Ready to make the ultimate language study plan for your foreign language dreams? You’ve come to the right place. Here is the most comprehensive study guide to help you achieve your language goals.
Learning a language is a really exciting undertaking with so many opportunities possible. Whether you enjoy the idea of international jobs, overseas traveling ventures or maybe just conversing with a foreigner – speaking another language opens a whole new world. As someone who has been learning French for over 10 years, now a French high school teacher, I understand both the passion and frustration learning a second language can bring!
No doubt, learning another language comes with many challenges. I see too often people quit their language dream due to either a loss of direction, a loss of passion, or a frustration of little improvement.
That’s why this post is going to be the ultimate guide to setting up the best language study plan for success. You are going to learn how to structure your weekly learning, effective studying measures to ensure progress as well as ways to keep the enjoyment and passion alive!
After reading this guide you’ll no doubt have a language study plan which will set you up for success in achieving all your language dreams!
This post is all about creating the ultimate language study plan.
{READ: HOW TO LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE – 7 HELPFUL TIPS}
The Ultimate Language Study Plan – 8 Steps to Success
Things to consider….
It’s important to note, the best language study plan is going to be one that works for you. Everyone has different commitments and a different allowance of time they can commit to their studies. It’s also important to be realistic with your time. If you are a full-time student that works full time, spends your morning doing yoga, practicing piano, and spends your evenings looking after your grandma (cute!), you may not have the time to learn a language. That’s okay! It’s just not the season of life for it. You need to be realistic. Do I have some spare time throughout the week to dedicate to my language studies? Can I remove other things from my time, so that I can make language learning my priority? Only you can answer those questions. Remember: many people fall into the trap of saying “they don’t have time”. Really, what you are saying is “I don’t want to make this a priority”. And that’s okay! But everyone can make time for things that are important to them.
I will say this: learning a language does take effort. In order to really see success, you must dedicate yourself to having a consistent studying routine. Yes, there are some people that do their 5 minutes of Duolingo every day, and they are happy with that. In my opinion, however, you are never going to achieve an actual competent level through duolingo (gasp!). I see duolingo as a great way to dip your toes in and see if you like the language you are learning, or whether you’re enjoying learning a language at all. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a fantastic app for encouraging all people to try learning a language. It’s fun, extremely accessible, and gives people an entry-level of knowledge into the language they may have always desired to learn but didn’t know how or where to begin! That said, when you decide you want more than basic knowledge and want to speak the language, my greatest suggestion is to do more than Duolingo. Yes, you can keep on doing your daily Duolingo if you want to collect your streaks, but this cannot be the only thing you do.
If you are serious about learning a language then you need to decide on how many hours you can commit. Be mindful that you will get as much out of the language as you put in. What I mean is if you are able to commit and put 15 hours a week into your language practice, and stick to it over consecutive weeks or months, you are going to experience a lot more progress and success than someone who’s putting in 4. There are no shortcuts to learning a language. Yes, if you are living in the country of the language you are trying to learn, your progress will most likely be quicker just as you’re surrounded by it. But, for the rest of us living in countries that don’t speak our desired language, it’s going to be up to us to consume as much language as we can.
Languages are big meaty tasks – there is a lot of vocabulary to learn, there’s grammar, and then somehow you have to be able to speak it on the fly and listen to natives – pwah it can be a bit overwhelming how much there is to learn! That is why learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint – be consistent with the hours you choose.
So decide now, are you someone who needs to get a sense of progress to keep the motivation going? I would try to do a high amount of hours each week so that you feel a sense of improvement. Are you someone that can only commit a few hours a week, and is happier for steady but slower progress? You will be looking at the lower end of hours to commit. How many hours you can commit is going to be completely up to you. I think a minimum of 4-5 hours is ideal in order to make sufficient progress.
A reasonable guide is anything from 4-10 hours to commit consistently. Of course, if you’ve got no kids jumping around and you’re working from home and able to put in 15 hours – good for you! You will definitely reap the results from those hours after a consistent weekly study plan.
Summary:
- The best study language plan is going to be one that works for you.
- Be realistic with your time.
- Language learning takes effort – you will get as much out as you put into it.
- Choose anything between 4-10 hours (or more you motivated possum!)
The Ultimate Language Study Plan – Steps to take
Summary of steps:
Step 1: Find your why
Step 2: Audit your time
Step 3: See if you can financially invest
Step 4: Find your resources
Step 5: Allocate your time
Step 6: Schedule in the gritty language learning first
Step 7: Schedule in the fun stuff
Step 8: Schedule in a check-in – and tick off your progress!
Step 1: Find your why
Some of you will probably look at this step, roll your eyes, and be thinking ‘Fleur, seriously?!’ And yes seriously. As a language teacher, I can tell you now, more people quit a language, not because they find it hard (I think this is an excuse) but because they simply lose momentum and don’t want to put the effort in anymore. They feel like they aren’t progressing and don’t stick to it – but guess what, language learning is often a slow burn! Progress may feel slow for a few weeks or even months but then you’ll catch yourself speaking to someone and be thinking ‘hey, I really have improved!’. When the going gets tough, our motivation is low and our brain is whispering in our ears to watch Netflix instead of studying – we must have a way to remind ourselves of our goals. Why is it important to learn a language? Why bother in the first place? It takes effort, so there must be some beautiful carrot of motivation to make you run on the hamster wheel for it!
