Language Learning Goal Setting Tips
We've created a series of language learning
goal-setting tips for your 2024 classes
Set the goals that will help you the most for what you need English for and the steps of how you will get there.
For example:
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Overall goal: To be able to follow a recipe in English
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Steps to achieve it:
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Learn numbers 1-500 to help with quantities.
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Learn the vocabulary for the food groups I want to cook with
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Learn the most common cooking verbs.
Break your
goals down
#1
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Challenge yourself but not too much
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Rather than – ‘I want to be at B2 level in 6 months time’
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Research how much time/how many hours it will realistically take to achieve this with the hours of study you have.
Break down the 4 skills and level descriptors and match these to your study materials and the time you have, to get your realistic end goal
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Be
realistic
#2
Writing your goals in a pad or journal means you can:
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Check in on them as frequently as needed
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Check them off if you have completed something!
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Edit the timescale if you’re struggle to meet your deadline – so you can set a new timeframe and not lose motivation.
A study by Forbes found that people who vividly describe their goals in written form are 1.2 or 1.4 more likely to be successful than those who don’t.
Write your
goals down
#3
If you’ve hit a bit of a wall but don’t want to lose progress – why not take a ‘sort of’ break by trying an English fiction book. Classics, or books for middle school students or ‘young adults’ can be less technically difficult but just as enjoyable for adult readers.
Some of these include:
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The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
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The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
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The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Take a sort-of
study break
#4
Whether you’re taking English classes or learning through a self-guided course – taking in an bit of extra practice could make a big difference to your learning – even if it’s only 10 minutes a day.
For example, on the British Council website they break the skills down and offer extra activities for each skill and level – for example, practice your listening by listening to a conversation at a chemist or an introduction to a lecture.
Or why not try listening to 3 English podcast episodes a week? There’s a goal right there!
Do your own
practice
#5
Some people prefer to study solo – but if you have someone with similar goals or even the same goals as you, working together and checking in on each other can be excellent motivation.
It doesn’t have to be time consuming if you don’t always have time to meet up in person – why not send your study partner a voice note in English telling them about your day and ask them to do the same?
You can also measure your progress with a partner which is very important!
Find a study
partner
#6
Some people prefer to study solo – but if you have someone with similar goals or even the same goals as you, working together and checking in on each other can be excellent motivation.
It doesn’t have to be time consuming if you don’t always have time to meet up in person – why not send your study partner a voice note in English telling them about your day and ask them to do the same?
You can also measure your progress with a partner which is very important!
Visualize what you want to achieve
#7
For additional resources, click here.