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Welcome to the beginning of a new year, filled with countless possibilities and exciting opportunities for learning a new language. If you're like most people, you probably have some language learning resolutions and goals you'd like to achieve this year.
While setting these goals is easy, sticking to them can appear daunting. But don't worry, we¡¯re here to help you not only set those goals but also achieve them like a pro. Below are some useful tips to help turn your language aspirations into reality this year and to keep you motivated towards your goals.
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Having very broad goals can make it hard to track progress and stay motivated. Start by setting precise and achievable language learning goals. Instead of a vague "I want to learn Spanish," aim for something specific like "I want to hold a 10-minute conversation in Spanish by June". This way, you'll have a clear idea of what you're working towards and be able to track your progress more effectively.
Large tasks can be intimidating; divide your goals into smaller, manageable tasks. For example, if you aim to learn 500 new words this year, break it down into a monthly or weekly target. By doing this, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and make steady progress toward your ultimate objective. Breaking down large tasks into smaller ones can also help you identify any potential roadblocks or challenges that may arise along the way.
Consistency is key to building any habit or skill. Establish a study routine that fits your schedule. Whether it's dedicating 30 minutes every day or longer sessions a few times a week, find what works for you and stick to it. Creating an overly ambitious study routine can lead to burnout, and that could eventually cause you to lose interest and motivation. So it's crucial to pace yourself and keep your routine manageable.
Explore different language learning resources that fit your learning style and keep your study sessions engaging. Experiment with language learning apps such as ?or to build your vocabulary. You can also use language exchange platforms like ?to practice speaking, watch YouTube channels and listen to podcasts to immerse yourself in the language.
It's important not to rely solely on textbooks while learning a new language. You can also enhance your language skills by watching movies, listening to music or podcasts, reading books, comics or articles, and following social media accounts in your target language. Even if you have the radio playing in the background while doing everyday tasks, it can help you immerse yourself in the language and improve your understanding.
Join language exchange groups or find a study partner. Engaging with others on the same journey can motivate and keep you accountable. There are groups on social media you can discover or free apps like to find like-minded language learners.
Document your language learning journey by tracking milestones, word count and speaking progress. Reflect on progress to stay motivated.
It's important to track your progress to stay motivated and achieve your goals. This can involve keeping a record of milestones you reach, such as mastering a new grammatical concept or learning a certain number of vocabulary words. Tracking your word count can also be helpful, whether it's the number of new words you learn or the amount of time you spend practicing your language skills.
Reflecting on your progress can also help you identify areas you need to improve and adjust your learning strategy accordingly. Having a record of your learning can be a great motivator on days when your drive to learn is low or if you're considering quitting. You can look back and see how far you've come already.
Learning a new language takes time, effort and patience. Accept mistakes as part of the process, stay positive and avoid being too hard on yourself.
Remember that everyone has good and bad days, and that obstacles are a normal part of the learning journey. Don't give up, keep pushing forward and you will see progress. You can achieve your language learning goals with dedication, practice and determination.
Celebrate your achievements along the way. Treat yourself when you reach milestones to stay motivated and encouraged. It can help your brain associate learning with positive things.
Remember, celebrating your achievements doesn't have to be grand or costly. It can be as simple as treating yourself to something you enjoy, such as your favorite snack or drink. Alternatively, you could take some time to relax and unwind or even go for a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air. Whatever you enjoy doing.
Language learning isn't a one-size-fits-all process. What worked for your friend or classmate might not work for you. Be flexible with your approach. If a particular learning method isn't working for you, don't hesitate to switch it up. Learning is about finding what works best for you.
These don't have to be huge changes. It could be something as small as changing the presentation of your notes or even changing the color for it to be easier to read. Everyone is unique in what they work best with.?
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With these tips in mind and a little hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your language learning goals and make sure to stay on track. So, are you ready to take your language skills to new heights in 2024?
If you need a little guidance or inspiration, make sure to check out our language learning blog throughout the year, as well as our language learning app?, to help keep you working on your language goals.
When you¡¯re teaching English to young learners, you might find that there are a few students in your class who are struggling. But sometimes it can be hard to tell why. Is it because their language level is low? Or are they finding classroom work difficult because of a general cognitive difference, like dyslexia??
Taking English exams can be intimidating and challenging. Everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and it's common to make the same kinds of mistakes in an exam.
It¡¯s possible to make use of this though, and improve your English from the mistakes you make. Today in our language learning blog, we discuss how we can use exam errors to perfect and improve your English.
Firstly, you want to establish what your weak and strong points are. Write these down somewhere each time and build up a record. It's essential to take note of the mistakes you make and try to see if there's a pattern.
Perhaps mistakes happen on:
These are only a few examples, but recognizing patterns or similarities can help you focus on areas that need improvement or extra attention.
Making mistakes in an exam can really impact a person's confidence, but if you can, look back and rationalize why that mistake was made. It can help your confidence in the future. Sometimes mistakes are made just because of a misinterpretation, perhaps a question wasn¡¯t read correctly, and you realize you knew the answer after all.
Remember, the situation of being in an exam can be stressful and you may not think or respond in the way you normally would outside of the exam room, so don't be too hard on yourself.
Mistakes happen in the real world every day, and being able to look back at them and examine them critically is a valuable skill.
As we¡¯ve already mentioned, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. It can be a great idea to compare your mistakes with others; they may be making the same ones.
You can team up and try to tackle them together, or you may know someone whose strength is in your weak areas (and vice versa). It's helpful to team up and help each other. They might have some handy tips and techniques for you to try.
It's good to switch up techniques at times and your errors might be giving you some guidance on doing so. If you tend to make errors with your spoken English, consider study techniques that work on that ¨C like using recall or incorporating music to strengthen your speech.
Perhaps memory is an issue, so using tools like flashcards can help you. Some techniques focus on and help improve some areas more than others, so there isn¡¯t one solution for all. Make sure to experiment and see what works for you.
Perhaps an obvious one, but just repeating and practicing the questions/tasks you¡¯ve gotten wrong in the exam is a good approach. By doing it over and over again, with some persistence, it ends up being retained in your long-term memory.
You may want to study variations of the questions you struggle with, as exams tend to alter their questions and you don¡¯t want to be thrown off in an exam if they reword/change the question slightly.
The next time you review your exam results, remember these steps, look for patterns, examine your thought process and don¡¯t be afraid to ask others for help. With enough practice, those errors should be things of the past.
In the era of the Great Resignation, there are lots of factors that influence whether or not someone chooses to stay with their company or decides to accept a job offer from a new employer.
Whilst fair pay remains a constant in this, feeling included, valued, and cared about by colleagues plays a significant role in the decision on whether to stay or go.
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