You Can Be the Perfect Language Learner by Honing These 7 Traits!

You Can Be the Perfect Language Learner by Honing These 7 Traits! You Can Be the Perfect Language Learner by Honing These 7 Traits! A dash of study scheduling.Mix in some authentic target language media.And dont forget a heaping cup of learning motivation.The recipe for language learning perfection is easier to follow than you think!Now, its true that you dont have to be a perfect language learner in order to learn a language. Many people who are fluent now will tell you that they made mistakes in their learning process, whether it was wasting time on learning tools they didnt need or procrastinating important but difficult grammar concepts.But at the same time, the closer to perfect you are, the easier itll be to learn a language.You can learn a language nearly anywhere, whether you do it traveling abroad or through  language learning websites. Regardless of where you learn the language, though, your approach, attitude and unique traits make a difference.Were going to help you find the ingredients for language learning perfection within yourself.By adopting the seven key traits discussed below, you can get as cl ose to perfect as possibleâ€"and fluency wont be far behind. Why Should You Aim for Language Learning Perfection?In language learning (as in life!) improvement is almost always possible. If you just settle into the same old language learning methods, your motivation will quickly plateau. Instead, continually assess how you can tweak your language tools and study style to better suit your goals and keep pushing you forward.One reason youll want to perfect your language studies is to save time. The right approach and attitude can shave valuable time off your studying. Seeing more progress in less time isnt just enjoyable, itll motivate you to keep going.Additionally, being the perfect language learner will help you reduce stress. If youre using the wrong techniques, approach or attitude, youre wasting time without seeing as much progress as youd hope, and thats inherently stressful (and pretty disappointing).Not only will this improve your learning outcomes, itll also make your lear ning journey a more rewarding overall experience.You Can Be the Perfect Language Learner by Honing These 7 Traits!Ready to learn how to achieve perfection in your own language studies? Here are seven key traits you can cultivate in yourself to improve your language learning process and get fluent in less time and with less stress!The Perfect Language Learner Is1. Enthusiastic for Language StudiesNo matter the subject, learning is easier when you enjoy what youre studying. To perfect your language learning regimen, its important that you actually enjoy studying your target language!Easy enough when youre watching hilarious movies, cooking or learning vocabulary thatll help you flirt. But what about dry grammar rules or boring but essential words?Natural curiosity cant be faked, but you can enjoy learning languages more by homing in on the study methods you most enjoy.With technology, theres a huge selection of different programs and tools thatll help you learn a language. You might u se computer software, audio programs or even more traditional textbooks, depending on your learning style. The trick is to find what you enjoy most. If you enjoy the process, youre more likely to keep doing it, which in turn leads to more learning.FluentU makes it easy to be enthusiastic about learning languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, enjoyable, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a comp lete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.2. Motivated to LearnThe right motivation  can make or break the learning process. The perfect language learner is motivated by a variety of factors. For instance, motivation can come from preparing for a trip abroad, professional opportunities or interest in learning about other cultures. Regardless, something should be driving you forward in your language ed ucation.Personal motivation varies, but its impossible to perfect your language learning without sufficient motivation. If youre learning a language just because its required, that isnt the sort of motivation thatll lead toward fluencyâ€"thats a recipe for quitting.So how can you hone your motivation?Think about what you want to get out of your target language down the road. How will it benefit you? Wholl it help you communicate with? What do you find interesting about the language? Even if youre taking a language for, say, a school requirement, you can find advantages thatll personally impact you.Still not motivated? Consider planning a trip to a country where your target language is spoken. Look at the beautiful sites. Consider what foods youd eat. Make a list of everything youd like to do in that country. Whether or not you ever actually take that trip, imagining it whenever you study will serve as fuel for your motivation.3. Committed to Daily Use of the Target LanguageDaily stu dy is important, and perfect language learners know this. If you only study every few days, youll lose some knowledge between each study session, slowing your progress significantly. Daily studying is an efficient way to prevent knowledge loss and thus speed up the learning process.Home immersion is one key way to incorporate your target language into your daily life.  