Learning English, just as learning any new language, is an exciting and rewarding journey. As you progress through your learning journey, you may find that it comes with a unique set of challenges and obstacles. Acquiring a new language requires a lot of mental and emotional attention, which can be draining at times. It is important to stay motivated as you learn to maintain a good learning routine and continue a positive relationship with English acquisition. Below, find some tips for motivating yourself and fostering this positive relationship as you learn.
About Motivation
Motivation is the driving force that compels us to take action or work toward a goal. In language learning practices, motivation fuels the learner’s desire to improve. Motivation levels can fluctuate from day to day, depending on a number of other things happening in your life. Many language learners experience lack of motivation, so if you find yourself struggling with it, know you are not alone!
To stay motivated, it’s a good idea to have clear goals in sight, review and change your goals (if needed) on a regular basis, and have some form of evaluation built into your goals to assess progress toward those goals.
There are plenty of resources, modes of thinking, and learning strategies that can help boost your motivation and accelerate your language learning. Read on to learn more.
Tips for Staying Motivated on Your Language-Learning Journey
Schedule your learning time
Setting aside a certain amount of minutes every day to practice the language you are learning is a great strategy to prioritize language learning. By dedicating 10 minutes in the morning before work, for example, to practicing English, you can integrate it into your daily routine. A language practice session can require a lot of motivation to begin, but manageable chunks of practice every day will make learning English a part of your everyday routine. This strategy can also help with tip #2 by giving you a tangible, small goal to complete every day to allow you to achieve your bigger goals eventually.
Set small goals to boost your big goals
One of the things that drives motivation is the need to achieve goals. Keep this in mind as you embark on your language-learning journey, especially as you set goals for yourself. Look at your goals and ask yourself, “What do I need to do every day/week/month/year to achieve this goal eventually?” Then, you can begin to break your big goals down into manageable tasks. When your bigger goals are broken into smaller steps, you will be able to track your progress more logistically while also feeling the mental benefits of achievement, which will help you increase and/or maintain your motivation levels.
Meet and talk with people who are learning the same language
Being in a community or partnership with others who are on the same learning journey as you can bring a lot of benefits to the table. Others learning English may be able to relate to any challenges you have faced. They will also bring a unique perspective to your conversations, and you may be able to help each other reflect on learning progress or challenges. Additionally, sharing your goals for language acquisition with a community or friend can help with accountability; they can help you reflect on your progress as you help them reflect on theirs.
Avoid comparison, except comparing you to you
Everyone is different, especially in the ways they learn languages. Comparison isn’t fair to your own unique journey in learning English. There are so many factors that determine someone’s progress, and their goals may look different than yours. In short, don’t compare your English skills to anyone else’s – focus on your own journey and the progress you are making toward your own goals!
Real practice
One of the ways to boost your self-confidence is to talk to English speakers. This practice helps you develop a more natural accent, improve your listening skills, and learn common phrases and expressions.
If you don't have such people in your environment, you can look for opportunities online. Language exchange platforms, conversation clubs, and mentoring programs are great ways to practice real-life communication. By the way, ENGin is looking for students, so if you haven’t registered yet, you’re more than welcome to join and start practicing!
Celebrate milestones
You may find it useful to keep a record of your progress and successes as you continue to learn English. If you take time every day or week to write down a summary of what you learned, you may find your motivation to keep learning will increase because seeing the notebook filled up with knowledge will be a physical reminder that you are making progress. Additionally, writing these things down will reinforce them in your memory, and having them in a notebook makes it easy to go back and review the things that you have studied previously.
Use a variety of learning routines
As in tip #1, routines are important for maintaining motivation as you learn English. However, it’s also essential to make this routine enjoyable and diverse, which can happen by using a variety of different learning strategies. You may try taking a class, playing language-based apps and games, watching movies, or listening to podcasts that help you practice your skills. You may also try to incorporate your English skills into a hobby you enjoy. It can be helpful to try many different things so that you know what does and does not work for you in your language-learning journey.
Seek feedback when possible
This ties in with tip #3; it is helpful to have ties with some other people you know who are learning English so you can reflect together, and also give and receive feedback. Ask your friends to help you identify areas of strength and weakness in your personal learning journey. Then, talk with them about how you can utilize your strengths and target weak points to continue progressing on toward your goals.
Embrace a positive/growth mindset
Visualizing your end goals will help you to reflect positively on the progress you are making day to day or on your smaller goals. Remember that mistakes are an opportunity to learn and do not represent your failures as an English speaker. Also, try to challenge yourself and then reward yourself when you reach your goals. This will help you establish a positive mindset toward learning English and then reap the motivational rewards.
Make learning enjoyable for YOU
There are many different ways to learn English. As you try different strategies for learning and motivation, remember that everyone’s language-learning journey will look different. You should feel empowered to learn in a way that is productive and enjoyable for you!
Additional Resources
Below are a view podcast and video resources for learning more about how to stay motivated while learning English. Check them out if watching or listening is a better learning modality for you!
Remember, no one was born with perfect English! So, be brave, make mistakes, laugh at them, and keep going. And if you're ever feeling stuck, just imagine yourself confidently ordering coffee in English, nailing a job interview, or finally understanding the lyrics to that one song you've been mumbling for years.
You’ve got this! And if you need extra practice, why not start with ENGin? We’re always looking for students ready for real practice. Sign up, start chatting, and turn your English journey into an adventure!
Learning English has been a challenge for me, but these tips make it feel more manageable. I especially love the idea of celebrating milestones—it’s so important to recognize progress! Play Snake Game online, set high scores, and prove your skills in this fun and addictive challenge!
Great, thanks!