Knowing where to start (or restart) when learning a language can be a challenging step where many people give up before they even start, For some, they have already started but aren’t seeing the results they want and aren’t sure what to do next. Regardless of where you are in your journey, the steps are the same.
Step 1: Know Where You Are
The first step is to understand where you are right now. It’s important to have an idea of your skill level in all areas of language learning. Each skill – speaking, listening, reading, and writing – may have a different proficiency level. If you’ve studied a language in school, chances are your reading, writing, and grammar skills are higher because these are the skills most focused on in school systems. On the other hand, your speaking and listening levels are likely lower due to the limited time schools have to cover everything.
There are various ways to find out where your skills are. You can take free online diagnostic tests or go for an official exam like TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC. These official tests can also help you know your level in these areas.
Step 2: Define Your Goals
The next step is to know what you want to accomplish and why. To say “I want to be fluent in English” is a great goal, but you need to be more specific. What does fluency mean to you? It may be that you want to have conversations naturally and easily in the language of your choice. You need to define your goals and understand why you want to accomplish them.
Maybe you’re learning a language for career opportunities, to travel, or even to be able to watch a movie in English without subtitles. Whatever your reason, it’s important to define your goal and know your motivation.
Step 3: Set SMART Goals
I’m a big fan of the SMART goal model. Each letter in SMART stands for a part of the goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. For each of these levels, you break down something specific, write them down, and then you have a complete goal.
Step 4: Understand Your Learning Style
Next, think about your learning style. If your goal is speaking, then your daily practice should involve speaking the language. If you’re trying to strengthen your writing skills, then your activities should be connected to writing. It’s important to know how you learn and plan your weekly activities to support your goal.
Step 5: Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress is necessary to see progress. You want to know that what you’re doing is working. You can start with a diagnostic test online and see your score. Then, six months later, you might take that test again on the same website. The questions might be different, but you want to try to use the same tools to test yourself so that you can see the progress.
Step 6: Practice Regularly
Consistency is key. Practicing regularly is crucial, and depending on how large or small your goal is, it also determines how much you need to practice. Any opportunity you have to engage with native speakers is beneficial. The more you speak or write or listen, the more confident you become.
Step 7: Reward Your Accomplishments
Lastly, reward your accomplishments. If you had a goal for this month and you met that goal, celebrate that. Rewarding yourself doesn’t mean doing something huge and overly expensive. It can be something that you enjoy, something that makes you feel good. It’s so important to reward yourself.
