Building Your Language Habit

with Kerstin from www.fluentlanguage.co.uk


The ultimate goal in language learning is never about reaching a magical point where you
have finished language learning. The finish line doesn’t exist. Instead, you will reach ever higher
levels of comfort in your target language and you’ll be able to achieve higher levels of language
skill than you ever thought possible.

It’s impossible to invent a perfect language learning method. But when we learn how to be
good and effective learners, we benefit in the same ways.

The biggest difference between people who speak 20 languages and those who failed to
learn just the one is not in their intelligence, money, natural born talent. It is much simpler than
that: Successful language learners don’t give up. 

They have developed the Language Habit. They set effective goals, create a routine for their
studies, and confidently work towards their vision of fluency. Here is a guide to the Language
Habit method, a habit-based practice for language learning.

Start with the right goals

There are two types of goals you need for language learning:

VISION GOALS PATH GOALS

• capturing the real reason that you • giving you a clear process of what
are learning a languages exactly you should do when your study
time comes

• Not designed to be measurable, • These goals serve you because

because they express your dreams and they are specific, measurable, achievable,
aspirations realistic, and time-bound

• What matters is that these goals • Based on what you can do know,
make you excited to learn your language and what you want to learn next.

• Use your path goals as simple "next steps" so you spend zero time deciding what
matters
• The four core skills are listening, speaking, reading and writing. Structure your path
goals around improving in each one, and you're guaranteed to succeed

BUILDING YOUR LANGUAGE HABIT 1

• Discover your core skills profile and get tips for improving each core skill in Fluency
Made Achievable

Track What You Do

When you have set your goals, the next step is in tracking. When you find smart ways to
track, it will enhance all the work you’re doing and become one of the greatest motivators
out there.

In the Language Habit Toolkit, learners have access to two tracking templates that capture
simple ways to check in every day.

1) The Language Habit Tracker, where the learner checks in every day and simply notes
if there has been a little or a lot of interaction with the target language. This is
addictive, fast, and fun, and allows learners to build a streak to stay motivated.
2) The Study Tracker, where they write down time and duration of their studies, which
core skill they trained, and what resource was used.

The key is to make tracking fast. Use no more than 5% of your study time for this check-
in. Learn more about tracking examples and real learner’s routines on the Fluent blog

Review What You Did

At regular intervals, build in a review process where you can check in with yourself and
examine what worked, and what could be improved.

The first purpose of this process is to celebrate how much you have done. The second
purpose is to look back on when things were working best. See if you can reproduce the
conditions for success.

If there is a goal that you were unable to reach, then check whether there’s
something that can be changed about the goal.

Building a language learning habit is not going to stop or

hinder your progress towards fluency. It’s meant to help you
learn a language and stay strong every day, make the most of
your memory, and become the most confident learner.

When you understand how to build your own personal language habit, you can become
someone who is fluent for life, and will speak many languages even at an old age.

BUILDING YOUR LANGUAGE HABIT 2

 In this system, you don’t need immersion courses and secret methods. You can create a
language learning routine that fits your life and guides you towards your vision of fluency

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick tour of the Language Habit, and that it will help you speak
another language and enjoy a life of knowledge, curiosity, and travel.

Kerstin
Learn more at www.fluentlanguage.co.uk |
Build your language routine with the Language Habit Toolkit

@fluentlanguage | Kerstin_fluent

BUILDING YOUR LANGUAGE HABIT 3