What’s known as “participation” in the US classroom usually means focused attention and frequent speaking in class, and it is a crucial element of your academic performance. Being actively engaged in class assignments, especially with classmates, gives you valuable discussion experience, reflects positively on you as a student, and contributes significantly to your learning of course material. Notice how much you appreciate others’ contributions and realize that yours, too, are valuable to others and essential to shared learning.

Each language has its own characteristics, rules, style, and melody. Take time to listen. The more you listen and soak up the music of the language the easier it will be to refine your pronunciation and enter the conversation around you.

How do you take in new information? Do you prefer listening to podcasts, watching a movie, or listening to music? Exposure is essential for language learning, regardless of method. Be sure to choose content that you enjoy listening to on repeat. Once you have a good understanding of the content, shift your focus to mimicking phrasal expressions, intonations, and pronunciation.

Have a dedicated space for new vocabulary you encounter. Commit to a system that works for you, whether a notebook, a blank Word document, a note-taking app like Evernote, or even the audio recorder on your phone. Save the words and phrases that resonate with you creatively as well as ones you need to understand for coursework.

When you learn something new, try to use it in writing and conversation immediately. Using new language will bring it into your active vocabulary more quickly, though it may feel awkward at first.

Progress happens in small steps. That's what milestones are based on. Set measurable goals quarterly (four-month increments), and divide that goal into monthly actionable activities. Once you have identified your goals and actionable activities, write them in a journal and record your progress.

How much time do you want to allocate to learning? Developing your own study method should be personalized and tailored to your learning style and availability. I would recommend starting on a mobile app like Duolingo. Platforms like Duolingo allow you to set daily time for practice while recording your progress. If you forget, no worries! The app will notify you when you have missed a session.

Whether in the classroom or online, learning environments are international and intercultural spaces. You may notice different ways of communicating (gestures, expressions) or unfamiliar ideas and content specific to American history or culture. If you don’t understand something, ask for clarification. Pay attention to cultural issues that come up and work to expand your awareness and vocabulary to enter unfamiliar discussions.

Language anxiety is the fear of learning or using a language that is not your primary language. To overcome this fear, find a language partner you trust. Your partner does not have to be an expert. They could be a friend or A&L tutor who has a little more exposure to the target language. You can have a conversation and ask them for feedback and suggestions.

Advancing your language level takes time and patience. Trust that each step of the learning process is necessary and useful. Take risks in your speaking and writing because each mistake will reveal a learning opportunity and strengthen your language skills.

You will make the most progress when you work together. Make connections with your peers, form study groups, review homework assignments together. Get feedback on your work from friends or A&L tutors as often as possible!