Are your learning goals SMART?

Everyone makes goals to learn new things. Sometimes it's hard to meet your goals, and it feels frustrating. Some teachers in the U.S. have a system they call SMART. They say learning goals must be

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timely

'Specific' means 'exact'. Not "I want to learn English", but "I want to improve my spelling".
'Measurable' means you can measure your success. For example, "I learned to spell 6 new words this week."
'Achievable' means you can achieve, or succeed in meeting your goal. Not "I will learn to spell 1,000 new words this week!"
'Realistic' is similar to 'achievable'. You really can meet your goal if you try.
'Timely' means it's a good time for you to try this. For example, spelling is important to you now because you need to improve your writing for work. At another time, it might be more important to work on your speaking skills.

When you set SMART goals, you will feel successful. You can learn English (or anything!) one step at a time. Good luck!

BEST WISHES FOR 2012!

Happy New Year!

Polar bears



On January 1, 2,000 people went for a Polar Bear Swim at English Bay Beach. More people went for a dip in other locations around Metro Vancouver. In some places the swimmers paid a small registration fee for charity. (To see pictures click here.)

Why do people swim in the cold? Some people want one more exciting party to end the holidays. Some people want to really wake up for the new year.

A lot of people make New Year's resolutions. These are plans to change something in your life. You might make a resolution to get more exercise or to call your mother more often. You can make a resolution to study English harder! It's always helpful to have a learning goal. If you want some ideas for learning English, look around this web page.