As we move through January, it is easy to lose a bit of motivation for our language-related New Year’s resolutions. The buzz of freshness has dissipated a little as we get back into our normal routines. But wait! Stay strong and focus your goals. If you keep on practising and stay true to your resolutions, you will continue to improve your language skills and see big changes in 2023.

We have some more interesting ideas for effective New Year’s resolutions for EFL which can help you push into new territory this year with your language learning. Whether you want to focus on your speaking or writing skills this year, or aim to improve all your areas of knowledge, there is a resolution perfect for you. Read on as we continue with the second part in our series of New Year’s resolutions for EFL learners!

 

More New Year’s Resolutions for EFL Learners

Here are a few more ideas for language learning resolutions. From learning new vocabulary each week to finding someone to practise speaking English with, there are many ways to boost your learning productivity. Plus, don’t forget your writing skills this year and of course, always remember to reward your achievements.

Try picking one of these New Year’s resolutions for EFL learners below and see if it gives your learning a boost this year! 

 

4. Learn One New Word Each Day / Week

One idea for a daily study session is to learn one new word every day. Or if this seems too daunting, try just one new word every week. The important thing is to set your goal and stick to it.

One new word every week allows you to use your new word within every study session (see resolution 2), which will ensure the new word becomes a permanent part of your English language vocabulary.

The best way to remember new words is to use them as often as possible. Try to use your new vocabulary in your writing and speaking by putting the new words into context. Words placed into a meaningful sentence are easier to remember than those placed into a list of unconnected random vocabulary.

5. Find a Language Exchange Partner

One of our New Year’s resolutions for EFL learners has to be based around the vital skills of speaking the language. Of course for improving your speaking skills, it is always best to find a native person to practise with.

Although a group is fun and improves motivation, a one-on-one language exchange gives you more time and space to engage with someone in your target language that is sometimes not possible in a larger group.

This also allows you to help your language partner in their learning of your own native language. This takes the pressure off because you are not the only one learning! Language exchanges can be in person or online via Skype, Google Hangouts or another online service.

 

6. Find a Pen Friend

This idea is an oldie but a goodie. Writing skills are often the least practised of all of the four language skills. This is because we do not often get chance to write a letter or an email in our target language.

So as one of your New Year’s resolutions for EFL learners, make an effort to find a language pen friend with whom you can exchange regular correspondence, whether via email or letter.

We would recommend trying to find someone to write letters to rather than email because actually writing the words on a page makes you think about them more deeply. It is also a good way to learn more about written accents if you are learning a language other than English (which doesn’t use accents very often).

For example, Spanish, French and German use accents regularly, such as the umlout, tilde, grave, acute and circumflex accents. Writing is necessary in order to improve knowledge of these accents.

Of course for English learners, written accents are rarely used. However, simply writing the letters long-hand helps you gain a better idea of how they connect together, which can improve awareness of pronunciation.

7. Keep Track of Your Progress

Last but not least, a good New Year’s resolution for EFL learners is to revisit your goals regularly and keep an eye on your progress. This means being aware of your goals and knowing when you reach them. Whenever you remind yourself of how far you have come, you refresh your motivation.

At the end of each week, revise what you have done that week and see how much you have learned. If you are aiming to learn more slowly, revise your learning goals and achievements each month.

The important thing is to revisit your goals regularly and be aware of your achievements. You will improve with every single step, even if you can’t see it straight away – and every improvement is a step closer to fluency.

Tips for Goal Setting

When setting learning goals, it is always more effective to state a resolution in specific terms rather than general terms. For example, the goal to ‘study English for 30 minutes every day throughout January’ is a better resolution than the goal to ‘improve my English language skills this year’.

If you break down your resolutions into manageable chunks that can be measured, it will be much easier to stick to your resolutions and achieve your goals.

Don’t forget to reward yourself with each goal achieved! Whether its a trip to the cinema, a special meal, a night out, new clothes or a brilliant new book – your reward reminds yourself that you achieved your latest goal. That is something worth celebrating!

Enjoy January as a month of fresh resolve. Everything is new and exciting – approach each day as a new chance to prove yourself and move a giant leap closer to your long term goals. Good luck with your language learning in 2023!

Did you set any language learning resolutions? Let us know know in the comments – we’d love to hear about your goals for this year.