be time where the initial excitement starts to wear off. This is completely normal and often means that you are hitting a plateau in your learning process.

The best way to overcome this is by setting some new goals for yourself; something which will re-ignite your original motivation. It could be anything from being able to hold a conversation in the language after one month, to being able to read a book in the language.

To summarise:

• Make sure that your goals are achievable and challenging at the same time. This will help keep you motivated throughout your learning journey!

• Check that your motivation is clear and strong

• Set new goals for yourself which challenge and excite you.

Plan your language learning

Once you know why you want to learn the new language, you also need a plan for getting there. Then outline your goals.

For example: I am going on a holiday to France for one month and I would like to be able to speak with locals in French fluently before leaving. Followed by: How can this goal be achieved? What do I need to do? Etc.

If your goal is “to feel comfortable with the basics in Spanish”, then you should create a plan with milestones and deadlines.

 Write down your plan in a journal, so you can track your progress over time.

Why do you need to plan?

 It’s because you need to have a strategy. Planning will help keep your mind on track and give you clear direction so that when it comes time for action, your mind doesn’t go blank or get distracted by other things.  It will also help you remember to act.

 Regular review is another benefit of planning that can keep your language learning strategy on track.

In other words, Planning:

-Ensures that you are working on the right things.

-It brings order and clarity.

-It allows you to discover new ideas and learning methods.

-It forces you to have specific objectives and implement defined actions that can get you to your goals quicker.

-It establishes accountability.

 You need to be realistic with how much time you have, and what you can do each day to make a good plan for yourself. If there’s not enough time in your day, you can either cut back on some of the activities that are taking up too much time or decrease how long you spend on each one.

 It’s always good to set goals so that when it comes down to planning how many hours per week is needed for language learning, you’ll know what’s realistic and workable for you.

Set goals

Plan your language learning

You need to set goals, plan and create a schedule that works with your lifestyle to improve the way you learn foreign languages. Once you’ve done this it is much easier to stick with learning because there isn’t as much chance of forgetting or procrastinating. So, take your time, set your objectives, and get it absolutely right!

Increase the frequency of practice outside class time.

Select a language strategy that fits with your lifestyle and schedule, such as online courses or studying in groups on weekends.

Create review sessions when you have finished each unit of work to clear any confusion before starting new material next week/month.

Decide how you will be rewarding yourself for your hard work.

Schedule your language learning week

-Set a specific time for language learning activities, whether it’s 30 minutes or one hour each day. You can also make this part of your daily to do list and schedule when you will study.

-Create a plan that includes how long you’ll spend on the different aspects of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

-Include time for review, as this is important for consolidating what you’ve learned and preventing forgetting.

-Make use of a variety of resources, including textbooks, online materials, audio recordings, and native speakers.

-Be consistent in your efforts; try to make your language learning a daily habit.

-Schedule the time when you will review your language learning materials

-Set a specific day for conversation with native speakers

-Include listening exercises in your plan

-Create a goal to improve your score on a foreign language proficiency test.

Planning and Scheduling your language learning

Planning is key when it comes to successful foreign language learning. By scheduling your time wisely and incorporating a variety of resources, you can make progress toward your language learning goals.

Once you’ve established a schedule, try to be consistent and practice every day; this way, you’ll more easily keep up with what you’re learning and prevent forgetting anything! If that’s not possible for you right now because of time constraints or other reasons, try setting specific days when you will study and review.

Be sure to schedule time for conversation with native speakers, as well as listening drills and exercises. And remember that we’re here if you need help! Just reach out to us at any time by emailing or sending a DM on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Use of resources for language learning

Make use of resources that are available to you. There is a lot of free material out there, such as online courses, podcasts, and YouTube videos. If you find something that works for you, stick with it!

Variety is also key when it comes to learning a foreign language. Try out different learning methods and use a variety of resources. If listening to podcasts doesn’t work for you, try watching TV shows or movies instead. Use online dictionaries to find the best way to explain foreign words in your native language. Supplement your traditional textbooks with online materials. The more variety you have, the better.

Practice

Practice makes perfect! Try to get in some practice time every day. This could be practicing your conversations with a friend or watching a YouTube video in the language you are learning. The more time and effort you put into it, the faster your foreign language skills will improve!

Another key to successful foreign language learning is breaking your goals down into manageable chunks. Don’t try to learn an entire chapter of a textbook in one day – that’s just unrealistic and will only lead to frustration. Break things down into manageable pieces and give yourself time to complete each goal. This way you won’t feel overwhelmed, and you’ll be able to focus on one task at a time.

Rewarding yourself for hard work is also important, so make sure you have something planned once you’ve completed your goals. Whether it’s buying yourself a new book, going out for dinner, or taking a weekend trip somewhere new, make sure you celebrate your accomplishments!

Set deadlines

To learn a foreign language effectively, you need to create a study plan and stick to it. One of the best ways to do this is by setting deadlines for yourself. Whether it’s weekly goals or simply committing to studying for an hour each day, having specific targets will help keep you on track. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of ticking something off your list!

Deadlines are important if you want to achieve your goals.

This is very true when it comes to learning a foreign language. You need to set yourself deadlines. They help you stay on track. They make your goals more real, and by seeing them in black and white, you’ll be more likely to stick to them. Plus, it feels great when you finally cross that goal off your list!

Deadlines will keep you motivated

As soon as you’ve written down your goals for the week, month or even year, it will be much easier to stick with them. You can constantly refer to what you wanted to do. When they finally happen, the feeling of satisfaction is amazing!

And deadlines show that progress is being made, which can be very rewarding! It may be difficult at first but if the deadline is not met, it will give you the motivation to try harder. If you don’t have any deadlines, it can be easy to put off your studies indefinitely.

“A goal without deadline is dead”.

Chris Farmer

Conclusion

These are some tips to help you Improve in learning a foreign language.

Planning is essential to a successful foreign language learning strategy. You need to have a goal and a plan of action to achieve that goal. Without planning, you will likely become frustrated and give up. Make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. Also, by scheduling your time wisely and incorporating a variety of resources, you can make progress toward your language learning goals in no time.

To help you plan your language study, GRAB the Build Your Language Learning Plan Workbook.