Have you set goals to improve your English?
If you want to know nejlepší způsob jak se naučit anglicky then two of the most important things you need are motivation and goals. I have discussed motivation in another article so today we will talk about how to set specific goals to learn English. Click here for a link to my vocabulary list for the highlighted words. Let’s begin…
In all my years of helping people with their English and trying to learn Czech myself, the one thing that I have learned, is that no magic potion can make you the master of a language overnight, it takes time, dedication and a systematic approach. Luckily for you, I’m here to help you set those goals and also follow them religiously, so that you can converse with confidence in English. Keep reading to find out how to get this week’s free Goal Setting Creation Sheet.
Aren’t Motivation and Goals the same thing?
The difference between motivation and goals is that motivation is subjective and varies from person to person, but goals are objective. They are set according to your learning skills and retention capability. Today I’ll help you learn how to set great goals that you can follow to learn English more effectively.
You may have heard the saying ‘work hard, play hard, but the modern era needs something more than hard work, it needs smart work. Working smartly has become such a vital attribute today that it has been revered as a benchmark for doing everything in your life. Our phones have become smarter and our essential amenities are run by technology-driven systems, so let’s incorporate this smartness into our learning. By the way, if you would like to know more about working smartly in the office, have a look at my friend Jiří Benedikt’s site.
S.M.A.R.T Goals je nejlepší způsob jak se naučit anglicky
Of course, there are many different systems and techniques for setting goals but my prefered method is one that uses the acronym SMART. Setting SMART goals will help you achieve them and by writing them down and ticking them off you will be able to measure your progress. (Guess what the M stands for!) So, without further ado, here’s what the letters of the acronym SMART stand for:
S- Specific
Be specific when you set your goals. Who is going to do it, when and where is it going to happen, how will you do it. What do you need to happen in order that the task is finished. Some of these questions may not be relevant to every task you set yourself but ask them anyway just to make sure.
M- Measurable
You need to set goals which are measurable. Devising long term plans is a good start but if you can ‘chunk it’ and break it down into smaller and more easily measureable tasks it will encourage you to continue learning the language. What you want is both a long term measurabe goal AND a series of shorter term goals that are equally measurable. An example might be to set the job of reading and finishing a book by a certain date; and then by chunking the longer term task into weekly (3 chapters) and daily goals (15 pages) you can more easily measure your progress.
A-Attainable
What’s the point of setting tasks if you cannot complete them? Instead, your tasks should be attainable on a hourly, daily or weekly basis. Consider this, you start with a task to write 5 essays this week on various topics. By the end of the week you were only able to complete 2 essays; this would surely demotivate you to work on it further. In its place, you can ensure that at least one 500 word essay is completed by a particular day of the week, and in it, you will try to use some of the new words that you learned earlier. Not too easy, not too hard!
R-Relevant
Making your goal relevant will help you learn better and faster if the daily tasks are more orientated towards your field of interest or your daily activities. For Example, if there is going to be a festival in your town next month, you can read material related to it or learn words that are associated with festivals. This will assist you in learning new words and allow you to converse more easily with people at the festival.
T-Time based
Time is your greatest acolyte while learning anything in life, so set limitations for your goals, like “I will … by the end of this month.” It will help you organize your tasks and daily routine. The important thing is to push yourself, but not beyond the limit. There is no rush, remember “Slow and steady wins the race.” I have been thinking about playing a gig (concert) for friends and family for a long time now. Just a few songs on the guitar, most of which I already know, but I’m still procrastinating about it because I have’t booked a venue and made it a concrete, time bound plan. When I have the date, I’ll put the time in to practise.
Today’s Freebie – SMART Goals Creation Sheet
Develop an action plan: I have developed a chart to help you create your SMART goals. On the top of the sheet write your biggest English goal, on the line underneath write a shorter term goal. Use the questions on the sheet to help you develop a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goal. Finally use your answers to write a short statement of comittment to achieve your goal. I have included an example sheet where I outlined how you might achieve the goal of reading a book in English.
Finally
Remember that goals are not ‘the be all and end all’ (all that matters). The journey is what is important. Enjoy the learning process. Celebrate when you achieve your goals but remember the joy will soon fade and you will be looking for another goal. If you are still struggling with a reason why you need to learn English, take a look at my motivation article.
