I must confess!

I’ve been guilty of skipping my language learning sessions.

Rather than grab my French book and do something that would help me to keep my French up, I would waste my time scrolling my facebook home page – and eat loads of gelato, meanwhile!

But…

As a recovering social media addict and a developing self-disciplined individual, I’ve learned to sort myself out.

Here are my 6 tips to make your language learning routine stick:

1. Make it a ritual

A ritual is an activity that you perform in a specific place, at a specific time, using specific materials or resources that help you to carry out that activity effectively.  If you want to make your language learning a ritual, then ensure you all these things have been decided: when it’s happening, where it’s happening, which tools and materials you’ll need to make it happen. Write these things down and then perform your new language learning ritual daily until your brain will get into a routine. Getting into a routine will help you to stick to your language learning religiously. Just like a solemn ritual.

2.Make it easy

The first step of any activity that you decide to undertake must be easy in order to help you to perform it regularly. If you want to stick to your yoga practice in the morning, put you matt on the floor already in the evening. If you want to go to the gym regularly, go  straight after work (avoiding going home first.). And if you want to stick to your language learning routine, lay out your designated study area (because you have a designated study area, right?) with the resources you need to use and ensure they are always there to remind you :”Hey, mate! It’s learning time!”.

3.Keep it short and sweet

Alex Rawling, in his book “How to Speak any language fluently”, advises to have several short language learning sessions during the day, rather than one long session. This is much more effective because by revisiting the language more than once during your day, you’ll be more likely to retain the information you learn. So, do keep your language learning session short and sweet.

4.Reward yourself

Our brain loves rewards. Rewards help you to stay motivated and create happy association in your brain. For example: for me, finishing reading “La casa de los espiritus” (by Isabel Allende) equals to buy a new book that I’d love to read next. And you? What’s your reward for completing a language learning activity?

5. Tell a friend

…or give them 50 pounds! You can only have them back if you don’t skip you learning session! That’s called accountability!!

6.Remind yourself of your “Why”

This is my favourite strategy. Reminding yourself of why you have chosen to learn Italian, Spanish, French, English or whatever language you are learning, is the number one way to help you get your motivation back. The reason why you started to learn the language you love is super-important because it also represents your final destination or goal.  It’s your North star ! Go and catch it!

And if you feel you need more help with your language learning, I have created a programme that you may find helpful.

It’s called the Personal Learning Programme which is a series of one to one, personalised language learning sessions created just for your that can help you to learn (and speak!) either Italian, Spanish, French or English, especially if standardised classroom programmes and methodologies, lack of time or persistence have been preventing you from learning the language you’ve always desired to learn.

And now, I’d love to hear from you: what’s the number one obstacle that has been preventing you from learning consistently the language you love ?

Let me know in the comments below -I read them all!

See you soon and happy learning,

Ermy***