Starting Off on the Right Foot with Language Learning
hey everyone welcome to the monthly
review the monthly show on language
learning
where you discover new learning
strategies motivational tips
study tools and resources by the way
all the lessons and bonuses you’re about
to see can be downloaded for free on our
website
so click the link in the description
right now to sign up for your free
lifetime account
okay today’s topic is five ways to make
sure you start on the right foot with
language learning
ever wondered if you’re on the right
path with your language learning or if
you’re studying the right things and
taking the right steps
well today you’ll learn how to start on
the right foot with your language
learning journey
we’ll talk about one why you must know
your reason for learning the language
two how to set fail-proof goals and
rewards
three how to match your daily routine to
your learning so that you don’t struggle
with the actual learning
four why you need anchor points for
long-term motivation
and five how to improve faster with
ongoing assessment
[Music]
but first listen up here are this
month’s new lessons and resources first
the connecting thoughts conversation
cheat sheet do you know how to connect
ideas in your target language
with this cheat sheet you’ll learn the
sentence structure x
but y plus must know adverbs for
connecting ideas so download it for free
right now
second the how to stay motivated with
language learning ebook
if you want to know some secrets and
tricks to staying motivated so that you
can stay consistent with your language
journey and finally become fluent
you’ll want this ebook download it right
now
third can you talk about herbs and
spices in your target language
learn how to say garlic ginger pepper
and much more with this quick vocabulary
bonus
fourth twenty must know hygiene words
if you’re learning the language but
don’t know how to say toilet paper
soap or toothpaste then you’ll
definitely need this one minute vocab
lesson
fifth do you know how to talk about the
weather in your target language
if you don’t access this one minute
lesson to learn 40 weather-related words
and phrases
if you want to learn these words fast
use the free audio slideshow tool
inside the lesson to get your free
resources click the link in the
description
below right now they’re yours to keep
forever okay
let’s jump into today’s topic
how to start off on the right foot with
your language learning journey
there are five things you as a language
learner need to address if you want to
start off on the right foot
here they are one your reason for
learning
two your goal and reward three
matching your routine to your medium
four
anchor points and five assessments
if you get these squared away in your
first month you’ll be set up to succeed
with any language goal you set
and today we’ll walk you through each
point
the first one your reason for learning
why are you learning the language
so why is thinking about your why so
important
here’s an example think back to when you
were a kid
and you were trying to save money what
was the first thing you wanted to buy
and how much did it cost you probably
still remember what it was
and how much it cost and because you
knew the specific price
you were able to save up for it if not
at the very least
you made more progress than if you just
said i want to save money
with no specific purpose in mind and
that’s the thing
if you know precisely why you’re doing
something it’s easy to tie a goal to it
and there are all kinds of reasons to
learn a language there’s travel
family friends love or maybe you’re
living in a country that speaks it
so knowing your reason clarifies your
mission and gives you motivation from
the start
now some reasons are stronger than
others for example
living in a country that speaks the
language is a powerful reason
you need it for survival if your reason
for learning is something simpler like i
just want to watch tv in that language
it’s not exactly something you need to
survive
does it matter whether you have a strong
reason or not not necessarily
strong reasons help with motivation
initially but people with strong reasons
can
and do fail and people with weak reasons
succeed
it’s all up to the individual but the
point is
you need to know why you’re doing this
and that’s enough for you to take the
first step
the second point goals and rewards once
you’ve clarified your reason
it’s time to set your goals if you want
to succeed
your goal can’t just be i want to be
fluent one day
why because this tells you nothing about
how you’ll achieve it or
when you’ll reach fluency it’s too vague
your goal needs to be small measurable
realistic and have a deadline
so you can clearly see the steps you
need to take to reach your goal
instead of saying i want to be fluent
one day which you can’t measure
and can’t precisely determine aim for
for example
30 words or one minute of conversation
you can measure these goals
if you have a deadline like by next
month you know your time frame
and unlike a goal like i want to be
fluent a goal like
i want to be able to talk for one minute
is much more realistic
now what about rewards now that you’ve
set a goal you need to tie
rewards to your goal why rewards
shouldn’t you work hard first and worry
about rewards later
because rewards are powerful motivators
you should be working hard
but hard work often is not fun and you
need something to push you through
when you come home after a long day of
work on a rainy day
soaking wet the last thing you want to
do is open a book and start studying
it’s so much easier to turn on netflix
or something
but having that reward reminds you if i
achieve this then i get that
so defining what’s in it for me what do
i get boosts your motivation
you have something to look forward to
and get you through times when you don’t
feel like doing work
the third point is match your routine to
the study medium
once you have your goals and rewards you
need to fit your language learning
into your current life and daily routine
how
sit down and write out your daily
schedule for every day of the week
for example wake up at 7 a.m breakfast
at 8 a.m
get on the bus at 9 00 am work from 9 30
a.m
lunch at 1 pm and so on do this for
every day of the week
that way you can see where you can fit
in learning for example
if you ride the bus in the morning you
can use that time to listen to our audio
lessons
why do this well language learning is a
brand new routine
if you don’t work from your existing
daily routines it may not work out
for example if you decide to wake up an
hour earlier to study
now you’re adding two new routines
waking up earlier
and learning a language at once one is
hard enough but two makes it even harder
you may not wake up on time you may not
get out of bed you may fall right back
to sleep
the point here is you should piggyback
off of your existing routines
and use a learning medium that matches
your routine
so instead of waking up earlier keep
your daily routine but look for another
way to introduce language learning
write out your daily routine see where
you spend your time and then match your
routine to learn it
if you take walks and listen to music
swap out music for language lessons and
listen along
if you take the bus or train check out
our audio and video lessons
if you usually read in the evenings and
can focus try using a textbook
in all of these examples you’re taking
an existing routine and adding language
learning inside
the fourth point is set anchor points
anchor points are the connections you
make to a language that boosts your
motivation and keep you attached or
anchored to your goal so you don’t slip
away
so what’s an example of an anchor point
for example
if 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
same thing with watching tv shows in the
target language you’re exposed to it
more
so your interest in learning naturally
goes up also
investing in a textbook or learning
program signing up for classes or for a
proficiency test
all of these are anchor points that
connect you back to the language
why do you need anchor points oftentimes
your initial reason for learning the
language
isn’t as motivating as it used to be
maybe you were motivated in month one
but not in month
five that’s why people with strong
reasons might fail
so an anchor point gives you another
reason to keep going and boost your
motivation
and also oftentimes the reason we start
isn’t the same as the reason we continue
anchor points are not something you need
to worry about in your first month of
learning
but adding them in the second month and
afterward will help you keep going
can you think of any anchor points you
can add leave a comment
finally the fifth point is you need
assessment
now that you have goals rewards routine
and anchor points
it’s not enough to learn a language
alone in a vacuum you need
feedback and course correction from a
native speaker
with our learning program you can learn
with your very own teacher
you can also leave comments on lessons
and get answers from the others
or you can find a tutor of your own
someone that will assess your progress
and correct you as needed
so let’s recap there are five things you
as a language learner
need to address if you want to start off
on the right foot
one clarify your reason for learning
two set goals and rewards three
match your routine with your study
medium
four set anchor points and five get
ongoing assessment
so thank you for watching this episode
of monthly review
next time we’ll talk about how to deal
with missed language goals and failure
if you enjoyed these tips hit the like
button share the video with anyone who’s
trying to learn a language and subscribe
to our channel
we release new videos every week and if
you’re ready to finally learn language
the fast fun and easy way and start
speaking from your very first lesson
get our complete learning program sign
up for your free lifetime account right
now
click the link in the description see
you next time bye