How to create a language learning routine

When you’re trying to learn a foreign language, it’s very easy to let things get in the way. There’s always something that’s more important to do, it always seems like there’s not enough time, and sometimes you just don’t have the energy or the motivation to sit down and learn new words.

Having a proper language learning routine can help you overcome this issue. It will help you become more disciplined and stay on track with your language learning.

I’m about to share with you my favourite tips for creating a language learning routine. Are you ready? Here they are! If you’d rather watch my video, here it is. Otherwise, read on! 

Language learning routine tip 1: start small

There’s an interesting metaphor I’ve heard one time that shows exactly what starting small means and why it’s such a powerful approach.

The metaphor is flossing your teeth.

Apparently, many people don’t floss – they just brush their teeth. Dentists recommend flossing, though, because it’s meant to be more effective than just brushing your teeth. So, if you’re not motivated to floss every time you brush your teeth, start with flossing just one tooth every time.

When you commit to one tooth, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. You just need to pick up the floss and do that one tooth. It’ll take you five seconds.

But while you’re at it, you might think that doing another tooth is not a big deal either. You’ve already got the floss in your hands after all, and doing another tooth will only add a couple of seconds to your flossing routine.

The key idea here is that you’ve committed to one tooth. And when you commit to one tiny thing, you will automatically become more motivated to do more.

The same goes for learning a foreign language. Start small – commit to that one small thing you need to do to move forward. Even if it’s just one word. Commit to that and more will follow. Once you’re sat down looking up the meaning of one new word, you might do another one. And once you’ve learned one, the achievement of knowing a new word will definitely motivate you further and encourage you to do more.

Language learning routine tip 2: do what you already do 

You already have a routine of some sort, don’t you? In your native language, I mean. For example, some people watch the news every evening. All you need to do is swap that for watching the news in the language you’re learning.

There are certainly a lot of things like that that you already do in your native language and that you could swap for foreign language activities. Maybe you like to find a new recipe a couple of times a week before cooking dinner. Maybe you like to write a ‘to do’ list for the week ahead.

Identify the actions that are already part of your daily or weekly routine and start doing them in a foreign language.

Language learning routine tip 3: write it down

Whatever you commit to in language learning, write it down. Write down your goals, your plans, your commitments. But not only that – write down your progress as well. Don’t just write down a stand-alone ‘to do’ list – make sure you accompany it with a review of your progress. Write down the things that went well and the things that could have gone better. All of this will help you learn more effectively in the future.

The action of writing things down in a journal can be part of your daily and weekly routine. Pick up your journal in the morning when you’re having breakfast, and then again just before you go to sleep.

To help you with this, you can use the Motivation Journal, which is a language learning journal I’ve created specifically for recording your language learning goals and progress.

Language learning routine tip 4: Make the most of ‘dead time’

Dead time is basically time that you have but you don’t realise it. It’s the time that passes between different things you do during the day, or while you do other things during the day.

For example, when you cook. Let’s say you’re making pasta. You need to boil it for a few minutes – that’s dead time. You’re just waiting for it to boil and not really doing anything as such. Use the few minutes to learn a few new words or listen to a podcast in a foreign language.

Another obvious one is commuting to work (if you take public transport). It’s a perfect time to practise your foreign language skills by reading an article in your target language, listening to a podcast or revising vocabulary.

What are your favourite tips for creating a language learning routine? Share them in the comments below!