One approach that can be helpful in learning anything new is setting goals. Goal setting can be a part of your ESL learning as well. You will find that you have different types of goals. There will be short, medium and long-term goals. An example of a short-term goal would be learning enough English to have a short conversation with the supermarket cashier next week. A medium-term goal might be to read a favorite book in English. A long-term goal might be to get fluent enough in English to graduate from an American university.

On arriving at your ESL school, you can think about what your goals are. Studies have shown that people are more likely to reach their goals if they write them down. So, first of all, you should list your goals. Write them in English for practice. You might call the list something like “ESL Florida Goals.” Divide them into short, medium and long-term goals. Your goals will differ from anyone else’s because you are at a different place and situation than anyone else. Your goals should be your own, not the goals of your friends or family.

Once you’ve listed your goals for learning English, think about the steps you’ll need to take to reach them. For example, let’s take a look back at that goal for having a conversation with the supermarket cashier. Some things you’ll need to think about are the kind of vocabulary you might use in a conversation like that and what kinds of things you might talk about. You may want to ask a teacher at your ESL school to help you role-play just such a conversation.

Check off each goal as you reach it. This will give you a great sense of accomplishment. You might also want to reward yourself in some way for reaching goals. Some people find that reaching the goals is reward enough, but if it isn’t for you, don’t hesitate to give yourself something special for your hard work. Over time, you’ll add new goals to your lists, and other goals may become less important and fall away. It’s okay to remove goals from your list if they are no longer relevant to you.

Looking back at your ESL Florida goal list will also help you see how far you’ve come as time goes on. That will keep you motivated to keep working hard and learning.

MISSION STATEMENT

UCEDA SCHOOL’s mission is to provide student-centered English language programs and services to a diverse international and local student population.

Our main goal is to equip students with the English language skills and cultural awareness needed to help them lead more productive lives and/or pursue higher education in the United States and in a globalizing world.

UCEDA SCHOOL achieves its mission through its effective implementation of the curriculum, instructional methods and services.