I had to adapt a system for learning Vietnamese and the same can be applied to learning English.
Not all language learners respond to the same learning techniques in the same way - we're different, and so are the results we get from using the same learning tools. We all have specific characteristics that determine which learning strategies work for us, and which ones aren't so effective. What we need is a personalized language learning system, so we can start acquiring knowledge efficiently, without losing any more time, energy or money on methods we can't really benefit from.
Do you have such a system in place? If not, here are the five questions that will help you create it in a heartbeat...
What?
First, you choose your target language(s), the one - or more of them - that you'll concentrate on in your near future. Then, you decide what linguistic level you want to reach - how fluent you want to become in speaking, writing, and reading in the language(s) you've selected. The third "what" you need to ask yourself at that point is what learning type are you - visual, auditory, or kinesthetic? Do you remember more if you read something, here it, or experience it (tell a story about it, attend a live event or course, etc.)?
Why?
Once you have the "what" figured out, it's time to focus on the reasons why you plan to master the language(s) you've picked. Do you genuinely want it for yourself, or is it something you need to do as a job requirement or some other sort of an external demand? Look at what motivates you to learn. What's the drive behind your big linguistic mastery goal? If you have trouble with defining your motivating factors, list all the perks you can think of that are directly or indirectly linked to your being masterful at using a foreign language.
When?
The next phase is to sketch a timeline for your language learning process. Chunk this big project of learning one - or more - language(s) into smaller, action-size bites you won't feel intimidated or overwhelmed from. Obviously, you can't go from total beginner to proficient speaker in a week, but you can make huge progress, step-by-step, and you should celebrate every achievement, no matter how small. Also, think about the time of the day you function the best, and could dedicate yourself to learning languages. You're probably very busy, but if you only study when you're tired, and can't really keep your thoughts together anymore, desperately needing rest, you won't be able to get to the results you wished for, at least not within the time frame you've envisioned.
How?
Now, it's the "how" that needs your attention. How will you approach your learning? Will you attend a live group course, book individual tutorials, work through a home-study kit...? Will you go learn your target language abroad, or will you stay at home, and perhaps find a native speaker in your environment or online to practice your foreign language speaking skills with? According to your learning type, choose the methods that will bring you the best outcomes, but beware - you still need to get a well-rounded linguistic knowledge, being able to understand, speak, write, and read in that particular language.
Who with?
Finally, think about the support you'll need to hold you accountable for your progress; help you with pronunciation, expressions you can't find in dictionaries, or grammatical hurdles; and make you speak and write in the foreign language, to then correct the errors you make. You can try to do it all alone, but getting help will propel you forward much faster, polishing your skills much more than any solo attempt could ever do.
Martina Srblin is the Language Learning Magician who will help you discover the language learning system that best fits your needs, skills and schedule, so you can stop wasting time, money and energy on language learning methods that - for you personally - are inefficient. For free resources and to sign up for a FREE report on "7 Key Steps to Smart Language Learning" and a FREE subscription to the Language Learning Magic Ezine, please visit Martina's website http://www.martinasrblin.com.
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