• There’s no such thing as being born good at languages. However, there are people who manage to learn languages well. But that has nothing to do with them being naturally good at it. It has to do with their attitude and the way they approach their learning.

• Most important thing in learning a language is ..courage. Good language learners are willing to face the fear of making mistakes - even if it means they will look foolish. They are not afraid of making mistakes because they know that with every mistake, they gain a small victory toward improving their language.

• Good language learners take responsibility for their own learning. Besides regular language classes, they create opportunities to use the language. They know practice is very important.

• Good language learners are independent. They do not expect to learn English just by sitting in the classroom, and they do not rely on their teacher for all their language learning. They are organized and active. They look for creative ways both inside and outside the classroom to test out what they have learned.

• Good language learners try to understand the language as a system. They pay attention to form and look for patterns. Although to be fair, English a lot of times doesn’t follow ‘rules’ or patterns. Hmmmm….sorry about that!

• Good language learners try to think in the language.It may not be easy at first, but thinking in English is worth cultivating as a vital skill that will improve all areas of your language learning. To help you think in English, carry on a dialogue with yourself in English when walking along, sitting on a bus, or taking a break from other studies. Just have this dialogue in your head, not out loud, otherwise you may get some strange looks from people passing by! Basically, use English whenever and wherever you can.

• Good language learners know that it takes time and effort to become proficient, and that there will be periods where progress seems very slow. They are realistic in setting learning goals.They can live with having good language days and bad language days. They don’t let themselves give up and instead,remind themselves how important it is to keep going – even when they don’t feel like it.

• Good language learners have a good attitude toward the culture where the language is spoken. They know that learning a language means learning the culture as well. They learn the customs of nonverbal behavior and the important values of the culture. They learn how to behave in stores and restaurants, how to act with strangers, and how to exist in society. They learn courtesy conventions; for example, they learn that “How are you?” is a greeting formula in English, not a real question requiring an honest and detailed answer. A good language learner knows that language and culture are two sides of the same coin.

• Good language learners pick up on nonverbal clues. If there’s one thing you’ll learn about learning a new language, it’s that there’s a lot more to communication than the words we say. Take note of facial expressions, body language and tone of voice to understand how someone’s saying something when you don’t know what they’re saying. With a combination of verbal and nonverbal clues, you can take educated guesses at the meaning.

• Good language learners learn the methods that work best for them to remember new vocabulary and grammar structures. Depending on the learner, they might use flashcards, videos or audio recordings to learn, to name just a few techniques. This helps them process new information quickly.

• Good language learners are good at improvisation. They creatively use words, phrases and structures they already know to say what they need to say. Instead of pulling out the translation app, they’ll use "circumlocution ,” or the roundabout way of saying things. For example, if you don’t know the word for “a watch,” you could say “the thing that shows the time.” This promotes fluency as well as self-expression.

• Good language learners are comfortable with ambiguity or when things aren’t totally clear. They don’t need to know the meaning of a new word right away, and they don’t worry when they don’t understand 100% of what a speaker is saying.There won’t be much learning going on if you tune out (or freak out) as soon as you hear an unfamiliar word. Good language learners are patient enough to understand that one day they’ll be able to have conversations in which they know all the words.THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS - Go with the flow, surf the waves of misunderstanding and you will eventually arrive at the point of understanding!

• Good language learners understand their “why.” Whether they need the target language to get a better job, to get into grad school overseas, to survive in a foreign country or simply to connect with their family or roots, good language learners are deeply motivated. Their reason for learning a language often goes beyond getting a good grade in a class. They take language learning very, very seriously. That motivation leads them to learn independently and practice consistently. Teachers don’t have to force them to conjugate verbs each night or to practice with a language partner on the weekends.Good language learners actively seek out opportunities to practice the language outside the classroom. They practice as much as possible.

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to language success.

I hope you continue enjoying your English language learning journey with World Language Explorers.

See you again soon!