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Make it easy to know what to study next. Whenever you finish a language learning session, make sure you know what you’ll be doing in the next one. That’s why following a language course from cover to cover – rather than jumping from one course to another - is a good idea. It's easier to learn when all you have to do is turn to the next page in your book, listen to the next article in your audio magazine or click on the next lesson on your software package.

Use audio material recorded by native speakers. If you study with the help of native speakers, you’ll learn faster and more accurately. You won’t pick up bad pronunciation habits. You’ll learn real everyday words and expressions, and lots of them. Also, it’s much easier to get motivated by native speakers because you feel you’re in touch with the culture you love.

Feed your motivation. No doubt your level of motivation to learn the new language will vary from time to time, but there’s a lot you can do to keep it well above the defeat level. Many of the tips in this article will help you. Remember: making language learning fun, setting small targets, knowing you’re always going to learn something new, etc. There’s one other trick that rarely fails to boost motivation: reward yourself. The greatest reward for many of us is a holiday to a country where they speak the language we're learning. On the weeks before leaving, you’ll learn faster than ever before. Not everyone, however, is able to go away, but there are other ways of rewarding yourself: join an online community that shares your interests, get a private teacher, get your favorite magazine in the new language, subscribe to an online course, etc.

I hope these tips help you in your language learning venture!

This article was written by Maria Fernandez, an experienced Spanish teacher, creator and author of Learn Spanish At Your Own Pace, Spanish for Kids - interactive multimedia lessons, Spanish Podcasts for Beginners, and other publications.