Learning a new language can be a wonderfully rewarding yet challenging experience. For example, someone who is learning a global language like English can feel excited at the beginning but struggle to stay motivated. If you are on your language learning journey and you’re finding it difficult to stay motivated, this article will give you practical tips on how to keep going.
Set clear and realistic goals
One of the best ways to stay motivated is to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Ask yourself: why do I want to learn English? Do you want to travel, communicate better at work or pass an exam? Your goals will guide you and give you a purpose. From my experience as a teacher, students who have specific goals achieve them faster than those who have no goals.
Make sure your timeline is also realistic. For example, instead of saying, “I want to learn new vocabulary,” say, “I want to learn 50 new words and produce them in speaking this month” or “I want to listen to a podcast episode in English for 5 minutes on my way to work or school every day.” Small, achievable goals will help you feel that you are making progress and stay positive.
If you realised that you set your goals too high, do not give up. Re-think your goals. For example, if learning 50 words in a month is too many, set your goal to 40 words. Once you feel this is more achievable, you can increase the number of words gradually.
learning English instead of studying for many hours once a week. Studying for many hours will not help you retain newly learnt language. Regular practice for shorter periods will help you remember better and build good habits.
Try to study at the same time every day (e.g. half an hour after you wake up). This will make it easier to stay disciplined.
You can also include variety in your routine, for example:
- Monday: Practise speaking
- Tuesday: Listening
- Wednesday: Reading
- Thursday: Writing
Make learning fun
Learning a new language doesn’t have to be boring!
Think of activities you love to do and find ways to enjoy the process. You can watch English movies or TV shows (with subtitles), listen to music or a podcast episode, or play language-learning games. Choosing activities that interest you will help you look forward to practising.
Surround yourself with English
The more you surround yourself with English, the faster you will improve.
Try to include English in your daily life. Change your phone’s language to English, label items in your house with their English names, or read English books and articles. In London, you will find free newspapers like the Metro and the Evening Standard at every Tube station.
Avoid being around people who speak the same first language as you. I find that English learners who hang around and speak in their mother tongue to others are the ones that usually make slower progress in their language learning.
If you are in London, watch documentaries and TV shows, go sightseeing and visit museums, join cookery classes that teach traditional British dishes. Immersing yourself in British culture, for instance, will make the English language come alive and help you to understand it better.
You can also join online forums, social media groups, or communities where people speak English. You can also find people who speak in your local area via apps. Engaging in discussions and interacting with others will make you feel more confident and motivated.
Celebrate your progress
Recognise and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Did you learn a new phrase today? Did you understand a sentence in a film? Did you use an idiom correctly in speaking? Celebrate it! This will make you feel proud and encourage you to keep going.
As well as celebrating, reward yourself for every goal you reach. For example, buy yourself your favourite snack or book a massage. Rewards can make learning more exciting and give you something to look forward to. They also help reinforce positive habits.
Find a language partner or group
Learning with others can be more enjoyable and effective. Language is about communication. Find a language partner to practise speaking with. This could be a friend, family member, or someone you meet online or in person.
At Speak Up London, we have a variety of social programme activities and conversation clubs you could join. This will not only help you to practise and stay motivated but also build friendships and widen your network.
There are also apps like Meetup where you can discover social events happening in your city and get together with new people that share the same interests as you.
It is also better to learn with others rather than alone as you will encourage and motivate each other to keep going.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Making mistakes is a natural part of language learning. Don’t let the fear of being wrong stop you from speaking or writing. Every mistake you make is a chance to learn and improve.
Ask for feedback from teachers or language partners. At Speak Up London, we give our students regular and constructive feedback as this helps them learn faster and boost their confidence.
Remember, no one becomes perfectly fluent and accurate overnight. Even native speakers make mistakes sometimes. The key is communication, not perfection.
Stay positive and patient
Language learning takes time and effort. It’s normal to feel frustrated or stuck sometimes, but don’t give up.
Keep reminding yourself why you started and focus on your progress. Have a visual poster or chart on the wall so that you can see your goals and your progress. This will help you to keep going. Remain positive.
Trust and believe in yourself. Remember, small steps lead to big results over time.
Stay curious
Curiosity is a great motivator. Explore topics that interest you in English. For example, if you love tennis, watch a tennis match with English commentary. If you enjoy cooking, watch cooking shows in English such as The Great British Bake-Off, a classic British show.
Learning through your interests makes the process more enjoyable and keeps you motivated.
Staying motivated while learning a new language like English is not always easy, but with the right strategies, it is possible. Set clear goals, create a routine, make learning fun, surround yourself with English, and practise with others. Celebrate your progress, reward yourself for every goal achieved, learn from your mistakes, be patient and stay positive.
Remember to enjoy the journey of learning a new language. Trust and believe that with consistent effort and motivation, you will achieve your goals and open the door to new and amazing opportunities.
Speak Up London‘s teachers are here to support students every step of the way.
Author: Ebru, a teacher at Speak Up London