One of the reasons private German lessons for working professionals, like those offered by German Academy Zurich, are so powerful is because they help overcome one of the biggest hurdles to language learning: time.
For many expats moving to Switzerland, learning German isn’t optional, and scheduling private German lessons around work and family schedules can be difficult. With intention and planning however, a full life doesn’t have to stand between you and your language goals.
Effective time management strategies for language learning adults include setting a goal, working around existing routines, prioritizing consistency, and scheduling intensive one-on-one lessons.
Setting a Goal
When time management is a challenge, establishing what your priorities are becomes key. The best way to do this is to know what your goal is.
Maybe the easiest way to set language learning goals for adults is through the lens of an exam or certification. Do you need to reach a specific CEFR level? Are you preparing for a fide examination? Do you need a TELC certificate?
When you have a specific outcome with a specific deadline, it becomes much easier to manage your time in a way that most benefits your goals and practice.
Working Around Existing Routines
Time management for language learning adults becomes much easier when the other aspects of their lives are scheduled. Carefully planning work, family requirements, and social time lets you decide when you have the capacity to pursue your language goals.
Part of this practice includes accounting for your mental capacity. Forcing yourself to study when you’re not going to retain it isn’t a good use of your time. Successful language learning isn’t just about scheduling lessons or practice, it’s about scheduling those things when they’re going to stick.
Prioritizing Consistency
Adults learning languages can be held back by a desire for perfection or overambition.
Avoiding Perfectionism
Some adult language learners clam up when a stranger talks to them at the grocery store, not wanting to use their language skills until they’re perfect. The reality of learning a language is that every little bit of practice helps, regardless of mistakes you make.
If you wait until you know everything, you’ll never improve your fluency and never reach your goals. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good!
Sidestepping Overreaching
You might have it in your head that you need to commit several hours a day to hard language practice in order to achieve your goals. Then, when you don’t have that time or don’t feel like it, you decide to wait until you have a large block of free time available. This only holds back your advancement.
Don’t aim for big, in-depth study sessions that go on forever uninterrupted. The best adult students plan small sessions when they have the time, and are flexible enough to make use of unexpected opportunities. Did a meeting end a half hour early? Look at your vocabulary cards for fifteen minutes.
The Power of One-on-One Lessons
Private lessons with a language teacher are irreplaceable in the language learning journey. These sessions can teach you a lot, and they can serve as anchor points in your schedule.
Furthermore, when you start your language journey by working with a professional, you get to make use of their expertise at creating schedules.
Making the Most of Your Time
The experts at German Academy Zurich can help you create a schedule fitted to your capacity. We’ve helped countless expats from more than sixty countries move to Switzerland, and we can help you find the time to achieve your language goals, be it specific exam requirements or simply growing your ability towards true fluency!
