Starting to learn a new language at any point in life can come with its challenges, that's not a secret! However there are little things we can do to make the process easier and make our goals more attainable.
It is important to have a clear idea of what you are hoping to achieve. For everyone the goal is different. Maybe you want to get that new promotion, or maybe it's a new job or career all together. Maybe you want to travel and engage with the locals, or maybe you want to advance yourself academically and study aboard or guarantee yourself a greater education!
Regardless, there always needs to be a plan, and that's where SMART goals come in!
S.M.A.R.T. goals are defined by five key elements:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time Based
Using these strategies will allow you to learn to the best of your ability!
So let's dive in a little deeper and look at all 5!
(Defintion) - clearly defined or identified.
When diving into a new language, break down your goals and what your hoping to accomplish. This will help keep you motivated but will also allow you to celebrate your accomplishments and allow you to move on to new goals in your language journey!
Examples:
"I really want to learn the past and future tense so I can form sentences correctly."
"I want to learn the basics first."
"I want to master Business English for my job."
(Definition) - able to be measured.
Measurable goals are goals you can evaluate yourself on. Or if your taking numbers into consideration it could also be how much you study, a time frame for studying or a time length for classes. Evaluating yourself could also be reviewing what you learned throughout the week to see if you have reached your "specific" goals.
Examples:
"I want to do classes 3 times a week"
"This week I will study Monday through Friday for 1 hour"
"Every Friday I will do a review of everything I learnt during the week to see how I did."
(Definition) - able to be brought about or reached successfully.
For something to be achievable is also has to be attainable. And the only way for this to happen is to have realistic goals for yourself. Setting the bar to high for yourself or having expectations that are far out of your range will only affect your learning, as well as your self esteem in a negative way. Be aware of your level and your abilities, small goals are just as rewarding! Rome wasn't build in a day!
Examples:
"This week I will learn 5 new sentences".
"This week I will learn as many new verbs as I can."
"I want to have a 10 minute conversation with a native speaker this week, there are a few at my company!"
(Definition) - having or showing a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.
Achievable and realistic come hand in hand as I mentioned in the previous section! Be realistic about your goals and your learning abilities and you'll do great! Don't put to much pressure on yourself and go at your own pace. Rushing will only have a negative impact on your learning! We all grow at different speeds and there will always be someone available to help you!
Examples:
"I would like to write an email for my job in English without using the translator."
"I think I need 1 extra class a week."
"I will do 4 classes a week for 1 month and see how I am doing."
(Definition) - done or occurring at a favourable or useful time.
The final element of SMART goals is time based. Setting a timeline for yourself to achieve your goal(s) will allow you to hold yourself accountable. Perhaps you realize you didn't stick to your timeline and because of that you didn't reach your goal. Or on the otherhand maybe you stuck with your timeline and reached your goals and then some! Having a timeline will help you stay on course and keep you motivated.
Examples:
"This week I will do 4 classes in the evening."
"I want to dedicate 3 months to learning."
"I want to give a speech at my end of the month meeting in English so I will do a class everyday for the next 2 weeks."
There you have it, all 5 elements of SMART goals! So, what are some of your goals??
I hope these tips help you! Within Oxinity we are always trying to find new ways to improve our students' learning!
We encourage you to try the modal of online English classes by videoconference. If you think you know them because you've already taken classes on Skype and Zoom, you haven't tried anything yet. The ones we offer you have built-in big data technology to detect your knowledge gaps and go directly to fill them with the content you need.
Try a FREE ONLINE TRIAL CLASS that will change the concept of English classes forever.
Here are some other blogs I have wrote that may also help during your learning process!
English is Global! Take advantage of the opportunities offered by knowing English!
Learning English can be easy at any age! - Use your environment to help!
Learning English Through Music!
How To Create An At Home Learning Space. 7 Tips For Successful Online Learning
5 Fun Tips for Learning English at Home