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Working, eating, taking care of your family, seeing friends, working out... It's often difficult to find time to take online courses, whether it's some language courses or other learning courses. After all, the day is only 24 hours long and you need to sleep. So, to finally find the time to improve your foreign language skills, here are some tips...

How to find time to take online courses?

You want to take online language courses, but you are afraid that you won't have time and will end up cancelling them, week after week? Don't worry, we can help you find 30 minutes of quiet time to learn a new language or improve your level in a language.

That's the advantage of Global Lingua's online courses: each session lasts 30 minutes! And while most students like to book two sessions at once, in order to take advantage of an hour's worth of instruction, it is entirely possible to take only 30 minutes. It's easier to fit into your schedule.

Take advantage of your lunch break

If you're too busy at home, why not take online classes during your lunch break at work? Many employees like to take this time to chat with colleagues, take a walk outside or go out to eat at a restaurant. So we suggest you set aside one day a week to take an online course. It's also a great way to take a break! To make the most of this educational break, you might want to bring your lunch or order something to eat at your desk after the class is over.

Talk to human resources at work

Do you think online language courses could be helpful in your job and professional career? Talk to your HR department! Some companies are happy to offer training to their employees, and English classes, French classes, or Spanish classes can be one of them. Better yet, other employees may also be interested in taking some online language courses! Your employer will be able to purchase plenty of online courses hours and distribute them to interested employees. In some cases, the classes could be held during your work hours.

Use your "travel time"

No, we don't suggest that you take your language class during your bus ride: neither your teacher nor the other riders will appreciate it. However, if you are lucky enough to telecommute (full-time or occasionally), you can take advantage of the saved commute time to take a class! Let us explain... If you usually take 30 minutes to get to work, take advantage of your remote working day to optimize those 30 minutes: get up at the same time as usual, but schedule a language class after breakfast and before the start of your work day. It takes discipline, but it can be done.

Delegate evening tasks

After a long day at work, there are often a few household chores left to do, such as hanging out laundry or making dinner. So there's no question of adding an online course! Except that you could postpone these tasks, or even delegate them (when possible). You can also decide that on the evenings you want to take an online course, you can have your dinner delivered. Like a reward after all your hard work.

Save some time on the weekends

Finally, we recommend that you save a few hours on the weekends to focus on learning that foreign language you're so curious about. How about seeing online courses as a hobby rather than a boring homework assignment? Finding time to take online courses is about finding time to take care of yourself. It's all about perspective... Instead of wasting half an hour figuring out what to watch on Netflix, escape by speaking English, Spanish, German, Italian or Mandarin!

How to maximize online courses?

Now that you've figured out how to save a few minutes for your online classes, we'll tell you how to get the most out of your 30 minutes or an hour of learning. Because if you listen to your online course distractedly, it will not help you improve! Learn how to make the most of your online classes.

Prepare your workspace

If you have the opportunity, isolate yourself in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed in the middle of the course. Since online language courses rely heavily on conversation, make sure you can hear your teacher clearly. Finally, if you can, always choose the same location, week after week. This way, you'll be able to immerse yourself in a studious atmosphere more quickly.

Keep a notebook handy

Think you'll be able to concentrate enough in 30 minutes to retain everything? Just to be prepared, take a notebook with you. Throughout class, you can write down new vocabulary words, a grammar rule you need to review in depth, the name of a book the teacher recommends, or simply a question to ask at the end of class.

Ask for homework

It's not hard to imagine that if you had trouble finding time to do an online course, you won't have time to do extra homework. And yet, doing homework in between classes is the best way to maximize (and not forget) what you've learned. Homework assignments given by teachers can vary: written exercises, reading texts or news articles, watching videos, etc. Some can be done in moments of waiting or between daily tasks.

Schedule regular classes

Finally, we strongly advise you to schedule your classes so that they are not too far apart in time. If you take one class a month, the benefits of that class will be quickly erased and you will feel like you have to start over. If possible, take at least one class a week. This is an appointment you don't want to miss, where you only think about yourself and your desire to learn!

With this (non-exhaustive) list of tips and tricks, we hope you'll finally find the time to take online classes and get the most out of them. Learning Spanish, English or Mandarin has never seemed so rewarding and fun!