“Kick Off Your Language Learning: A Playbook for Footballers and Coaches”

Communicate with your players, teammates and/or coworkers. Give lectures, conduct job interviews or presentations… ALL IN YOUR NEW LANGUAGE!

Treat learning a language like a training session . If you approach it with the same mindset and discipline, you will quickly notice an improvement in your confidence and language retention.

 

Practice at least 1 hour a day and you will quickly develop your skills.

 

The following tips will help you begin your learning experience and plan your time to achieve the goals that YOU want:

 

1. Speak – EVERY DAY

 

Don’t wait until you’ve studied all the books, vocabulary and grammar to start speaking. Do it now! And do it every day.

 

Speaking is the hardest skill to master, so don’t shy away from the fact that you need to practice, practice, practice .

Focus on your motivation for learning the language and forget about embarrassment. This is the first step you need to take if you want to really make progress.

 

Practicing every day with a native speaker is the fastest way to build your fluency and confidence . It takes time and patience, but if you focus on your motivation, and of why you’re doing it, then you’ll never give up.

 

Making mistakes is the most normal thing in the world and, in fact, it is the best way to learn. Being corrected is good, so don’t lose your confidence.

Private lessons are much more intense and focused on your needs. It may be difficult at first, but as you gain confidence, making mistakes will be fun. From personal experience, I have always learned the most by making REALLY big mistakes. I never made those mistakes again because I never forgot those moments.

 

2. MASTERING the basics

Regardless of your level, always go back to the beginning and review the basics. Pronunciation, grammar, and reviewing all the basics will speed up the process of mastering the language.

 

There is no point in knowing words that you may not even use in your native language.

3. Schedule time.

Plan your time like a training session. Drill and practice. Think about what you want to achieve and how long you want to do it in and plan your “language training session” making sure you “train” the key points you need.

  

4. Accept your mistakes

We talk a lot about making mistakes, don’t we?

 

 

Without mistakes, there will be no improvement. Make a note of your mistakes and write down what you should have said below. This will help you remember the mistake and, more importantly, remember how to say it correctly.

 

5. Learn key words and phrases

Language learning textbooks and workbooks have expressions that are perhaps too formal and polite. This is not REAL everyday language. Native speakers do not speak in this formal and polite style, so it is essential that you learn key phrases that are used in real life.

 

6. Group classes vs individual classes

Group classes help, of course, but they are an inefficient use of time and money.

 

Group classes are obviously cheaper and can accommodate many people, but it is a much slower process . The class moves at the pace of the student who is struggling the most and the curriculum is set for the group as a whole.

 

Language learning is a personal process – everyone learns at a different pace, so a group class will not be able to address the personal needs of every student.

 

 

Private lessons , whether online or in person, are a much more efficient use of time. The class will be tailored to your requirements and the curriculum will be agreed between you and your teacher. Your teacher will also work at your pace.

 

So, even though the price per class is more expensive, you will notice the results in much less time. This method will give you the greatest return on investment, as it forces you to speak and formulate sentences in the moment, which will challenge you and push you even further.

 

7. Online courses

There are many types of online courses available. To decide which one to choose, you need to think about the way of learning that suits you best . Pronunciation and vocabulary courses are great as you can do them at your own pace and practice at home. Combine this with a native teacher and you will see very fast results.

 

It all depends on you and the amount of time and effort you can devote to it, but don’t listen to the courses that tell you that you will learn in a very short time and without effort. THAT DOESN’T EXIST.

 

The best way to learn a language is to force yourself to speak and communicate with others. Studying from a book or program, without the support of a teacher, does not encourage you to interact. Instead, it forces you to memorize concepts and patterns that, if you don’t put them into practice, will be of no use.

 

 

Finally, find a way to make learning fun.

If you want to achieve your goals, you have to find a way to love learning it.

 

Find people you enjoy speaking with. Go to events where you can practice while having fun. Don’t sit in your living room or bedroom in front of a book. You’ll probably give up on it in no time out of boredom.

 

Talk about personal topics that interest you. Make it a personal experience , or else you will give up before reaching your goals.