Every language learner should set goals. Doing so gives structure and shape to your language training activities, allowing you to maximize your results, as well as achieve them more efficiently. Contrast that to the alternative, which is fumbling your way through your language mastery software with no direction. These three steps should prove an excellent way to begin setting general goals for yourself.
1. Make a list of situations where you intend to use the language. Be detailed about this, don’t just write “everywhere.” Instead, imagine yourself in the very activities where you will write or speak the vernacular. Rank them to according which one is more important to you. If using the language in the airport sits at the top of your list, then you can set goals that teach you how to do just that. This goes on until the last item on your list.
2. Make a list of the skills you will need for each of those situations. There are four very distinct language skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking. If you don’t need to learn writing for the activities you’ve identified, then you can eliminate them from your goals. Same goes for all the other skills.
3. What level of proficiency should you aim for? You likely won’t need top-level language abilities to find your way around the airport. However, using the target language in the negotiation table should require a bit more advanced abilities. Define what level of proficiency you need for each skill and situation to know exactly what to aim for.