By stocking up your home with target-language content and committing to only reading, thinking or surfing the web in your target language while youre home, youll have no choice but to work toward fluency.Making a schedule can also help. For instance, you might try listening to podcasts in your target language whenever you shower. Maybe youll read the news in your target language as you eat breakfast. Developing a schedule like this will make using your target language an important part of your day that youll never skip, and this will help launch you to perfect learner status.4. On the Hunt for Diverse Target Language MediaPerfect language learners use a lot of different media in their target languages. Why, you ask? Because every type of media targets a different language skill.For instance, books offer formal reading practice. Blogs or magazines offer practice reading less formal language. Movies and TV shows provide excellent listening practice and can even teach regional variations of a language. Learning videos like  BBC Languages  provide learners with accessible, unintimidating content. Even  language learning apps  help perfect learners see their target languages in a new light.Luckily, this is an easy trait to hone in yourself. All you have to do is consume more media in your target language. Dive into books. Read magazines. Watch movies and TV. Listen to music. And if youre looking for a particularly useful media resource, try FluentU.FluentU is a media-rich tool thats perfect for language learners. It offers authentic target language videos like news, music videos, movie trailers and m oreâ€"with a twist. Each video has annotated captions that give you easy access to any words definition, example sentences and an associated image.Plus, you can click any word to see how its used in other videos. That means youll get instant exposure to a diverse range of target language content, all while actively building your vocabulary.The best part is that you can take all this learning media on the go with the FluentU mobile app for iOS  or Android!5. Actively Participating in StudiesThe perfect language learner doesnt just sign up for a class, kick back and expect to become fluent.Instead, try to figure out how to turn your weaknesses into strengths. This means putting in extra work outside of traditional studies, but it pays off.To be a perfect learner yourself, participate actively in your education. How this looks will vary from person to person, so experimenting with different techniques and strategies is key.If youre taking a formal class, the fact of the matter is your teacher probably doesnt know exactly what you, personally, need to work on. If youre using educational software, it cant fully assess your individual skills and background. But if you think about it, chances are you do know your weaknesses. Think about the areas in which youre least confident and work on them.If youre still not sure of your own weaknesses, you can take an assessment through language proficiency tests like Dialang, which offers assessments in reading, writing, speaking, structures (a.k.a grammar) and vocabulary. Once you have your scores, you should have a clearer idea of what areas need the most work.Wondering how youll ever find time for all this outside of what youre already doing? Well, think back to Trait 3. Theres almost always space for target language engagement during your day, whether its those few minutes between meetings in the afternoon, your car ride home, your lazy Sunday morning, etc.6. Aware That Setbacks Will HappenLearning a language isnt a smooth road. There will be bumps along the way. However, the perfect language learner doesnt fear setbacks. Recognize that through hard work, you can overcome any obstacle you face.You can hone this trait in yourself by not being easily deterred. When learning a language, full fluency can seem impossible. Native speakers talk more quickly than you could dream of understanding. Tricky grammar rules seem impossible to apply consistently. Luckily, the longer you study, the easier these things get.If you keep in mind that learning a language is a marathon and not a sprint, you can stay on the right path and become a perfect learner.7. Not Afraid to Ask for Help!Perfect learners are not afraid to reach out for assistance, whether that be from tutors, teachers or other learners. Even though theyre skilled at learning languages, they encounter things they just cant figure out. It may be a grammar rule, a difficult pronunciation or even a particularly tricky vocabulary word.To improve your languag e learning process, you should do the same when you need help. Dont hesitate to ask questions of your teacher or professor, seek assistance from a native speaker or discuss the issue with friends who are learning the language.You can also reach out for assistance online. For example, services like Verbling can connect you with native speakers who are qualified language teachers. You can browse thousands of teacher bios to find the tutor whos best for your skill level, language goals, schedule and budget. Its an awesome tool to get your specific language questions answered, all in a friendly, supportive environment.These traits are naturally occurring in some people. Even if you have to put a little work in to develop these traits in your own life, though, its worth the extra effort to become a perfect language learner!