Why You’re Failing at Learning a Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language can be a frustrating feat for anyone. There are many factors that contribute to the difficult learning process. Many of us struggle with commitment, time, resources, or even having a partner to practice with. I have faced each of these thresholds during my language learning journey and I’ve learned an important nugget along the way:

If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail.

Ask yourself this one question while you’re reading this:Why am I actually learning this language?Your response will actually be the leading force in your momentum to learn. Language planning is a key strategy in the learning process. This may look like setting short term goals. For instance, you may want to move from an A1 to a A2 on the CEFR scale within six months. Planning may look like arranging a daily time for studying vocabulary or watching media in the target language. Creating a plan will ensure that steps are being thought out. However, it is our momentum that will keep us along the path.

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Setting the Stage:

There are 24 hours in one day. Each of us are allotted 24 precious hours to do as we please. As each of our responsibilities differ, the way that we cash in these hours may look different. When I finally realized that my language progression depended solely on me and the time that I allocated to it, I decided that it was time for a change.

Let’s set the stage. Studying a language for a minor sounded like an excellent idea in my head. Getting a cool sense of expertise in a foreign language with the possibility of gaining some resume points...Who wouldn’t bite? I began studying Arabic my freshman year of college. I took the class on a whim and actually began to enjoy learning about the language, culture, and history. However, this interest did not transfer into devotedly studying after class. The motivation behind my vocabulary input was based on attaining a good grade, not on becoming mastered in the language. I would say that this mindset delayed the early years of my learning progression. It wasn’t until sophomore year that I realized that without a thorough plan for learning, I was doing myself a huge disservice. I then developed the blueprint for my own successful learning strategy.

Why you Need a Language Study Plan:

If you're planning to succeed, a study plan may be what you need to stay on track. Here are a few reasons why you should start a schedule ASAP!

1. To Have Consistency

A plan can create consistency. It’s easy to say that you’ll study when you have time, but what does that actually mean? 24 hours account for all the things that we prioritize and actually make time for. The longer that we allow our excuse for not having time to hamper us, the more we delay our success. Let consistency propel you towards your goal. With a language plan, you’re putting the pedal to the metal and revving the gas for a smooth learning experience.

2. For Measurable Goals

We all learn foreign languages for different reasons. One may be interested in traveling while another is hoping to delve into ancient texts. While the reasoning may differ, there’s something that we all should agree on: Ultimately, the way that we study should fit our goals. Having an individualized study plan allows for navigable goals and creates focus on beneficial learning activities.

3. To Spend More Time Actually Studying, Not Planning to Study

Who hasn’t fallen subject to the dreadful monster called procrastination? It hunts you down and consumes you whole if you allow it to. And even worse, in language learning, this monster can throw you off track and halt your progression altogether. You need a language study plan in order to spend more time studying, and not planning to study. Languages are complex systems that require attention in the four important fields of listening, speaking, writing, and reading. A constant compilation of these activities are guaranteed to hone your expertise in a language. By creating a routine, you’ll know exactly what activities to focus on for the day.

It's quite easy to say that you'll study a language and never actually get to it. In a survey published by language learning platform Busuu, we can see how fellow language learners conduct their study time with the Busuu application. From the data, we can observe that many learners don't have an organized study plan.

How I’ve planned:

The very first study plan I made was during my sophomore year. After my huge revelation about the importance of intentional planning, I made the following regimen:

I took the Winter Break of 2018 to intensely study. Since I couldn’t go abroad, home immersion was necessary. The regimen consisted of tackling the four areas of learning a language. The priorities of my strategy consisted of:

Scheduling Each Activity

I decided to set a time for a specific learning activity each day. The duration of the exercise depended on what I chose to learn. On Mondays, I scheduled an allotted time for vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. This chunk of learning would take at least two hours to complete. On the other hand, learning a song on Tuesdays would take only thirty minutes. The most important thing was to ensure daily contact with my target language and switching up my approach guaranteed that I would never be bored. The beauty of the 21st century is that we live in an accessible world. Our ancestors could have only dreamed about the instant ability we have to unlock knowledge. With that being said, schedule your activities with simplicity in mind and with a disposition for fun learning. Being in charge of your own schedule guarantees one thing—that the world is indeed your classroom.

Assessing Priorities and Goals

I began this plan at an A1 Beginner level within the CEFR scale. I was able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions, introduce myself, and interact in a simple way. The goal was to ascend to a level A2 within the next three months of constant and attentive studying. The first month (illustrated in the figure) was intensive in order to build up momentum and establish a firmer foundation in grammar. After that, I focused on obtaining more vocabulary, and using that new knowledge to my advantage. Another goal was to increase my confidence in communicating with native speakers. Although I had a wide array of Arabic speakers around me, I allowed the fear of failure to subdue me. Since my goal was to grow in speaking, I focused incredibly on pronunciation and sentence mining. Before my success in these areas could be attained, I needed to first know where I stood in comparison to my goals.

Putting it on Paper

Humans are said to be creatures of habit. Once a routine is set in motion, we typically follow it with little to no variation. Although studies suggest that it may take over 21 days to form a habit, habits are said to be a large part of the human complex. By putting a goal on paper, we can choose to make the intentional commitment to follow through. Whether your schedule is digitally sketched or written by hand, the overall effect of following the schedule can lead to establishing a habit. And hey—a successful language learning habit isn’t one that you’ll want to break.

Creating an Evaluation Plan

You’ve created the plan. You’ve done the work. Now what?

The idea of an evaluation plan goes beyond the black & white scope of success and failure. It aims to prove how effectively you are learning a language. Perhaps you focused too little on auditory learning when that was suppose to be an area of growth. The evaluation plan will give us a pat on the back and tell us to kick it into high gear if we need it. However, it will never be a report of complete failure and inefficiency.

I evaluated myself by taking a proficiency test, using the Quizlet test feature for vocabulary, speaking with native speakers, and retaking the comprehension activities that I completed before.

In whatever method of evaluation that you choose, make sure that the process is measurable. An awesome way to do so is by using online tutors. Sites like Italki specialize in connecting eager language learners to willing teachers all across the world. If you don’t have the advantage of having a local language partner, try connecting online to receive helpful feedback that is catered to your language goals.

What Not to do While Planning:

Now that we’ve established some good plan guidelines, let’s go over the no-nos.

Don’t Be Over Ambitious

Burnout is not the goal here. If you’re willing to sacrifice your favorite nightly TV show for grammar review, then so be it. But be honest with yourself when constructing a plan. The aim is to create a challenge, not an impossible feat. A good study plan is sustainable because it encourages its follower to continue. Who’d want to do something if the results are minimal and the effort is strenuous? Count me out!

Don’t Take Vacations, Take Breaks

Skipping a day of intense studying is not the end of the world. On the contrary, I recommend a day off from the books. However, this does not mean a complete leave of absence from the world of immersion. When a break is needed, double up on the passive learning. Listen to music in the target language while driving, watch an interesting series, or even the news. A complete vacation from studying your target language can have adverse effects. Do you really want to relearn conjugations?

Don’t Let Comparison Cramp Your Style

I’ve done it. I’ve watched YouTube videos about how people have become fluent in one year. Although fluency can be a subjective concept, I psyched myself into believing that I was a failure in my language journey. After three years of learning, I told myself that I should at least be a C1, not a B1. However, I forgot that my process was indeed unique to me and catered to my personal goals, learning style, and ability.

Remember that your language process is literally one in a billion. No one will be learning the same exact words in the array that you are. No one will be making the same connections to words in their target language and mother tongue like you are. Lastly, no one will have your exact same process and experience. Therefore, don’t let comparison cramp your style.