Setting Language Learning Goals for 2025
Last week we reviewed 5 tips to stay consistent and progress in our language learning in 2025. Now I want to give you a real-world example of how to make it happen. This year I’m continuing my Korean studies, starting my Spanish journey, and picking up where I left off with Thai. Ambitious I know, but not entirely impossible. And here is how you can do it too.
Proficiency Vs Fluency
As this article in Dynamic Language explains,
“The primary difference between fluency and proficiency is that fluency deals with the smoothness of speech, whereas proficiency pertains to the ability to communicate accurately.”
Both are necessary when learning a second language. However, choosing one over the other may help focus your study. If you know a ton of vocabulary but can’t speak well, fluency would be your goal, and vice versa.
Know where you stand.
Before setting realistic goals, you have to be honest about where you are in your learning journey. Whether starting from zero or a few years in be as exact as possible regarding your current abilities. Like many, I am basing my level on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
You can also base your level from:
ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages): This includes levels from Novice to Distinguished.
ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable): Ranges from 0 (No Proficiency) to 5 (Native/Bilingual Proficiency).
Simpler still if you are using materials that have multiple books from novice to advanced, you can use those as your personal guide.
Based on the CEFR I am teetering on the line of B1 and B2 regarding Korean proficiency.
everyday conversations ✅
write simple text ✅ write an essay 🚫
reading paragraphs 😅 (if it is more than a paragraph or two I will lose the plot)
With Spanish, I know basic words and can introduce myself and ask the usual who what when where why how.
Set Realistic Goals
Main Goal
Now that you know where you are, and where you want to go write out exactly what it is you want to achieve.
Example: I plan to improve my Korean proficiency from B1 to C1 by the end of 2025 and for Spanish, go from A1 to B1.
This is a hefty task. I am essentially trying to jump 2 levels of 2 languages in 12 months and to be honest, if I were working full-time, this would not be possible. Keep in mind that everyone has different goals and different schedules.
Why it is achievable:
My Korean is far more advanced than my Spanish.
I have been studying for so long that I am confident in my ability to self-study and stay consistent.
Spanish (so far) is far easier than Korean.
I grew up around Spanish speakers and live in Arizona, I have every opportunity to speak Spanish daily.
Spanish is closely related to English and through reading Madrial….. I have discovered I already have a steady handle on Spanish vocabulary.
In short, my goals are not so lofty that they are unachievable. I have matched my goal with the time and resources I have access to.
Quarterly Plan
To be considered C1 in Korean I must be able to express myself spontaneously and have the ability to speak on a wider range of topics and text. Based on these criteria I know I need to get a hold of more vocabulary and grammar.
Pro Tip: Feed your goal to ChatGPT and ask it to make your quarterly breakdown and milestones for you.
Now that I have a plan for each language I will promptly forget quarters 2-4 and focus on the tasks at hand.
Building Your Plan
Hours a Week
Your goals must be realistic with your schedule and resources. If you work 40+ hours a week on top of other responsibilities It is unlikely that you will study for hours on end every day. Be sure to plan accordingly. You will still make progress studying once a week or 15 minutes a day.
My schedule is a bit wishy-washy at the moment. On any given day my entire day changes and I just have to flow with it. Because of my inconsistent schedule, I like to log my study hours per week. The goal is a minimum of 10 hours for Korean and 4 hours for Spanish.
This allows a little leeway and I can break up my studies however I would like as long as I reach this goal. Sometimes that will look like 3 hours of Korean in a day with no Spanish or 45 minutes of Spanish and 1 hour of Korean. However, I am an early riser and often finish studying before the sun even comes up.
Study Materials
You don’t need 10 books on the same subject. One more time, you DO NOT NEED 10 GRAMMAR BOOKS. Take inventory of the materials you have and decide which ones you like and which you don’t. If you’re struggling with consistency:
Take inventory of the materials you have and decide which ones you like and which ones you don’t.
Think about what you like and dislike about them.
Pick one main resource and supplement it. For example, use Grammar in Use paired with Duolingo for practice. (Between the two I rarely ever need anything else. But if I do, I know that there are other free resources I can use.)
Rotate topics weekly—grammar one week, vocabulary the next—to avoid burnout.
Your study materials can make or break your progress. Being too spread out across materials makes it harder to focus and stay constant. It will take some time to decide what works for you and what doesn’t. I like to choose 1 grammar book, 1 vocabulary book, and 1 casual book with audio. Grammar and vocabulary help me build sentences and understand casual books. Casual books with audio improve my listening and pronunciation through shadowing.
Milestones and Metrics
Your quarterly plan is a blueprint to help you focus. Use your quarterly plan to decide on more concrete milestones. Using milestones you can better gauge if your blueprint is working or needs adjustment.
For example: By the end of March I may not have learned 300 high-frequency words in Spanish. Going back to the blueprint I can decide if I am
not spending enough time learning Spanish or
decide if my time is not being spent correctly.
Track Your Progress
How you choose to track your progress is entirely up to you. Whether it’s a quick note in your journal or iPad or an extensive tracking sheet, it is always a good idea to track how much time you spend studying and what you studied versus what you retained.
Knowing if you are not retaining information from a certain study material lets you know that it’s not the right one for you. If You are making significant progress in one area over another, maybe it is time to reassess how much time you spend reading versus writing.
Celebrate Your Wins
Every day you choose to study over doom scrolling is a win. Every day you remember a new word or understand something you didn’t think you could is a great achievement. Focusing on these moments and making them bigger in your mind will take you much further than punishing yourself for what you do not know. Celebrating yourself provides a dopamine hit that encourages your brain to continue to remember what is important.
According to Psychology Today,
“By celebrating small wins, you can hone skills such as maintaining focus, goal setting, prioritizing, and organizing, leading to greater self-confidence and self-esteem.”
What are your study goals this year? I’d love to cheer you on and celebrate your wins with you!