Are you wanting to be able to converse with a friend or loved one? Wanting to improve your memory and mind? Have a dream to travel to a country where it’s spoken? Decide on your reason and write it down! Say it aloud. Tell your friends, your dog, and your grandma! If you can, make it visual. For instance, my laptop desktop picture is full of France pictures. This means every time I log onto my laptop I am reminded of my goals. Perhaps you print them out and stick them on your toilet door or your mirror. Find a way to keep you motivated.
Step 2: Audit your time
We’ve already had our heart-to-heart about making language a priority, so all I’m going to say here is – look at your calendar and identify when you have time for language study. I would recommend at least one morning (as studies show this is when our brains are the most efficient at making decisions, and when we are least susceptible to procrastinating). Remember to identify your priorities. Can you switch your weekly Saturday morning grocery shopping to the afternoon so that you can use that time to study your language? Make switches accordingly, and feel confident with the time you have allocated to your language study and your ability to commit to it.
Step 3: See if you can financially invest
I don’t completely resign with the idea that everyone must invest financially in order to achieve their language goals. Some are motivated bunnies that are completely fine to achieve their goals on their own (power to you!). That said, it can just be a fun way to mix your language learning up. Keep it spicy, and even better – keep you accountable. I’m not saying you have to invest in a private tutor (although tutors are always a really worthwhile investment if you can!). There are plenty of ways to invest your money that will add to your language studies. Is there a language class you can attend weekly? Is there a conversational group you can join monthly to just practice speaking? If you are to invest any money, ideally it is going to be towards something with people that gets you to speak. Speaking in the target language is often the skill set that students find most daunting. It can be difficult and frustrating at first, especially when you are accustomed to speaking at a natural rate in your first language with ease. But guess what! The only way to get better is to practice. Ideally, you will have someone to practice with. I’m no financial advisor, but if you have any spare cash, my suggestion is to find some way to join a class and someone to talk with. This is a great way to progress your language, and remember speaking can be fun!!
Step 4: Find your resources
Good resources are crucial to your success. In order to learn a language you need good systems in place and good resources to guide you. If you have a private tutor or have signed up for a class, your teacher may recommend some for you. I cannot say for every language what the best resource is but here are some general tips to ensure you have what you need:
- Find one solid grammar resource – My suggestion is to find a highly rated or recommended grammar textbook that is clear enough that you can follow it independently. Ideally, your grammar resource will also have activities with an answer sheet so you can actually practice and apply the concepts.
- Find a place to store vocabulary – Some people love to do it old school and designate a notebook to write in vocabulary. I personally prefer to store vocabulary online so that I can access it from anywhere and at any time. I suggest some kind of flashcard program, (like quizlet, anki or cram) so that you can not only store vocabulary but practice it!
- Find a proficient translation resource – Please, for heaven’s sake, find something other than google Translate!! Don’t get me wrong, google Translate has come a long way and it can be okay for a quick short translation, but it is limited in the amount of information it gives you. Try other resources, like a language dictionary or other online resources like linguee or context-reverso. These resources are more multi-faceted and will account for the different contexts that can take place surrounding the word.
- Find a place to store your language resources – Ideally, you will have a few resources that you use in order to practice the skills of reading, speaking, writing and listening. This list will develop over time, and will hopefully encompass a range of things (we will get more into this in a minute). This list can be stored simply on a word document, in a notebook, on iPhone notes or maybe even notion (if you know what that is). Whichever platform is easiest for you.
- Find resources for the four language skillsets: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Ideally, we want to have a way to practice each of these skills of a language. Your resources are going to be completely based on your language level so choose accordingly.
- Reading – There are many ways to incorporate some reading. You can find some blogs online, or a great way is to find a book to read in your target language! If you are a beginner, find a kid’s book (yay to the fun pictures!). If you’re at an intermediate level, perhaps signing up for an online magazine or online blog might be an appropriate way. Advanced could try reading a novel. The ideal reading resource is something just above your level. A good reading resource is one where you don’t know every word. You should be able to make some meaning from the resource from learned vocabulary and grammar. However, you should also use reading resources to discover new words and expand your knowledge of the language – remember to add new words to your vocabulary list!
- Writing – You could use an online platform to find someone to chat too in the target language, or keep a notebook to write some journal entries to yourself!
- Listening – I believe it’s important to have some passive resources and some active resources. By active resources, I mean actual listening comprehension exercises that test your ability to understand a text. There can be lots of great free resources online to practice your listening. Search on google and hopefully, you will find some websites that offer some (I know there are plenty for French!). Try searching for some activities on websites, but also look for podcasts or even youtube channels that offer listening comprehension. When it comes to passive resources, these are your fun resources where you don’t have to put pressure on yourself to really listen and understand, and rather just enjoy! The more you can surround yourself with the language the better. Find some music in the language, watch some good movies or tv shows with some subtitles, put on the news in the background – there are plenty of ways to have you subconsciously absorb more language day to day.
