Creating a language learning study plan that works for you
Knowing another language can open up new career opportunities and help you build relationships. If you don't have the right tools or strategy in place, it can also be downright frustrating. Here are seven steps to help you avoid these pitfalls that will help ensure your language learning efforts pay off.
Learning a new language can be challenging, but it's also incredibly rewarding. Whether you're trying to learn for work, school or just for fun, knowing another language can open up new career opportunities and expand your ability to build relationships with people from around the world. That said, if you don't have the right tools or strategy inplace, it can also be downright frustrating. To help you avoid these pitfalls, here are seven steps that will help ensure your language learning efforts pay off:
1. Review your goals and objectives
We all have different reasons for learning a new language. Some are motivated by career goals, others want to be able to read their favorite books in the original language, and others just want to travel more. Whatever your reason, you need to make sure that it's achievable and realistic. It's no use setting yourself up for failure if you don't have the time or resources available.
One way you can do this is by creating an objective list of your goals before starting any kind of language study plan. For example:
- I want my level of Spanish to be conversational by June 1st because I am planning on taking a trip abroad during that time period and want an opportunity speak with locals using their native tongue.
2. Assess where you are today
Once you have a general idea of what learning language looks like, it's time to assess where you currently stand.
Look at your current language skills. What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Are there certain parts of speech or tenses that trip you up more often than others? Do you need to memorize more vocabulary words, or practice speaking with confidence and accuracy in the target language?
Find out what resources are available to you. Where can you find cheap but effective tools for learning languages online or offline - like apps, flashcards or books - and which ones will give me the best return on investment for my efforts?
Figure out how much time and money I can devote toward learning this new skill. Will I be able to spend one hour per day practicing my listening comprehension through podcasts every morning before work starts; three hours on weekends; ten minutes here and there throughout the week...
3. Set a Timeline
You've got your study plan in place, and now it's time to set a timeline. A timeline is the specific date you set for when you want to achieve a particular goal - in this case, learn a new language.
For example, if your goal is to be able to have a conversation in one month, your timeline would be "I will be able to have basic conversations with people by July 1st." If your goal is more long-term(such as being fluent), then the timeline would be longer: "I will be fluent by January 2024." In some cases - like if you are trying to learn how to read music or master calculus - you might not even need a timeline! But for most of us mere mortals who want our lives enriched by another language or skill (or two), setting a realistic deadline is crucial for achieving success.
Once you've decided on an overall timeline for learning whatever it is that inspires you, break down each step into smaller chunks so that each one becomes more manageable and achievable over time rather than feeling overwhelming all at once.
4. Find Resources That Fit Your Style
You can find language learning resources in a variety of places, but the key is to find ones that fit your style and learning preferences.
The most important thing is to find a resource that will help you learn. So if you're not sure where to start, here are some ideas:
- Ask a friend for recommendations
- Browse through Amazon's language learning section and see what catches your eye
- Do a Google search for language learning resources, or check out sites like Reddit or Quora to see what people recommend.
5. Alternate between "deep work" and "shallow work"
As you begin to build your language learning study plan, it's important to understand the differences between deep work and shallow work. Deep work is focused and uninterrupted concentration that allows you to accomplish large tasks in shorter periods of time. Examples of deep work include writing a book, completing a thesis or dissertation, editing an article or proposal, etc. Shallow work is non-focused activity that requires little time commitment but doesn't produce substantial results(e.g., social media browsing).
While shallow work can be good for creativity and socializing/networking with other language learners, it should not be interspersed into your studying schedule because it will distract you from concentrating on productive tasks for too long at once. Instead, alternate between periods of deep and shallow work throughout the day (i.e., don't spend hours at a time engaged in one or the other).
6. Regularly measure your progress
Once you've set your goals, the next step is to regularly measure your progress towards them. If you're not making any progress at all, that could mean it's time for a change. Maybe you need to work on more vocabulary or grammar, or perhaps you are staying too focused on one aspect of language learning and need to add something else. Maybe the best thing for your needs is to take some time off from studying so that you can focus better when coming back later.
What if you are making progress? Great! Keep up the good work and keep going with what's working for now. It might be tempting to change things up once again if things get too easy (or even just boring), but try not do that unless absolutely necessary - it's important not only in language learning but also in life in general that we don't get complacent and sit around expecting everything will go well without putting any effort into achieving our goals!
7. Celebrate your victories
We often emphasize on what we haven't achieved in language learning. But how about what we have achieved? Never forget to celebrate your language learning victories and recognize how far you have come. Whether you have read a news article without having to translate any of the words, successfully ordered food in a restaurant, or completed the required government bureaucracy to register your new apartment.
Mastering a foreign language is a formidable goal, but one that anyone can achieve with the right attitude.
Take some time to reflect on what you've accomplished so far, and how far you have come.
Conclusion
With a little time and effort, you can create a language learning plan that fits with your daily schedule, learning style and available resources. One thing to keep in mind is that this plan doesn't have to be perfect. There's no single right way to learn a new language; just find one that works for you!
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