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What is Independent Language Learning?<\/h2>\n
Independent language learning is self-directed learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It’s taking full responsibility for the process. It’s deciding what you want to learn and how you want to learn it. It’s having the freedom to customize your learning experience.<\/p>\n The opposite is letting someone else tell you what you should be doing. Someone who is not<\/em> an independent learner will take a pre-existing course or program and swallow it hook, line and sinker without thinking any further about it.<\/p>\n Not so with the independent learner. This is a student who carefully tailors their language learning to their needs<\/a><\/strong>\u2014even if they’re in a group language course.<\/p>\n That doesn’t mean you should go it alone or that you can’t benefit from the experience of others, however. Two very important points to keep in mind are that:<\/p>\n Independent language learning is really about the realization that you are responsible for your own linguistic fate<\/strong>. You’re not depending on anybody else and passively waiting for the world to help you along.<\/p>\n Instead, you’re actively working with your teachers and plotting a route which will get you to your destination. You’re talking to fellow language learners and native speakers. You’re getting feedback and applying it to your language use and studies.<\/p>\n There are many ways to meaningfully learn a language, but at the end of the day, you are responsible for your own journey. Acknowledging this even has the power to make you more confident and a more effective language learner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Having control over your own agenda is very motivating. In addition to putting that fire in your belly, independent language learning is inherently fun and interesting<\/strong>\u2014you get to pick the route you want to experience so that you enjoy the journey, not just the destination.<\/p>\n If you’re going to engage with your own learning, you’ll need to know a lot about yourself, your motivations and the specific things you want to accomplish. (Learning these things is beneficial for any<\/em> learner, and highly worth it!)<\/p>\n Here’s what you need to do to learn a language independently:<\/p>\n The first thing you need to do is to figure out what you want.\u00a0“Learn Spanish” is actually very vague and it can mean different things for different people.<\/p>\n As an independent learner, you need to ask yourself some basic questions about what you really want to accomplish:<\/p>\n What do you really mean when you say you want to “learn a language”?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A) Learn enough phrases to get by when traveling in a foreign country.<\/p>\n B) Learn the language to use it in a job (e.g., as a nurse, businessperson, lawyer).<\/p>\n C) Reach native-level fluency.<\/p>\n Which of the major language skills is most important to you?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A) Speaking<\/p>\n B) Reading<\/p>\n C) Writing<\/p>\n D) Listening<\/p>\n (Note: In the course of your language studies, you’ll inevitably practice and develop all four of these skills. But for your goals, it’s good to determine which you want to prioritize as it will dictate the kinds of exercises and activities you engage in.)<\/p>\n What time frame do you have in mind for learning the language?<\/strong><\/p>\n A) Three months<\/p>\n B) Six months<\/p>\n C) One year<\/p>\n What are some realistic daily\/weekly goals?<\/strong><\/p>\n A) Study for 10 minutes a day.<\/p>\n B) Study for 30 minutes before bed.<\/p>\n C) Meet up with your language exchange partner twice a week.<\/p>\n There are unlimited ways you can customize your language learning experience, so the options above are only examples. You’ll notice that they’re still relevant even if you’re taking a language class, too.<\/p>\n In any case, you should not only customize your experience but determine the above factors from the very beginning. Most people simply decide that they want to learn a language and click the first YouTube video that comes their way.<\/p>\n To gain the benefits of being an independent learner controlling your own fate, however, you’ve got to have a higher level of self-awareness and plan out how you’ll learn the language<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The internet, with its near infinite variety of content, is spoiling you for choice of language learning materials. That means you need to be deliberate about choosing them.<\/p>\n The key is to create your own mix of content<\/strong>. Make sure you have all your bases covered to give yourself a nice cross-section of the language landscape.<\/p>\n Even if you’re a visual learner, don’t solely go for visual content. Check out some podcasts and audiobooks, too! Get the whole shebang so you know you’re not neglecting any language skills or missing anything that could be majorly beneficial.<\/p>\n Consider going with at least one of each of the following content categories (or something roughly equivalent):<\/p>\n FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n\n
How to Become an Independent Language Learner<\/h2>\n
1. Set your own goals<\/h3>\n
2. Choose your own materials<\/h3>\n
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