How to stay motivated when learning English

There is no denying that learning a new language in today’s digitalized world is both useful and essential. Learning a new language opens up many career prospects and opportunities for language learners, as well as offering you a cutting-edge competitive advantage in your job interviews. But for many of us, what starts off as a sudden burst of inspiration to learn English, quickly results in us struggling to stay motivated throughout our studies.

Well, “you may find yourself asking? Author Steven Pressfield defines this as “At some point, the pain of not doing something becomes greater than the pain of doing it.” In other words, our internal desire to accomplish a task such as our homework becomes greater than our desire to procrastinate and leaving it until the last minute.

Maybe you find it difficult to organise your time in order to stay motivated towards reaching your end goal of becoming a confident English speaker? However, all is not lost and there is much to gain, keep reading to find out our useful tips and tricks for maintaining your motivation whilst studying.

1. Stay on task... discipline, discipline discipline

This goes without saying that if you keep picking your phone every 5 minutes or getting distracted in one way or another then your motivation levels will be nearing 0. This is why it is so important to calve out some time for your studies and plan ahead to a schedule that suits you best. For example, if you are someone who works best in short bursts of 30-minute sessions every morning then organise this around your diary. On the other hand, if you prefer a 2 or 3-hour study session once a week then great, plan this into your day. It is also important to not be too disheartened if you do not feel like studying one day, be flexible with your approach but also make up the time if you find that you have skipped a studying day.

As cliché as it sounds, Walt Disney was spot on when he said: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”. Do not let one bad day stop you from achieving your goals. Have a clear vision in mind when you start your English training course – maybe you want to learn to speak English in 6 months or maybe you want to do it at a slower pace over 2 years – that decision is up to you, but it is crucial to have something to work towards in order to keep you motivated and on task.

So put your phone on airplane mode and leave it in another room whilst you are studying, remove all distractions from around you and make sure you are seated in a calm, quiet environment that aids inspiration and creativity to flow.

 2. Take regular breaks

Research from Harvard Health illustrates the importance of ‘moderate-intensity exercise helping to improve our thinking and memory’. Make sure that you don’t stay hunched over your laptop for hours on end whilst studying, you will end up resenting it. It is important to take regular breaks in order to help you stay focused. So, go outside and get your body moving, take yourself on a long walk or for a quick jog around your neighbourhood.

Sometimes a bit of fresh air is all you need to motivate your mindset with a fresh perspective, staying inside for hours on end can lead to cabin-fever and will increase your levels of boredom and procrastination so see your breaks as a method of taking back control over your learning.

 3. Celebrate your small wins

Always give yourself credit where it is due, motivation can be hard to uphold at times so celebrate your little wins because that will encourage you to keep going with your studying. These rewards do not have to be material prizes but instead they can be simple pleasures such as taking yourself on a long nature walk, reading your favourite book or just relaxing watching your favourite film at the end of a long day. Setting yourself a goal for the day and being able to attain that is a fantastic achievement so well done you!

Perhaps, the last point we can leave you with is to have fun, this is a new and exciting journey that you have ahead of you – consider how much you will achieve by the end of your journey.

References: https://jamesclear.com/motivation

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1292&context=theses

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-can-boost-your-memory-and-thinking-skills#:~:text=Exercise%20can%20also%20boost%20memory,or%20contribute%20to%20cognitive%20impairment.

https://www.theintrepidguide.com/motivation-to-learn-a-language/