Whether you’re just starting your language learning journey or looking to refine your skills, understanding the importance of well-defined learning goals is crucial. Today, we delve into why setting learning goals is essential, differentiate between successful and unsuccessful goals, and guide you on crafting goals that truly work. Ready to embark on this journey and set your own learning goals? Let’s dive in!
The Importance of Setting Learning Goals
Why should we bother setting learning goals? According to the British Council, students who set their own learning objectives tend to achieve more. But, who holds the responsibility for setting these goals? It’s a shared duty. While teachers design learning objectives for each lesson, it’s vital for you, the learner, to understand why you’re learning English. This insight allows you to connect classroom lessons with your real-life aspirations and goals.
Discovering Your “Why”
The reasons for learning English are as diverse as the learners themselves. Is your motivation to live, work, or study in an English-speaking environment? Or perhaps, you wish to travel the globe, communicate with English-speaking friends, partners, or relatives? Identifying your personal “why” is the first step towards setting a meaningful and successful learning goal.
Crafting Successful Learning Goals
To set a successful learning goal, start with the end in mind. What do you wish to improve? Be specific. Rather than a broad aim like wanting to study at university, pinpoint the exact skills or language areas you need to work on, such as essay writing, listening, note-taking, reading, or research. Realism is key; align your goals with the time and resources available to you.
Let’s analyse two examples:
Unspecific Goal: Wanting to speak better English in a week by learning all tenses and 50 new words daily. This goal, while ambitious, lacks specificity and realism.
Successful Goal: Aiming to write clear emails at work within three weeks by revising future tenses, learning phrases for formal emails, and mastering email organization. This goal is specific, realistic, and includes clear steps towards achievement.
Our Vision for You
At EC, our mission is to help you succeed in a global community. With 2.3 billion English speakers worldwide, the ability to communicate effectively in English opens doors to international work, study, and travel opportunities. Our vision is to prepare you for conversations with people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, enhancing your global communication skills.
The EC Way: A Communicative Approach
Built on the latest research, the EC curriculum and teaching methodology emphasize the communicative approach. This method ensures you understand the purpose of your learning, recognize what success looks like, and can apply your knowledge in real-world settings. Through repetition and review, we ensure that you make tangible progress in every lesson.
Your Role in the Learning Process
Your engagement and participation are crucial. Attend every lesson, actively participate, reflect on your learning, and practice continuously. Remember, making mistakes is a part of the learning process. To support your journey, utilize MyEC for tracking your progress, accessing learning materials, and setting effective learning goals.
Let’s Start Setting Effective Goals!
Recognizing the power of effective goal setting on student progress, we invite you to rewatch our video on setting learning goals. Reflect on your motivations, define your goals, and take the first step towards achieving them.