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when you decide to learn a language it's
exciting but there are lots of different
ways to approach your studies
what can you do to make sure you start
things off in the best way for yourself
in this video we'll cover six things for
you to consider to get you started on
the right foot
first what is your reason for learning
thinking about your why for studying a
language can be so important
if you know why you're doing something
it becomes easier to create
goals there are lots of reasons to learn
a language
travel family friends love and even the
experience of living in a new country
clarifying your reason for learning
helps you define your mission and gives
you motivation
right from the start some reasons for
learning may be stronger than others
if you live in a country that speaks the
language you need to learn you're
probably highly motivated to study
because your progress will directly
affect your daily life and relationships
if however your reason for learning is
something like i want to be able to
watch tv shows in that language
your motivation might not be as high as
the person in the first example
but that's okay everyone has a different
unique reason for wanting to learn a
language
take some time to understand what you
want to get out of your studies
this is a helpful first step second
set the right goals once you've
clarified your reason for learning
it's time to set your goals don't make
goals like
i want to be fluent one day this type of
goal is problematic because there's no
deadline for the goal
no clues about how you'll achieve your
goal and no way of knowing when you've
reached fluency
your goals need to be small measurable
realistic
and have a deadline try making monthly
goals instead of yearly goals
saying i want to be fluent one day isn't
helpful
instead make a goal like be able to
speak for one minute by the end of the
month
a goal like this gives you a target a
skill to develop and a deadline
you have one month to practice your
speaking skills enough to be able to
talk for one minute
you can set a timer and track how long
you're able to speak
this is also a realistic goal learning
enough to speak for one minute in one
month is reasonable
you can even think of how you might
reward yourself for achieving the goal
third reward yourself for achieving your
goals
you can determine your rewards when you
determine your goals
rewards are powerful motivators you
should be working consistently towards
your goals
but there will undoubtedly be times when
the work isn't fun and you need
something to push you through
when you come home after a long day of
work or school on a rainy day
maybe the last thing you want to do is
open a book and start studying
it's so much easier to turn on netflix
or scroll social media
but if you have a reward you can use it
as a motivator
as mentioned before it's important to
remember why you're learning a language
and what your goals are
for many people thinking about the
rewards they'll get along the way
boosts their motivation if you give
yourself something to look forward to
it can help you get through the times
you may not feel like putting in the
work
fourth match your routine to the study
medium
the word routine here refers to your
everyday routine
you need to understand your personal
schedule and your personality to make a
study schedule that's right for you
it may come as a surprise that this is a
step where many people fail
they think they can do a lot more than
they actually can get overwhelmed and
quit
in the end the people who give up after
just a few weeks of hard study
are only able to do a fraction of what
they plan to be able to do
it can be tough to understand your own
limitations
we all like to think we're capable of
doing anything we put our minds to
at any time on any day but the reality
is there will be times when we're tired
bored or just don't feel like studying
we need to be able to plan for times
like these
to do that we need to understand our own
limitations
try this write out your weekly schedule
where do you have some existing time
that you can spend on studies
for example maybe you have some time on
your commute every day
or sometime during a lunch break if
you're super busy like most people
look for places in your day that
naturally make sense instead of trying
to create a whole new block of time to
devote to your studies
maybe it's when you visit a cafe or when
you're on the bus or train
see if there's a place where you can
match the medium the learning method
to your existing routine for example
on your commute in the morning you can
listen to an audio lesson twice a week
or listen once a week after dinner at
home while you do chores
break out some vocabulary flashcards
during lunchtime
maybe you can even find a weekend class
which brings us to our fifth point
fifth anchor points
these are the connections you make to a
language that boost your motivation and
keep you attached or anchored to your
goal
for example maybe you have friends or
relatives that speak the language
and if you're around them and you're
exposed to the language you're more
likely to learn
if you don't know anyone who speaks the
language consider making a monetary
investment
like a textbook or a learning program by
paying for something you make a
commitment to yourself to use it
sixth assessment it's good to know where
you are in your studies and determine if
you're making progress
if you're not moving forward maybe the
methods you're using aren't quite right
for you
or maybe you need to find new ways to
add studying into your routine to give
you more opportunities to learn
but don't do assessments so often that
you don't actually have a chance to
learn
for example if you take a test once and
get a score you're not happy with
don't immediately take the test again
give yourself time to study and develop
your skills more
then you can come back and try again
assessment is a great way to keep
yourself on track but don't let tests
take over your studies
in this video we talked about six things
to consider when you start learning a
language
figure out your reason for learning set
good goals and choose rewards
have anchor points and make sure to
match your routine with the medium of
study
and finally make sure you have the
proper approach to assessment of your
progress
and for more ways to get started
learning on the right foot check out our
complete language learning program
sign up for your free lifetime account
by clicking on the link in the
description
get tons of resources to have you
speaking in your target language
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see you next time bye