The role of motivation in successful language learning

Motivation is a fundamental aspect of learning a language. It pushes you to establish goals, to work hard, and to overcome obstacles. Motivation is what keeps students going, even when the going gets tough.

I taught English to non-native speakers for many years. I graduated from university in my twenties and kept teaching until I retired. Now in my sixties, I’ve had plenty of time to notice what makes students successful, and motivation is at the top.

Importance of motivation 

When you begin learning a language, being dedicated is mandatory. The process can be challenging at times. To keep going, you need a strong desire to succeed. If someone isn’t motivated to learn, they’ll never be able to use the language to communicate. So, to get good at a language, you’ll need motivation (lots of it).

Languages are built in our brains starting from scratch! 

Learning a new language is like starting from the ground up. If it’s a language you’re unfamiliar with, you likely don’t know anything about it. Languages like Persian, Arabic, and Turkish are very different from English, so it’s almost like starting from zero. There are also very few words that are similar to English.

Having some overlapping between your language and target language can help. But you can succeed even when there isn’t any.

Small habits

Learning a language is like building small habits over time. You improve little by little, but often you won’t notice the progress right away. Trust the process and keep working on your skills (especially through listening and reading). When you practice regularly, you’ll get better (even if it doesn’t feel like it). If you stick with it, you won’t get worse—only better. Just keep going and stay focused.

Language learning is a trip you take by yourself! 

Learning a language is a personal journey. Come up with your reasons for doing it. Your reason could be learning it for someone else. But still, that is your reason.

The best approach is to learn in a way that suits you and makes the process enjoyable. Focus on learning for yourself.

Don’t let go of teachers that motivate you!

You can have a teacher if you want, but you can also be self-taught. It’s great to have a good teacher, especially if he or she helps keep you motivated to learn.

Learning on your own is also a great path!

When you’re learning a language just by yourself, you can stop or start whenever you want. Whether you’re studying something or reading a book, you can choose to take a break or keep going. You have full control over your learning.

If you’re dedicated and motivated, you’ll always come back to your learning plan because you know you’ll succeed as long as you don’t give up. Even if you stop learning a language and find it hard to speak, you can still catch up from where you left off when you start again. You’ll be able to make progress and move forward.

Motivation translates into commitment and perseverance!

Commitment and perseverance are two attitudes that guarantee your success in learning a language. If you have the necessary commitment and perseverance, these will always bring about rewording results because even though you encounter difficulties, you will always prevail.

But my motivation is running low. Have I failed?

One common challenge when learning a new language is feeling discouraged and losing motivation. A student in Spain mentioned that during the COVID-19 lockdown, he was very motivated at first, but after three months, it became hard to stay enthusiastic.

What have learners done wrong if they suddenly dislike the language they’re learning?

The truth is, if this didn’t happen sometimes, it would be unusual. We’re all human and have good and bad days. No one feels amazing every day.

When we’re learning a language, which takes a long time, there will be days when we want nothing to do with it. We won’t even want to hear a single word in that language. The first thing to understand is that this is completely normal.

It’s frustrating when you wake up not wanting to do your usual language-learning activities. I used to be hard on myself whenever I couldn’t keep up with my progress. But once I realized this part of the learning process, I stopped being too tough on myself. It happens to me, too—sometimes I don’t feel like doing anything related to learning a language.

What’s the solution for when we’re feeling unmotivated?

The answer can be as simple as accepting that it’s okay. Allow yourself to feel unmotivated. Don’t worry. If you aren’t motivated for a day, two days, or even a week, it doesn’t mean everything is falling apart, that you’ve lost your purpose, or that you’re a failure. It just means you’re having a rough day—nothing more.

So, take a break. Put your textbook away, close your computer, and do something else. Don’t force yourself just for the sake of it. It’s important to recognize these periods of low motivation. You might be pushing yourself too hard, or studying too much. Maybe you need to slow down a bit. Instead of two hours a day, try one. Or if you’re doing an hour, cut it to 30 minutes. Even though you’ll spend less time each session, you’ll recharge, which will help you keep going for weeks or even months longer.

Wrapping up 

Overall, this is a better approach. Think of the story of The Tortoise and The Hare—slow and steady wins the race. When learning a language, you won’t be fluent by next month. It’s going to take much longer. So, stay committed for the long run. When you feel unmotivated, take a few days off. Focus on the bigger picture instead of just the next step.