Set Goals for Learning Spanish at Home

There are so many great benefits to learning Spanish at home. For example, you get to learn at your own pace, it’s typically less expensive, and you can choose topics that you’re genuinely interested in. However, it’s easy for self-guided students to start to feel lost. If you feel like you’re studying aimlessly and don’t know if you’re progressing, it’s a good time to set goals. We’ll show you some tips to help you feel motivated!

One thing to keep in mind is that in order for goals to be really valuable, you want them to be observable and measurable. That means a goal like “I want to be fluent in Spanish”, can feel vague and frustrating when you’re trying to track your progress. Having something more measurable or a goal that is clearer when it’s achieved can make you feel more accomplished when you’ve reached it!

Set goals for yourself

Long term goals

These are goals that take at least 3 years to achieve. For pretty much anyone trying to accomplish anything, this can feel like a lifetime away! Achieving these goals requires patience and consistency to reach. The first step is recognizing that it’s going to take a long time to reach. Sometimes, stating the year that you want this to happen can help it feel more practical. For example, if you want to travel to a Spanish-speaking country, thinking about the exact year you want to go can make that more real!

Medium-term goals

These goals take anywhere from 2 months to 3 years, depending on the goal itself. Therefore, it’s a good idea to think of multiple goals so that way they’re sort of staggered. For example, a medium-term goal might be completing a certain level of Spanish, scoring a certain percent on a grammar test, or anything else you can think of.

Short-term goals

As you may have guessed, short-term goals typically take less than 2 months to achieve. Although these goals might not be as exciting or glamorous as medium or long-term goals, these are just as important. Consistently setting short-term goals gives you a sense of accomplishment that propels you to keep working hard. Short term goals might be watching a certain number of movies in Spanish, completing a book series in Spanish, or learning a certain number of vocabulary words.

Set goals and keep them in sight

After you’ve thought of your goals, have them somewhere where you’ll see them often. There’s nothing wrong with keeping them in the notes app on your phone, but seeing them every day on your wall, fridge or mirror will help you visualize these goals. It will also help remind you of your goals and push you to keep trying! Visuals are so important in keeping and maintaining a healthy mindset around learning Spanish.