Preparing to learn

Start with the end goal.

The CEFR is the de facto measuring stick for language competence. If you use it, make sure to understand what their levels actually mean. If you don’t, search for other references to lean on or create your own.

If your goal is fluency, define for yourself what it actually means.¹ Don’t forget that, one way or another, your end goal needs to be connected with your purpose. Find out what’s important for you, you don’t need to acquire a native-like accent just because everybody on the Internet says so.

Now estimate how long can take you to get there. Then you can go about it in 2 ways:

• If you have a deadline, calculate how much time you need per week to get there.
• If you don’t, start with how much time you can commit each week, and derive a timeline or deadline from there.

You can create a deadline for yourself even if you don’t have any external pressure, but again: think about the minimum that you’ll settle for, not just “what you want”.

A deadline will make you more aware of how long does it take to learn a language, and where your time is going.

At this point, you should have a purpose, a well-articulated end goal, and a rough timeline.

Now you can start breaking that down into more manageable points.

Goals

One way to do it is with SMART goals, you probably have heard of them. SMART goals are outcome-driven, and they are quite popular in companies.²

A SMART goal for example can be “pass the A2 exam in six months” or “use only foreign language at restaurants and grocery stores before the end of the year”.

However, they are not always the best fit for a long-term learning project, especially if you don’t feel very motivated or energized. In that case, there is another acronym that might come in handy: PACT.

PACT goals are habit-based instead of outcome-based. A PACT goal can be as simple as “learn 10 new words each day” or “study 1 hour every night”, for instance.

You can, of course, mix them as you wish in support of your end goal and purpose, as you can change them if you realize they stop making sense.

Either way, don’t obsess much over them. Reaching or not reaching your goals is not going to have any effect whatsoever on your language. They are a motivational and a planning tool, something to give you direction.

If you fail at reaching them, just move on. If you fail consistently, reflect on what is going on and take it from there: aren’t they meaningful anymore? Are you putting in less time than initially expected? Are you putting in the time but not getting results?

A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.

—Bruce Lee

Therein lies the true value of personal goals: something to help you detect when you drift, and correct course .

Habits

If purpose represents the destination and goals make the itinerary, then habits are your means of transportation: your old banged up car.

Habit formation involves 3 components: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The job of the cue is to trigger the routine, the job of the routine is to give you the reward, and the job of the reward is to satisfy your inner self.

For the whole thing to work, you need your cues, routines, and rewards to create and reinforce a positive habit loop.

A cue can be anything that reminds you that it’s time to study (like a simple alarm). The reward again needs to be connected to your purpose. You can reward yourself with cookies if you wish, but if you find yourself in need of disconnected incentives as an excuse for setting up a routine (like a cookie), it might be a sign that something is not right.

Habit formation is a big topic, but these tips will set you on the right path:

• Make it easy for yourself to just get started.
• Make incremental changes, one thing at a time.
• Generally, it’s better to practice/study a little every day than a lot every now and then.
• But make sure to allow you long stretches of time where you can focus deeply and get into “the zone”.
• Study always in the same place, and ideally at the same time.
• If you can’t have a fixed schedule, plan ahead (don’t make excuses).
• If you live with someone else, tell them you will not be available during that time.
• Put your phone away.
• If you use a computer, close all the apps you don’t need. If you use a web-based resource, use a different browser only for language learning without signing into any social accounts.
• Vary your practice in every way you can think of: methods, resources, topics, focus, etc.
• Write a journal.
• Rest between demanding tasks and sleep well.

Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent, and original manner possible.

―Richard Feynmann