If you are wondering how to set goals for language learning, ask yourself why you are learning the language. Is it for business, academic purposes or simply to gain conversational skills?
The reason it is important to ask what is the ultimate goal of learning is because learning a new language takes a lot of commitment and should not be taken lightly.
If you would like to be bilingual or multilingual, you are going to need goals for learning a new language.
Why Set Goals for Learning a New Language?
If you want to learn a new language, you’ll also need to know how to set goals for language learning. If your desire is rooted in self-improvement rather than a professional or academic need, it may seem logical to learn at your own pace and in a manner that suits you.
That may be true, but only to an extent.
Dabbling in something is okay, but failing to make tangible progress can also be discouraging.
The human brain is interesting. It takes time to make forge connections to learn and absorb new information. However, once those channels are established it is easier for the brain to take on even more information.
If you believe that your lack of focus is due to the language being too difficult, it can keep you from trying and even give you reasons for abandoning your lessons altogether.
Instead, find out how to set language learning goals so that you approach your study differently from the beginning. Furthermore, watch out for these common excuses which are not helpful for language learning:
- I won’t ever use this language
- No one from around here speaks it anyway
- I have other priorities
- There are other subjects to learn besides languages
- Why bother? Everyone overseas already speaks English
Ask yourself what are your language learning goals and then come up with a plan.
Step One: Define the Target
Knowing exactly what you want to do includes asking what is the ultimate goal of learning.
For instance, you could be entertaining the idea of learning Mandarin Chinese. Knowing that you want to learn Mandarin instead of Cantonese is already a good first step.
Next, establish your purpose for learning. You may want to understand Chinese movies without the need to read subtitles. Or, perhaps you want to plan a trip to Shanghai or Fashion Week.
Knowing how to set language learning goals includes giving yourself a time frame to reach certain milestones.
Setting your objectives will help you to avoid procrastination which is one of the greatest hurdles for not meeting goals for learning a new language.
What is the ultimate goal of learning? Be precise about why you are doing it as well as how you intend to get there.
You could learn English online here.
Step Two: Break It Down
What are your language learning goals?
Once you have answered what you want to learn and set your time frame for doing so, you’ll be able to drill into the finer details of how to achieve your objectives.
Ask yourself which skills are most important to you. For example, if you are hoping to spend a week in Shanghai or want to understand Chinese films, you may want to focus on vocabulary instead of pouring over grammar.
In the same way, you may want to emphasise honing your listening and speaking skills over developing your writing and reading.
Once you are on the road, you may find that conversational Mandarin is not enough to entice your interest. In that case, adjust your goals for learning a new language to include reading and writing.
Knowing how to set goals for language learning requires that you are very cognisant about time.
For instance, you could aim to log into your language learning app twice per week for one-hour study sessions.
You could also consider a tutor like those found on the Superprof website and learn face-to-face or online with a private tutor.
Tip: break your goals into small achievable segments that fit into your overall chosen time frame.
When you meet a tutor they will ask two questions:
- What are your language learning goals?
- What is the ultimate goal of learning?
Make sure that you can answer these questions.
Find out more about how to set language learning goals here.
Step Three: Write it Down
If you are one of those self-motivated individuals who need very little prodding, well done, you deserve congratulations.
For most people however, sticking to a plan that only exists in the mind is quite difficult.
So, if you are wondering how to set language learning goals, grab a pen because when you commit your dreams to paper, you are more likely to succeed. Bizarrely, writing things down by hand has proven to have more success than typing them digitally.
If you want to plaster your kitchen with post it notes go ahead, but a more effective way for setting goals for learning a new language is to draw up a simple flow chart that outlines how you intend to reach your goals.
Writing down goals and then revisiting them regularly is one of the best ways for how to set goals for language learning. Furthermore, write them in the finest detail and be diligent in taking every step you need towards achieving them.
For instance, don’t just write “English lessons” or “Study Mandarin” on your calendar as it will not be enough to motivate you. Rather, be specific. For example, “learn basic greetings” or “learn how to count” will make a huge difference.
Once you have a roadmap and the specific steps you intend to take to reach your destination, you will be able to look back and marvel at how far you came.
Are you finding it easier to answer that question: what is the ultimate goal of learning yet?
Don’t miss our article on how to create smart goals.
Step Four: Get Started!
For some folks, the mere decision to learn a foreign language is enough, but this vague goal does not mean that it will ever happen.
The best way to maintain the momentum that is required to truly grasp a second language is to set your goals in small realistic segments, be intentional about them, and then set out to achieve them with regular practice.
So instead of saying that you will learn another language someday, why not start immediately. Sounds good, but how would you do that?
Begin by searching for language courses in your area. If there aren’t any, consider online lessons like those found on Superprof.
Having a private tutor, especially when learning a foreign language is by the far the most effective way to learn, however don’t write off additional help to supplement your lessons.
Download the best language apps and ask your tutor for the best free resources online to help you practice in between tutoring sessions.
Also ask your tutor for a list of appropriate books or podcasts and set out to find these online or through your local library.
In short, be constantly on the lookout for creative add-ons that will give you exposure to the language you have chosen to study.
Besides books and podcasts, there are films, radio, Instagram accounts and YouTube channels that could supplement your language studies.
Who knows, you could find a social group in your city that gets together to practice your language of choice. If not, you could always find a language buddy with whom to communicate. If you want to learn English, they may want to learn your language. This kind of reciprocity is a good way to keep learning.
Step Five: Never Give Up
Inevitably, you will reach the point of what may seem like stagnation. You may feel like don’t have the skills to be making notable gains.
Once you have reached your goals, remember to make new ones and continue to learn. If you are spinning your wheels with no results, you could think about changing up your study habits or even taking a more advanced course. Remember that learning any language is something that should take a lifetime to master. Fluency is one thing, but there is always room for improvement and new vocabulary to learn.
Deciding to learn a new language means that you need innate curiosity and an awareness that the world is not just monolingual.
Finally, learning a new language should be like an adventure. Enjoy the discoveries and thirst for the knowledge it will take to reach your goals.
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