- Speaking – For most, speaking resources will be the hardest to come by. This is just because ideally, we need another person to speak with. This is also why a conversation class or private tutor can be a great way. Search online for a way to converse or conversely, make some cue cards of questions that you have to speak out loud and answer by yourself!
Step 5: Allocate your time
Where you allocate your time is going to depend on your level. If you are a beginner, you are going to need to spend more time on vocabulary and grammar in order to get the basics of the language. If you are advanced you will probably need to be spending more time practicing the skill sets of reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
Regardless, try to allocate time to each of the following aspects:
Vocabulary learning: X time
Grammar learning: X time
Reading practice: X time
Speaking practice: X time
Writing practice: X time
Step 6: Schedule the gritty language learning first
Identify what your least favourite part of learning a language is, and schedule it in a consistent spot in your calendar. For most people, this is grammar or/and listening. For example, I know I will always have an hour from 9am to 10am on a Saturday morning to dedicate to my language learning. So this will be when I study and practice grammar concepts every week. I know I also will always have half an hour on a Tuesday evening, so that’s when I will ensure I do some active listening practice.
Stop your procrastination in its tracks, and ensure you’ve made some disciplinary decisions as to when you’ll schedule these aspects in. Be realistic with your schedule and consistent with your weekly study session.
Step 7: Schedule in the fun stuff
The parts of the language you enjoy should be scheduled after the tougher stuff because you’ll naturally be more likely to do them! For example, when I’m studying a language I like to try and watch at least an hour of tv in that language. Choose a show or movie that you are interested in watching, chuck on some subtitles (either in your first language or if you can, in the target language), and enjoy! I personally don’t feel the need to schedule a time for this, but rather just make a general goal of 1 hour a week. Other fun things could be a conversation class, a language class or just a friendly meet-up!
Whichever way you do it, don’t just schedule a general time to do ‘language study’. Be specific and clear. If you are not specific in your week when you are going to study grammar, then listening, reading etc. you’ll end up always choosing the easier or more enjoyable option (its just natural for our brains to do so!).
Allocate in your schedule when you will practice each of the above things. And remember they all don’t have to be long! Perhaps you spend an hour on grammar, but only 20 minutes a week on writing to just write a journal entry. The time you allocate in your schedule is completely up to you and your goals.
Step 8: Schedule a check-in – and tick off your progress!
There’s no better feeling when you can visually see the effort you have put into your goals. Find a way to congratulate yourself. Tick a box when you complete a task or buy some gold stars to allocate to your study sessions. It’s important to recognise your efforts and see how far you’ve come over time.
Language Study Plan Examples:
Please note these language study plans are just examples and may not be suited for everyone and their goals. Hopefully, they may provide some more guidance around what a language study plan might look like, but please take them as just an example and make your own in accordance with your schedule and time allowance!
An example of a beginner-level language study plan:
Monday: 1 hour [30 minutes of reading / 30 minutes of making vocabulary lists]
Tuesday: 30 mins [reading grammar notes & exercises]
Wednesday: Watch 1 hour of a French movie or show (no exact time set)
Thursday: 30 minutes (vocabulary revision)
Friday: N/A
Saturday: 1 hour [30 minutes revising vocabulary & grammar, 30 minutes writing 10 sentences using the grammar and/or vocabulary learnt]
Sunday: N/A
Daily: 5 minutes of duolingo
Daily: 10 minutes of listening to French music
Total (excluding daily tasks) = 4 hours
An example of an intermediate-level language study plan:
Monday: 30 mins of reading, 1 hour of grammar, 10 minutes of vocabulary revision
Tuesday: 30 mins of reading, 30 mins of listening comprehension
Wednesday: 30 mins of reading, 1 hour of conversation, 10 minutes of vocabulary revision
Thursday: 30 mins of reading, 30 minutes of listening comprehension
Friday: 2 hours of watching TV show or film in target language
Saturday: 30 minutes of writing in a journal, 10 minutes of vocabulary revision
Sunday: 30 minutes of writing in a journal
Daily: 5 minutes of watching YouTubers in target language
Daily: 10 minutes of listening to French music
Total (excluding daily tasks) = 9.5 hours
What I plan to do at an advanced level as a language study plan:
Monday: N/A
Tuesday: 1 hour [30 minutes listening / 30 minutes reading] 5.50-6.30pm
Wednesday: 2-hour conversation class with alliançe française 6-8pm
Thursday: 30 minutes (vocabulary revision) 7pm to 7.30pm
Friday: N/A
Saturday: 1 hour (reading grammar notes & exercises) 9am to 10am
Saturday or Sunday: Watch 1 hour of a French movie or show (no exact time set)
Sunday: 30 minutes write a French journal entry 7 pm to 7.30pm
Daily: 10 minutes of listening to the French news (while I get ready for work)
Daily: 10 minutes of listening to French music (driving on the way to work)
Total (excluding daily tasks) = 6 hours
Time to study!
Okay. Now you’ve made your language study plan it’s time to actually do the work!! You inspire me already with your drive to achieve your language dreams – go forth and have fun!
This post was all about creating the ultimate language study plan.
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