The 12 Mindful New Year Resolutions for Language Learners

One for each month of the year

I’m not usually a fan of resolutions, but as we step into a new year, I know that many new and not-so-new language learners will set some ambitious goals for 2024. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce or re-introduce the concepts of mindful learning to make sure you make the absolute best of your language learning journey.

I put together this compilation of 12 resolutions to help you gain some powerful mindset shifts that go beyond the conventional resolutions of reaching a certain level by the end of a certain month.

Here, my invitation is to cultivate a holistic approach of language learning that encompasses well-being, self-discovery and a genuine connection with the language.

Let’s start.

1. Set goals you can actually reach

As ambitious human beings, we tend to overestimate how much we can do in a year, but underestimate the power of small consistent actions on the long run. I say this as I gently remind you that a big proportion of the new goals set in January are given up by the end of the month, mostly because they were out of touch with reality, so basically undoable.

Things like :

• I’m going to lose 10 kilos in 3 weeks.

• I’m going to stop eating any kind of sugar or carbs, forever.

• Going from A2 to C2 in one year (low pre-intermediate to advanced)

But the mindful learners know better than setting unrealistic goals that would make them burnout or feel like losers for failing. Instead, they embrace sustainability by taking a good look at the other priorities in their life and making sure that everything fits, while allowing some wiggle room for …. well, life.

2. Choose resources that make you feel good

The era of letting language schools force their official program onto your brain is officially over. You don’t need to learn how Pedro went to the station, or how to speak about Maradona’s lucky hand unless it actually matters to you. As a mindful language learner, select the materials that resonate with your soul. About any topic really, as long as it piques your interest and curiosity. In this way, the language you learn becomes what it really is : a tool to communicate, to learn, to open your mind, to express your heart and to feel connected within the world. Surround yourself with books, podcasts, blogs, youtube channels and movies that bring joy and excitement to your language learning experience.

PS: Learning French at an intermediate level? Discover a collection of uplifting resources in my free Toolbox for French & Wellbeing right here.

3. Take small consistent actions

The other evening, after a day homeschooling the kids, I was just finishing to wash the dishes when I realized it was already 9pm. “There was just no way I would have time to do my full evening workout routine…” my brain thought. Luckily for me and my goals, I’ve learned not to fall into that thinking trap anymore.

We call it "the all-or-nothing mindset”: when you tend to think in terms of either having the time to do everything you had planned to do in the perfect environment to do it, or not being able to do any of it at all. The reality however shows that although our circumstances are rarely perfect, we could reach our goals sooner if we were to take smaller, more imperfect but more consistent action. In other words, do what you can with what you have, but don’t use the excuse of not having enough so you don’t even try doing anything.

Taking small consistent actions creates a compound effect that will lead you to improvements, and to feeling better about yourself.

4. Let go of the result by falling in love with the process

If you were to never be native-like in French or any other language you’re learning, would it still be worth studying it?

We’re a very goal-oriented society, but focusing on reaching the results deprives us from the joy of being present with the process. When we focus on the results, we keep worrying that we might not get there as fast as we want, or that we might not get there at all. That thought alone creates stress that prevents us from entering a state f creative flow that is so beneficial to the learning process. That’s why it’s essential to shift our focus from end results to the beauty of the learning process itself.

Embrace the journey, relishing every step as you immerse yourself in the French language. Let yourself be present with the language, let it enter you as you start expressing your heart in the language. And if you never get to the destination, the journey would definitely have been worthy.

The free Re-Connect to French Challenge is an amazing way to fall in love with French again all while forgetting that you’re learning French at all.

5. Learn to express your authentic self in French

The purpose of language is to express who we are into this world. So why would we take away this purpose when we learn languages? I see languages as a gateway to understanding ourselves and expressing ourselves more authentically. When you don’t master French and you dive into questions and prompts that question your values, your beliefs, your identity…. You don’t have the ready-made answers that you’ve rehearsed so much over the years, so you must really think and often re-discover yourself, perhaps through another angle.

What a beautiful adventure it becomes, then, to uncover yourself through a language you love learning. To do so, dive into activities that encourage you to authentically communicate in French, revealing your true self such as journaling.

Want to be guided for the adventure? Purchase My French Journal as a digital e-book or in hard cover on Amazon.com to follow my thoughtfully crafted prompts and journaling tips.

6. Take gentle steps outside of your comfort zone

Challenge yourself gently by stepping outside your comfort zone. You’ve heard this a million time, but it’s not that easy to apply it because often we don’t really understand what it means, or what the comfort zone represents for us. For instance, my comfort zone is to do language exercises in a workbook. I don’t mind following instructions, so I can comfortably read a grammar rule and then apply it in my book. Getting out of my comfort zone doesn’t mean doing harder exercises. Getting out of my comfort zone means learning to use what I’ve practiced in my book somewhere else : perhaps first in my journal, then in front of my mirror, and finally with real people in real-life conversations.

