One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to learn English is underestimating how long it will take. Everyone says children are natural language learners, but they’re two years old before they even start to form sentences. Learning English is a long-term goal. Be patient with yourself. Staying motivated over months or years is a major challenge, but it’s essential if you want to master English. A huge body of research proves it.
Here are a few tips to keep your motivation high:
Do things in English that you already like doing. If you’re having fun while speaking English, you’ll be less inclined to quit. Follow your passions.
Make English a habit. Build it in to your everyday life. The less you have to think about it, the more likely you are to use English every day. Automatically.
Keep a learning journal. Write down what you’re doing to improve your English, and keep track of milestones like your first movie in English without subtitles, your first meeting in English, or your first date with an English speaker.
Award yourself prizes for accomplishing specific goals. The prizes can be big or small. A new shirt. A candy bar. A trip to London. Your brain is wired to detect which types of activities deliver rewards. If you make English one of those activities, it will automatically motivate you to learn English.
Keep track of the numbers. Our free standardized English test will help you. Take it every 6 months.
