How do I keep motivated to learn English at my age?

Answer 1

I think one thing that will help is to think about what parts of learning English can bring you some joy or even fun. For example, are there any books that you always wanted to read, films or shows that you always wanted to fully enjoy? What kinds of experiences can you have through your language learning?

Then as many others have posted, what are the benefits that learning English can bring to your life? Reminding yourself that learning a language, though difficult at times, always can open more doors in our lives is helpful.

Do you have friends or family who can become more involved in your learning, perhaps those with whom you can have regular conversations or phone calls/video calls? Connecting with others can help to motivate us as well.

Are there hobbies or interests that you have that you can connect to your learning? To motivate ourselves, finding joy in our learning is key I believe.

Finally, be patient with yourself--it is normal to feel less inspired or motivated at times, but it will come.

I too speak a few languages, so I understand how it can feel--please feel free to get in touch with me if you would like.

You can do it!:)

Answer 2

Hello,

As tough as it is to learn a new language, being multilingual has tremendous long-term benefits in terms of being able to communicate in multiple language, thereby expanding one's social and professional horizons. Since English is the universal language, you will be able to speak, write, understand, and even translate it in countries all around the world once you get a good grasp of the dialect itself.

While practicing your growing knowledge of English via conducting everyday conversations with other people around you who are learning or already speak the language fluently is the ideal way to improve your English skills, reading books, listening to music and books on tape, watching educational television and YouTube videos containing crisp, clear narration and/or casual conversations carried out among the featured characters with subtitles present onscreen, and even taking advantage of Google Translate are all helpful ways to improve your English literacy on the whole both now and in the future. Once you find a resource that you find to be the most enlivening, reflective of your current English language skill level and interest, and memorable so that you can best retain the newly-learned English vocabulary words and literary rules for the language itself covered therein, that will help you gain greater confidence in your ability to communicate in English on the whole, in turn motivating you to learn the language even further day by day.

Good luck with expanding your literary horizons on the English language front! And as always: practice makes perfect! Cheers!

Answer 3

Know your "why." Why did you choose to learn English in the first place? To pass the interview portion of the process to become an American citizen? To watch and understand that tv show in English? To understand that song sung in English? To understand those around you who speak English? To get paid more as a multilingual employee? Whatever your reason, keep it at the forefront of your mind all the time. Write in on a post-it and stick it on your refrigerator, computer or desk. Make sure that you remind yourself that you can get through the challenges of learning this new language so that you can achieve your ultimate goal.

I understand the challenges, myself. I learned my parents' language as a teenager. I lived in Syria, Jordan and Tunisia in my late 30s to learn Arabic. I also lived in Switzerland for some months to take classes in French-in my early 40s! I know about self-doubt and self-consciousness. These are natural human feelings. I allowed myself to feel these and still perservere because I had the goal in mind to succeed in a language that I failed studying it in a classroom-setting in America 2 times! I also persist with French because I will visit France in 2023.

You can do the same and I invite you to learn English with me, a fellow multilingual person...:)