I'll show you how, with five tips to stop wasting your time and start learning.

Hi, everyone.

Alicia here in this video, I'll teach you five tips to stop procrastinating and keep your motivation for learning a new language.

Some of these air study methods and some will be general ways that you can keep your study motivation up.

While these tips are for studying a language, some of them are good for other things in your life to, such as new challenges or other types of goals.

But before we start, don't forget to click the link in the description to get your bundle of PdF cheat sheets, including survival phrases, romantic lines, learning tips absolutely free.

Now you probably already have some goals you're trying to achieve when it comes to your language.

Learning progress While achieving these goals is important, making sure you make the right goals is the real key to success.

The very first tip is to set smart goals.

Smart is an acronym, meaning each letter in the word stands for another word.

The earliest known reference to smart goals was in an article written by George T.

Doran for a 1981 issue of The Management Review Academic Journal.

The acronym varies depending on its use, but each letter generally stands for some criteria on that helps with effective goal setting for our purposes.

Let's define smart goals as follows.

Theo s stands for specific.

Your goals should target a specific area for improvement.

Our natural tendency is to have a goal that's very general.

If your goal isn't specific enough, you'll lack the focus in proper direction.

You need to achieve your goals.

So S is for specific M stands for measurable.

Your goals should be quantifiable.

They should be able to indicate progress in some way.

You have to be able to track your progress.

Otherwise, you won't know if you're getting any closer to your goal.

As you see yourself getting closer and closer to your goal, your motivation will go up so your goals need to be measurable.

A stands for achievable Your goals have to be achievable.

Many people want to become fluent in their target language immediately.

However, this goal is unrealistic.

Your goals have to be achievable.

If your goal is to challenging for your current level, it will only de motivate you when you aren't where you think you should be.

Instead, think about what results can realistically be achieved, given your level your resource is and any constraints such as time, so make sure that your goal is actually achievable.

R stands for relevant.

Your goals may be specific.

They may be measurable and they may be achievable, but are they actually relevant to what you want to achieve?

Don't just do a lot of things.

If you're focused on improving your speaking skills in your target language, make sure that you spend your time having conversations with others.

Make sure you're doing the right things so that your efforts actually bring you closer to your goal.

Instead of just giving you more work, T stands for timely.

You need to set a deadline for your goals.

If you don't specify when you plan to achieve the result you've set for yourself, it's very easy to put off the task.

You can delay it until tomorrow, the next week or the next month, and at this rate you'll never get things done, so your goal must have an end date.

So remember, tip number one is to sent smart goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.

So, for example, a goal you could make is registering for a challenging test, a test that's a little bit beyond your current level.

I hate failing, so if I register for a challenging test, I'm motivated to study because I don't want to fail.

This is a good example of a smart goal.

Because tests are specific, there are tons of different tests focused on speaking, grammar and comprehension.

Pick a test that can measure the specific area in which you'd like to grow measurable.

Tests are measurable.

Every test measures your performance to some degree, whether it's a total count of right and wrong answers or a simple pass or fail, every test measures your performance.

Tests are achievable.

There's an important detail to remember here, though, find a test that is achievable for you.

If you're a beginner than the most advanced test is probably not right for you.

Find one that's meant for beginners.

Then, after that one, work your way up to more advanced tests in the future.

Tests are relevant.

Most if not all language tests are designed to ensure that you're capable of performing to a set standard in your target language.

Lower level tests are designed to ensure that you can handle the most essential aspects of your target language.

But there are tests for all levels, including higher education entry exams that could be difficult even for native speakers.

Pick the one that's right for you.

And finally, tests are timely.

If your test is completed in a physical location, then this one is obvious.

You have to be at that spot at the set time, ready to take the test.

There's no wiggle room, but even online tests will most likely have a deadline for you to complete them.

The second tip to help you stop procrastinating and to keep your motivation up is to create a diary or social media account that you can update every day.

This may seem simple or even unrelated to language learning, but by creating a diary in your target language, you have the chance to actually create in the language itself.

Creating a diary is also a great way to practice writing in your target language.

Another method is to create a social media account, which gives you the chance to connect with other people who are working toward the same goals, is you?

Maybe they can even give you feedback on your writing.

If you're following people online who regularly share good resource is, those could be really helpful for you to and lets you find new tools that can encourage and motivate you, especially if they relate to some of your other interests, such as music or books and other languages.

This is a really good way to take a few minutes everyday toe work towards your goal without even seeming like work.

The third tip is to focus on understanding a specific TV show or movie.

Try to watch a movie in your target language without any subtitles, or try to understand your favorite TV show that's in your target language.

If you don't already have a goal like this, it can be a fun way to practice.

If your friends often talk about a particular TV show, it could be a good way to study and a fun way to keep your motivation up together.

Plus, TV shows and movies often use the language in a way that's vastly different from the conversations provided in traditional textbooks.

So you often get to hear a different vocabulary choices.

It's a very powerful way to learn a language and end up sounding more like a native speaker.

Tip number four is to enroll in a regular language course, register for something you have to go to, or you have to participate in regularly meaning every week or two times a week, or maybe even every day.

The point of this is it's something that gives you a pattern to follow.

Forming a study habit will help you progress very quickly.

It will make it easier for you to achieve your language learning goals Once you form the habit, you won't even have to think about starting each time.

It will just be natural.

Have something that you must take responsibility for.

You'll be more motivated to continue if there are others, especially classmates or a teacher watching you progress.

Look for resource is inside your community, and if there are no opportunities there, look for things digitally.

You can find many of our videos on YouTube on Facebook and, of course, our entire video and audio Lesson library on our website.

The lessons on our website also come with assignment courses so you can test your knowledge.

The last tip is to make your goal public.

Share your goal.

Tell people about your goal.

For example, if you want to give a business presentation in your target language this year, then tell your colleagues or your boss about it.

Some people may find what you're doing interesting, and they can support you.

This kind of pressure can help push people forward who have trouble motivating themselves alone by telling others about your goal.

You'll feel more accountable because you told somebody that you were planning on doing something.

There's an underlying sense of guilt.

If you don't accomplish the task, you may feel that you have failed your peers in some way, even if there's no direct pressure from them.

Using this technique, you can push yourself into moving forward towards your goal, especially at times when you feel the least motivated.

And that brings us to the end of our five tips to stop wasting time and start learning a language.

We've talked a lot about how to set goals for yourself.

Didn't think about new challenges.

First, I told you about creating smart goals.

Remember, smart goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.

Registering for a test is a great example of a smart goal.

Next, we talked about keeping a diary or social media account in your target language.

Start doing it right now, even if you're still a beginner.

Then I suggested that you focus on understanding a specific TV show or movie.

Pick something in your target language that you really love, because you may need to watch it over and over again until it all makes sense to you.

And next we talked about enrolling in a regular language course.

This will give you something concrete that you must take responsibility for.

Finally, make your goal public.

Tell someone about your learning goals to keep you accountable for them.

You're much less likely to abandon your studies if you have friends asking you about your progress.

I hope that these air useful tips that you can use to reach your language learning goals.

And before we go, let me remind you to download tons of free pdf lessons to learn the language.

The fast, fun and easy way just click the link in the description.

If you like this video, give us a thumbs up and share it with anyone who may find it useful.

Do you have any good tips that you've used to help you reach your goals?

Share them in the comments.

Thanks very much for watching and see you next time.