Let’s talk about goals and language learning. Language learning is a long, gradual process. Consequently, we often feel that we’re not getting anywhere. Many people find goals useful, as they give us something tangible to strive for. Goals can boost motivation and help us prioritize how we spend our time with our target language.
My language learning goals depend on how far I am in my learning. I have seven of them. In addition to this post, I’ll also post one video for each of these seven goals. Check out the playlist to explore these goals in greater detail. I’ll share how to achieve these goals, and how they benefit us as language learners. Let’s get started.
My 7 Goals of Language Learning
Goal 1: Acquire words
My first goal in language learning is to acquire words. This is the easiest goal to measure, and it’s a continuous goal throughout your studies. Acquiring words is so important. At LingQ, we measure your vocabulary growth, allowing you to visualize your progress and quantify your learning. To communicate in another language, you need a robust vocabulary. Communication can continue despite incorrect grammar. Without the right words, however, success is much less likely. The most fundamental goal for a language learner is acquiring words.
Goal 2: Read a lot
The second goal on this inverted pyramid is reading. Reading comprehension is easier to develop than listening comprehension. You’re able to see the words, familiarize yourself with the writing system, and look a little more closely at the language. Through reading, you not only develop stronger comprehension skills, but you also expand your vocabulary!
If you’re using LingQ, you should be looking words up as you read. Your amount of known words will grow. The rate of your vocabulary growth depends on how much you read. With resources like LingQ, reading should feel smoother and less cumbersome.
Goal 3: Listen everywhere
The third goal is building up your listening comprehension. Again, I find listening comprehension more difficult to build than reading comprehension. But you need to become familiar with the sounds and rhythm of the language. Reading is fundamental, but supplementing your reading with listening really brings the language to life.
Becoming a strong listener is essential for communication. If you can’t comprehend what someone is saying in the target language, communication will break down quickly. Your ability to understand unmodified, natural speech will allow you to stay afloat, even if your speaking and writing is not very polished.
Goal 4: Start pushing yourself to speak
Now that you have a lot of words, are a strong reader, and can follow the spoken language, you’re going to want to start speaking. Speaking is great, but it’s not my primary goal. I understand that my speaking will improve through continued reading and listening. However, speaking is a great way to check your progress. You’ll discover what subjects your conversant in, which structures you’re unable to use fluidly, and what words you need to acquire.
Goal 5: Focus on grammar at the right time
As you approach a more advanced level in your target language, it may be time to start emphasizing grammar usage or speaking correctly. In other words, I don’t worry at all about how correctly I speak if I’m a novice learner. My initial goals are to maximize input through reading and listening.
However, as my language skills become more advanced, I’m able to polish up my speaking and writing. I can notice patterns and start to develop an intuition in the target language. Errors and shaky grammar are inevitable stages of language learning. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to stress correction when your grasp of the language is poor. Wait until you’re ready and eager to start emphasizing precision.
Goal 6: Write
Our sixth goal is writing. We can start writing at any time, but I normally don’t prioritize this as a goal until I am more advanced. Sure, there may be circumstances in which writing is more urgent. When I was learning Chinese, working for the Canadian government, I had to write in Chinese from the very beginning. In France, as a university student, I had to write and express myself adequately. Otherwise, if you don’t have to stress writing, I’d reserve this goal for later stages in your language learning journey. Treat writing the same way as you would speaking. Use it for feedback and reflection on your progress.
Goal 7: Connect with the culture
The final goal is connecting with the culture. Many of us learn a language in the first place because we want to connect with the culture. However, it’s difficult to form genuine connections with the culture without the language. Once you’re a confident reader, listener, writer, and speaker, you’ll be able to dive into different aspects of the culture.
You’ll be able to connect more easily with native speakers, interact with content made for native speakers, and delve deeper into subjects that interest you. If I can discover the culture that interests me comfortably in the target language instead of having everything explained to me in English, I find this more rewarding and motivating.
Final Thoughts:
As you may have noticed, these goals are presented almost like an inverted pyramid, a hierarchy of goals. Growing your vocabulary is your base goal. Acquire these words through ample reading and listening. When you’re ready, start pushing yourself to speak and write in the language, emphasizing correction as you become more advanced. Finally, use your language abilities to gain an appreciation of the culture. There you have it. Goals change as your language abilities grow. I hope that you find these goals useful as you prioritize and stay motivated. Happy learning!
