10 ways to stay motivated when you are learning a language

Learning a new language will change your life. However, nothing life changing comes easy. There will be times when you feel like giving up. Don’t worry- that’s totally normal! Just follow these 10 tips to help you stay motivated when things get tough.

1) You don’t have to be alone.

Getting things wrong is the first step to getting things right. Don’t worry about small mistakes. If you wait until you can speak 100% correctly, you’ll never say anything!

2) Remember - mistakes are good!

Erm, I’ve been studying English! General English, Business and IELTS. I have loved all my classes, especially the general English, Now I’m in the C1 general English class and I joined as B2. I’ve really liked it. I think I’ve improved a lot too.

3) Enjoy yourself!

If something is boring, don’t do it! If you want to work on your reading skills, make sure you read something interesting. If you wouldn’t enjoy it in your first language, you’ll hate it in English. Watch a great movie or listen to an audiobook to keep it fresh.

4) Do what works for you

No two language learners are the same. We all learn differently. Pay attention to the way you learn and do whatever works best for you!

5) If you can’t do a lot, do a little.

Some days you might be too busy or just too tired to practice your English. On those days don’t push yourself too hard. Just do something small like practice on an app or do a quick vocabulary review. Many of the exercises on WLES Online are only 5 minutes long! Each little step helps.

6) Focus on your goal

When you find yourself losing motivation, try to think about why you started learning English in the first place. There’s a reason you bought that book or signed up for that class. Focus on that reason. Do you want to get a better job? Visualize it. See yourself in that new job. Think about how you’ll feel when you get there and hold on to that feeling.

7) Track your progress

Sometimes it’s hard to see how much you’ve improved. It can feel like you’re working and working but you can’t see the results. This is natural. The way you learn a language is gradual. You make small steps every day and you don’t realise how far you’ve come. Make sure you keep all your old work. Take a look at something you wrote a few months ago and you’ll really see the difference. Also, check your exam results on WLES Online to really ‘see’ your progress.

8) Congratulate yourself

By learning a language, you are doing something amazing! Be proud of your progress and give yourself a little reward by doing something you really enjoy after each study session.

9) Believe in yourself

Remember- you can do this! If you try your best, keep practising and get help when you need it, you will be successful! It might not be easy, and it will take time, but as long as you don’t give up, you will reach your goal.

10) Write to your future self

Write a letter to the future! Think about your goals and ambitions, not just for English but for life. You will be surprised when you open the letter in the future and see how far you have come. You can write one here: https://www.futureme.org