The usual tips for learning English revolve around immersion tactics like moving to an English-speaking country or binge-watching TV shows. But what intrigues me are the less-discussed aspects: the mindset, psychology, and habits that shape the journey. As an English language teacher and student of Czech, I’m hoping these tips will serve as a gentle nudge, not only for you but for me as well.
1. Celebrate small victories
Students of English tend to focus on all the mistakes they’re making, which can lead to disillusionment and abandoning the project altogether. Understand that when learning English, progress is not always straightforward; there will be highs and lows along the way. The graph of progress is never a satisfying diagonal line, but many English students expect it to be.
On days when you feel like you’re struggling, remind yourself that it’s all part of the process. Treat yourself with compassion and celebrate even the smallest victories. Whether you successfully hold a conversation or learn a new word, each step forward is worth acknowledging. By celebrating your successes, you’ll be more likely to stay motivated and inspired to continue learning.
2. Avoid comparison
One of the biggest pitfalls English students fall into is comparing themselves to others in the class. It’s easy to feel discouraged when you see someone else progressing faster or achieving higher levels. However, it’s important to remember that everyone’s language learning journey is unique. Instead of comparing, focus on your own growth. If nothing else, comparing yourself to others is inaccurate: you don’t have the necessary data on their learning progress to make a fair comparison.
3. Take breaks
I’m not talking about short breaks between study sessions (these should be a given), I’m referring to longer rest periods of a week or maybe even longer. Allowing yourself such breaks will enable you to maintain motivation and avoid burnout. The slight drop off in what you can remember is a small price to pay for constantly feeling like you ‘have to’ study English and will make you less likely to give up entirely.
If you’re struggling to return to language learning after the break, try to incorporate English into activities that you already enjoy. For example, I like walking and listening to podcasts, so sometimes I’ll switch to a Czech podcast, which feels like less of a sacrifice than sitting at home studying grammar books. Seek out content that interests you and engage with it in English. If you’re into comics, read them in your target language; you’ll be much more motivated to understand these words than manufactured language learning texts.
4. Track your progress
English learners tend to underestimate their progress, leading to feelings of frustration and discouragement. For example, some may feel like their English skills are deteriorating simply because they momentarily struggle to recall a single word, despite speaking fluently for an extended period.
One of the best tips for learning English is adopting a more objective approach to measuring progress. Rather than relying solely on subjective feelings, measurable metrics can provide a clearer picture. For instance, a common challenge for Czechs learning English is mastering the pronunciation of the ‘th’ sound. To track your progress in this area, consider reading aloud a specificic paragraph into a dictation-to-text app and analyze how many times the app transcribes the ‘th’ sound as ‘d’. By repeating the exercise a few months later, you can objectively measure your improvement. This approach shifts the focus from vague perceptions to concrete data; most learners find that they are performing better than they had initially believed.
5. Embrace humility
This is a big one for me as I have a tendency to take myself too seriously when learning and speaking Czech. These days I try to look at learning Czech as a spiritual exercise: it shows me where my ego is getting the better of me. Learning a new language requires humility and openness to making mistakes, so instead of being discouraged by setbacks, we may as well view them as opportunities for self-improvement instead.
Tips for learning English: beyond the classroom
If you’re open to the lessons, studying English can teach you skills that go way beyond language learning. By adopting a positive mindset, celebrating your progress, embracing humility, and finding joy in the process, you’ll be well on your way to mastering anything – and who knows – maybe you’ll become a happier human too.