Some students go to a class thinking that their brains are like sponges. They just have to passively sit there and take down notes and miraculously they will emerge from the class fluent in the language they are taking. Unfortunately what they discover is that they will take much longer to master the language. Months can pass before they even understand the basic lessons. They can fail exams and even the class. And only then do they wake up and realize that they have a problem.

And then there are the students who enter the classroom excited to learn. They actively participate and study the drills religiously. In other words they realizing that language learning is work, and they promise to work hard. They master the basics and realize learning becomes easier and easier as they go on, since they have become more familiar with the language. What kind of student are you?

Do you try to master each lesson?

It’s important to understand the basic concepts before proceeding to the next one. As language experts say, the process is sequential. If you don’t get one idea, you will be even more lost when the teacher introduces a more complicated one. Let’s say you are already confused by direct-object and indirect-object pronouns. Don’t let it pass. Go to the teacher after class and ask for additional instructional materials. Practice. Huddle with your classmates and ask for their help. Otherwise you’ll be utterly confused when you start learning reflexive verbs.

Do you find new ways of practicing?

Technically your homework may only be pages 57 to 75 of your grammar book. And then you do it. Are you done for the day? No! The really successful students know that as you understand a language, you have to practice it frequently, read texts and articles in that language, enhance your vocabulary. Don’t just stick to the homework your teacher assigned. Spend time on the subject matter. You can even get additional study materials from the Internet to reinforce what’s in your textbook.

Remember that language is about familiarity. By exposing yourself to other materials you become more attuned to the language and more attuned to it.