This guest post is by Abigail Turner, on behalf of architecturalgardendesign.com.

Good learning is all about a good environment: most people don’t study their best on the floor of a loud factory or on a bus full of shouting kids.

Learning a language can be one of the hardest things to learn. Because phonetics, sounding words out, and rehearsing dialogue are a big part in the learning process, it’s important to have a good learning environment. This area should be free from distractions to help you increase your learning.

1. Control Your Environment

A good learning environment is one in which you have full control. You need control over potential distractions, including whom or what you allow to enter the environment.

A good learning environment means you don’t have to worry about your cousin barging in to show you a funny YouTube video. It means that you don’t have to worry about the sounds of construction and jackhammers penetrating your domain as you study.

Control is the main ingredient necessary, as it will allow you to focus undeterred or without fear of potential distractions breaking through.  Without control—or reassurance as it may be—your mind will never allow you to fully immerse yourself in your studies.

Find an area that you can control; this could be one of the quiet rooms at the library, a cozy spot at the school or an area in your home that you declare to be your study space.

2. Communicate Your Expectations

If you’re using a place at home, you may want to talk to your family, spouses, and kids (unfortunately, pets won’t be able to process your request) about your study space. Although homes can be great study spots, it won’t help if you’re being pestered by loved ones the entire time.

Make sure they know that when you’re studying, you intend to do solely that: study.  Setting up a timeframe is one of the best ways to do that.  Designate a period of time for you to use for studying, and tell your family about those hours.

3. Create Some Extra Noise

Does that tip surprise you? A good learning space doesn’t have to be an area of absolute silence.  In fact, silence can be one of the biggest distractions in and of itself—making you focus on the quiet and increasing the distraction levels of any unwanted sounds that may enter.  Finding some soothing background music or noise (a fan or white noise emulator) can help you relax, get comfortable and excited about your studies, and make you more productive.

Noise and/or music can also help with learning new languages, as many people might find themselves a bit self-conscious while they sound out words and practice pronunciations in the dead quiet.  The goal of a good learning environment is to help your comfort and provide you a place that you feel is your own; only when you’re comfortable will you be able to immerse yourself appropriately into your studies.

Key Words: Control and Comfort

Learning a new language can be hard, but thankfully finding a good study environment is a much easier task.  Just remember the two key words: control and comfort. (Control usually allows comfort.)  With those concepts in place, you’ll find your way into more productive studying, free from distraction.

In the comments below, answer these questions: Where do you study? How do you eliminate distractions?”

Abigail Turner is a writer for Architectural Gardens. Aside from constantly reviewing Chicago landscapers, she spends her free time collecting vintage ornaments.