5+1 Questions to Change Your Approach to Learning English

Quo Vadis? Learning a language can feel like a tough journey. Whether you're attending English courses, learning English online, or having conversations with a tutor, you might have experienced that feeling of being stuck or moving too slowly. To make sure you're heading in the right direction, it's helpful to ask yourself a few key questions.

Here are 5+1 questions to help you learn English more effectively:

1. What was my goal at the beginning?

When you started learning English, what did you want to achieve? Did you want to speak more fluently, and improve your grammar? Or has that goal changed to something like "I want to understand English movies without subtitles"? Look back at your original goal and think about whether you're still on the right track. Maybe your goals have shifted, or maybe you need to focus on something new. Whatever your goal is, it's important to revisit it regularly and adjust your learning accordingly.

2. What language activities am I doing?

Is what you're doing actually helping you achieve your goals? Will Duolingo help you improve your speaking skills and overcome communication anxiety? Will studying grammar tenses help you speak more fluently? Does listening to podcasts help you spot grammar mistakes in your speech? Evaluate what you're doing and how it leads to your language goals. Gone are the days when everyone had to master everything like they did in school. Which activities bring you the least benefit, and what could replace them for better results?

3. How balanced are my language skills?

Reading, writing, listening, speaking – how much time are you dedicating to each area each week? Seriously, calculate the hours/minutes. Now, think about how comfortable you feel in each skill. You might tend to focus more on one, or less on another. How does that impact your overall language learning progress?

4. How much is English part of my daily life?

How much time are you spending on English every day? How could you find even more time for it? Maybe you already have routines like reading articles in English, watching movies, or listening to podcasts in English. Or maybe you're relying on English apps like Duolingo? Remember, the more English becomes part of your everyday activities, the faster you'll improve. Real progress happens when we stop seeing English as something we have to study and start finding ways to use it in things we normally do in our native language. So, which daily activities could you start doing in English that you're not yet doing?

5. What’s challenging for me?

Everyone learning a language faces challenges. Is it grammar, vocabulary, or speaking fluency? Or maybe you have trouble understanding native speakers? Identify what's holding you back and think about what you need to change or improve in order to overcome these obstacles. Maybe you need to speak more, automate your grammar, work on your pronunciation, or eliminate recurring mistakes and bad habits. Sometimes, just the right adjustment is enough to make a difference.

Bonus Question: How do I know I’m actually improving?

Language progress happens gradually, and it’s not always easy to notice. So how will you know you're improving? How will your progress show up in the activities you’re doing? What will be different? When you answer these questions in advance, it’ll help you identify progress more easily and enjoy it more. 🙂

Regular reflections on your approach will help you learn more effectively. If you have a clear goal and are doing the right things, there's no way you won’t make progress. And if you need support, feel free to reach out to me anytime. ☺️