OBJECTIVES

Good morning. Welcome back to the Daily Vitamin for the 2005-2006 academic year! I hope all of you had a relaxing summer AND I hope your summer included some English practice. ;-) I have always said that in order to learn English you need at least 3 things: 1) English Materials 2) Clear Objectives 3) A Clear Plan English materials can be a private teacher, an old textbook, a weekly class you're taking at a language academy, etc. I'm referring to steady contact with English. In theory, everybody who is studying English has access to materials; the important thing is that they take advantage of that access. Hopefully the Ziggurat Daily Vitamin will help you stay in contact with English this year by providing you with some more useful English materials. While most students of English have materials, very few have Clear Objectives. If you ask them why they are studying English, they may respond "because it's important to know how to speak English these days." That's not a clear objective. Before beginning this academic year, you should ask yourself why you are studying English. What is your ultimate goal? What level do you want to acquire? Write your objectives down! And finally, you should have a Clear Plan which will guarantee that you stay consistent and reach your goals. If you want your plan to be effective, it should be a WRITTEN PLAN. Decide what you are going to do with English each week until the end of July 2006 and stick to it; don't try to do too much, but be consistent. By having Clear Objectives and a Clear Plan, you will have a much better chance of being successful with your English this year. I hope you will take today's Daily Vitamin seriously and take action! Write down your objectives and make a plan for the year. To help you get started, I've attached an example of one of our student's objectives and annual study plan. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me. I hope you enjoy this year's Daily Vitamins!