Want to know why successful people can’t make language learning a habit? There’s 3 simple reasons to help you make language habits better.

Learn a language better with Language Life

When you’re successful in other areas of life, it can be frustrating when languages are difficult. You wonder why successful people can’t make language learning a habit.

If you’re ready to learn how to learn a language and put it into action right away as you keep learning languages, Language Life is for you!

You’re ready to learn languages better. Let’s do it together.

Apply now for Language Life and we can start the process today!

Your Focus Is On Fluency

When you’re used to success coming your way, it’s natural to want to aim for the top. 

With language learning, this manifests itself as aiming for fluency. Fine. But also not fine.

Let me explain why this doesn’t work.

Language learning – good, solid lasting language learning – takes time. So it’ll likely take time before you’re what you think of when you think “fluent”. 

This means your habits don’t feel like they’re working towards that end goal and focus enough for you to keep going.

What you need instead.

Set yourself mini goals along the way. You always want something to be aiming for. 

We can compare this to training for a marathon. We’re always going to do better with a training plan and regular “markers” on that plan acting as achievements. 

That way, we always have a short-term focus just ahead of us to aim for. 

Related: Speedy Gains & Steady Growth: What Successful Language Learning Looks Like

Your Habits Are Too Needy

There’s a temptation when our focus is fluency to try and do all the things at once and do it fast. 

This temptation often looks like completely turning our current life into something unrecognisable. That doesn’t work. It’s too needy. 

Your new habits are demanding too much time, too much energy, too many adjustments. So it doesn’t stick.

What you need instead.

I said this thing once in an interview many years ago when talking about how I did my degree part time alongside full time work and life. And I always find myself coming back to it.

Here it is. My wise words:

Fit language learning around your life, don’t fit your life around language learning.

What does this look like? 

If you already run, try listening to music, audio lessons, or podcasts in the language on your runs. 

If you don’t already run, but you read about someone who does and swears by this language learning routine, then don’t do it.

That’s too much change all at once if we’re after habits that’ll stick. 

I know, I know, it sounds kinda boring but lasting habits are formed when they’re easy and relevant and rewarding. 

Huffing and puffing around your local area whilst trying to learn Japanese at the same time isn’t exactly easy, relevant or rewarding if it’s not your life.

We have a whole module on habits in Language Life that helps you get better at this.

Related: How to Learn a Language When You’re Busy Saying “I Don’t Have Time!”

You’re Not Tapping Into Your Strengths

You’re already successful in other areas of your life. Time to tap into that genius. 

Maybe your work has got you to the point where your time management is second to none. 

Perhaps your hobbies have taught you that patience and practice are both essential.

Whatever it is, these are the things you want to be bringing into your language learning. And it works both ways too. 

Once you’ve got some language learning experience under your belt, you can draw from that and apply those skills to other areas of your life too.

What you need to make this work.

Think about what you already do well in other areas of your life. How can this help your language learning?

To make this work, you need a great sense of self-identity and recognition of acknowledge these strengths.

Once you’ve identified them, knowing how to learn a language (like we work on together in Language Life!) will really help you to apply these strengths to your language learning.

Related: How to Personalise Any Language Resource