How to Set Language Learning Goals for 2020

Hello girls! I hope you are having an amazing day so far. With 2019 soon coming to an end and 2020 around the corner, I thought it was a good time to share with you some tips to set your own language learning goals for next year.

If you want to boost your language experience during the following months and improve your skills, keep reading.

Let’s begin!

>> Write down your current level

Take some time to reflect on the current level you have in your target language(s). First, think about your level in general terms, and then you can specify it in the different skills: speaking, writing, listening and reading. You can also reflect on your level in relation to grammar and vocabulary.

There are two ways you can check your level:

Tangible way

Think about what you are able to do in your target language. Some examples are: I am able to introduce myself saying basic information, I am able to recognize some words from a text, I am able to identify basic verbs from audio.

Quantitative way

It means, which level you are according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). You can be A0, A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. I will briefly describe each one so you have a general idea of it.

A0: You haven’t started to learn the language yet.

A1: You understand simple sentences and communicate in short sentences.

A2: You understand the overall meaning of short and simple messages and you can read simple texts. You can communicate in daily use sentences.

B1: You can understand important information and can understand texts in everyday language. You can participate in conversations about hobbies, family and work.

B2: You can follow larger statements and understand some tv shows. You can read newspapers and articles. You can also communicate fluently.

C1: You can understand larger statements and understand tv shows with no great effort. You can comprehend complex and long texts. You can express your thoughts fluently and precisely.

C2: You can understand complex language with ease. You can comprehend any text easily. You can participate in any conversation and discussion.

(You can read more about it here)

Read my post about how to Organize Your Notebooks to Learn Languages

>> Write down the level you want to achieve in 2020

In this part, reflect on how far you want to get with your target languages. Again, think about the tangible level (what you want to be able to do with the language) and the quantitative level.

Tangible level ideas: I want to be able to understand a whole movie with no subtitles, I want to be able to read a full chapter of a fiction book, I want to be able to speak fluently for five minutes or more.

Quantitative: I want to go from A2 to B1 level, I want to go from A0 to A2 level.

Try to be realistic and don’t push yourself too hard! If you are in A0 or A1 level, don’t try to get to C2 level in just one year. Fluency takes time and effort. Anyway, if you want to aim higher, then that’s totally ok! Just don’t put so much pressure on your shoulders and enjoy the process of learning.

Read my post about how to get motivated again to learn languages.

>> Think about your priorities

Reflect and write down which are your priorities for language learning. You can answer the questions: Which language is the ones I want to learn the most? Which language is the one I like the most? Maybe you want to learn ten different languages, but even though that is exciting, it can also make you feel overwhelmed, especially if you are on a beginner level with most of them. That is why I advise you to focus on some languages (you choose which ones!) and then when you reach some sort of fluency with them, you can start adding more to your studying routine.

Read my post What to read according to your level of fluency

>> Think about what are you going to do more or start doing next year to learn

Finally, reflect on which new activities you will incorporate to your language practices next year. You can also reflect on which tasks that you already do, you will continue doing (pick up the ones that were more effective to you!).

In case you feel like you don’t have enough time to practice next year, read my last post ‘How to fit language activities in your daily routine’

I hope this post was useful to you! If you have any question or your own tips to set language goals, just write that on the comment section below, I’d love to read it.

If you want more content for language learning, follow me on my Instagram account @blissogirl. Each week I upload new quotes, IGTV videos and more.

Have an amazing day!