Gentle steps ensure that you still feel safe as you do something uncomfortable, so that you can keep doing it in the future. We need to feel confident enough so that we want to keep making efforts, but to challenge ourselves so that we actually grow.

7. Accept making the same silly mistakes again and again

You all know it: mistakes are part of learning, they are inevitable and they don’t mean anything negative about you other than “you need more practice.”

Here’s what I notice however : as long as our ego is alert, it’s very hard to accept making mistakes. Our brains know that we should let got, but our ego keeps telling us that we shouldn’t make so many mistakes, or that mistakes are ok but not silly mistakes, or that we shouldn’t make the same silly mistakes again and again, and again.

Meditation here is really effective to help us calm down the ego as we engage with the parasympathetic system. We find safety in our body, in our breath, in the present moment and we suddenly disengage from the inner chatter that is constantly judging us and expecting us to have certain skills by a certain time without stumbling on the way.

The mindful language learner knows that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process. Embrace them, learn from them, and recognize that they are stepping stones towards improvement.

8. Practice humility and let go of perfectionism

Of course that last point about accepting mistakes involves practicing humility. Your language skills, however impressive they might (or might not) be, don’t define your worth or your level of intelligence. It’s super cool to speak several languages and to keep on learning and growing as human beings, but per se, speaking languages perfectly doesn’t make you a better person.

So instead of attaching onto this image of the perfect student, learner, polyglot, let yourself be humble and vulnerable. Let yourself say, without any shame : “I don’t know.” Let yourself learn and be taught. Laugh at yourself for it’s the best remedy. Release the pressure of perfection and appreciate the beauty of continual growth.

9. Make it a daily ritual

Make learning languages a cherished part of your day and you won’t miss a day. But like, for real… not just because you try to convince yourself that you enjoy something because you think you should enjoy it.

For instance, I don’t like flash cards. They’re effective. Duolinguo makes it fun for my brain that is high on adrenaline. But it’s not really meaningful for me, so after a while I just don’t find the motivation to keep it up. It’s no use telling myself “yes, it is fun, do it!” That’s not what makes a sacred safe space for you and the language you’re learning.

Really think it through: what would feel like a date with French? What are the elements of a daily ritual that feel and sound yummy to me? For more details on this concept, go read my other article: “Make French Joyful”.

10. Prepare your brain & body through breath-work, meditation & movement

Using meditation or breath-work to focus your thoughts and prepare your brain to learning is super beneficial: it ensures you an effective learning session, enhances your memory and improves your experience as it grounds you in the present moment.

Much too often, however, language learning is only looked at from a cognitive, brain-centered approach. We tend to disregard completely that 1) we are multi-sensory beings that are more than just brains and that 2) language learning and speaking involves also your body & your soul.

In this way, meditation and breath-work should also involve the body through paying attention to our sensations before, during and after a learning session, but also our sensations when we pronounce the words in French, our feelings when we express ourselves, the energy present in our body, the way our body moves…

Mindful language learners know that language isn’t only in the mind. It’s everywhere in us and around us. Pay attention to your physical, mental & emotional well-being before your learning session to make sure you make the best of it.

11. Focus on all areas of the language for cohesive improvement

I remember when I was a student at uni and I was studying for my oral exams. My predominant memory style is writing. If I rewrite and rephrase what I’m learning, I’m going to retain it much better than if I read it for instance. Doing this worked great for my written exams. However, if I’d kept studying only in this way, I would most certainly have failed my oral exams because I would have never trained to say it out loud.

The languages you learn, you want to speak them. So that if you train to only complete exercises in a book or on an app, or to only read texts, or to only listen to podcasts, or to only journal in French, you’re inadvertently creating a lack in your approach. You need to develop proficiency in all facets of the language—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—for a comprehensive and cohesive improvement.

Always with pleasure, but also in a cohesive way.

12. Be nice to yourself and practice self-compassion

Above all, be kind to yourself. If we don’t apply self-awareness, we tend to repeat to ourselves the negative things that we heard when we were kids. If it’s you, it’s time to take a step away from your thoughts and recalibrate them. Remember that you don’t have to believe everything you think: you get to choose your thoughts the same way you choose how you dress in the morning. Bring compassion to yourself and talk to yourself the same way you would speak to a dear friend, or to a child you love. Recognize that learning a language is a journey filled with highs and lows. Embrace self-compassion and celebrate your progress, no matter how small.

With this in mind, I wish you to embark on this new year with a mindful and heart-centered approach to French learning. May your journey be filled with discovery, growth, and the joy of linguistic connection.

Wishing you a year of linguistic and personal enrichment,

Jessica