How is it that some people seem to pick up language easily, while others struggle for years and can't seem to get the hang of it? Well, you might think it's all about talent. Talent is part of it, but only a small part of it. In fact, most people who do a good job of learning a language just have good habits.
But what is a habit? It's a behavior that is regular. I'm sure you've seen people do this: They decide to study hard, so they buy a big English book and spend an entire weekend going through it. Then they don't look at it again for the next two months.
It's better to spend a shorter amount of time every single day than a long time every once in a while. Language is a skill, and if you've learned any other skills — whether it's playing tennis or using Excel — you'll know that regular practice is the key to improvement.
Now, if you make language learning a regular part of your daily life, what does that learning involve (包括)? Some people get too focused on how much stuff they're covering and forget about the importance of review. I mean, why move on to new stuff when you're not even clear on the last stuff? So, just like I said, practice, practice, practice; I advise you to review, review, review.
Reviewing and being regular are related to another habit of good language learners: They set goals. Goals come in all shapes and sizes. A large goal might be to get a certain score on a test, like a 90 on the TOEFL. A small goal might be to learn 10 new words each week. Whatever your goal is, don't let it override the quality of learning. With just those three habits, you're well on your way to better language learning.
