Updated September 2022
Uh… yeah, I just counted how many foreign languages I’ve studied so far in my life and it’s been twelve!
Though in defense of the version of me that isn’t 100% nerd, I only studied about seven of those languages with any real intensity or commitment.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a winter project – or just feeling motivated to improve yourself! – I thought I’d share my best language learning tips.
I’m also sharing these at least partly in the hopes that you guys will share your own language learning tips with me in the comments, because I could always use some more help. And if you’ve never learned a foreign language, maybe take this post as a sign that now is the time to start!
Follow your interests
Even if you’re totally excited about this new language learning journey you’ve embarked on, at some point or another chances are studying this new language is going to feel like a chore.
My best piece of advice is to find ways to incorporate your studies into things you’re already interested in.
For me, that’s reading. More specifically – and it’s totally fair if you make fun of me for this – I like to read blogs in other languages.
I’m a huge fan of blogs (um, duh), but also I’ve found them to be the perfect learning tool because they’re usually written in a very colloquial way. I mean, this of course isn’t always the case, but for the most part bloggers tend to write the same way they speak, so you don’t have to worry much about adopting strange terms that are only used in writing.
Podcasts have also been a game changer for me. Podcasts offer much more natural conversations than language courses do, and even if you barely understand what the podcasters are talking about in the beginning, podcasts are an excellent way to start developing an ear for a new language. Even playing podcasts in the background while you do house work or take a walk will help your language skills immensely, and you’ll find yourself starting to pick up more and more words as you listen.
Movies are also a really good tool, especially if you can find subtitles in the language you’re learning as well. The subtitles annoyingly don’t always exactly match what’s being said, but it will still keep your brain listening and reading in the same language.
Music is another way to start listening to things in your new language. Personally I’m so bad at understanding lyrics even in English so this one doesn’t really work for me, but I have friends who swear by learning languages through local artists so I guess it’s a thing.
Games are of course also an excellent way of studying a new language! A lot of language learning computer programs include games. I’m super competitive and if I play any game I can be hooked for hours – hours well spent if it means I’m studying a language!
Don’t worry about understanding every word
If you take my advice and start reading books or listening to podcasts in your new language, don’t worry if you don’t understand every word. I would actually advise against looking up every word you don’t know while reading, because one of the most important skills in language learning is being able to understand through context. You’ll likely never learn every single word in a new language, so it’s really helpful to become good at filling in some of those blanks yourself.
This also applies to speaking a new language. Even if your vocabulary is really small, you can learn to creatively communicate with the few words you do have, instead of constantly stopping to look up new words in the language. Then naturally over time your vocabulary will grow as you have more conversations with people.
Decide what you want to get out of the language
There are many different reasons to learn a language, and often the motivation behind learning it will help decide how best to study.
I studied Ancient Greek purely to be able to read old philosophy texts (lol, I know) so I focused on grammar and only studied vocabulary from Greek to English, not vice versa, and I didn’t bother with speaking.
On the flip side, when I’m studying a language because I’m planning a trip somewhere, then I try not to worry about grammar and instead learn useful phrases. But then if I’m actually trying to master a language then I’ll pay much more attention to grammar and vocabulary instead of just phrases, in the attempts to set a strong foundation.
The beginning is the most exciting part
Seriously though, there’s nothing like starting a new language and learning how to actually say stuff! It’s such a rush and totally addicting, which I think has actually pushed me to begin a whole lot more languages than I know I’ll ever actually learn – I’m looking at you, Tibetan.
This also means that it’s totally worth spending a few weeks studying a language before a trip somewhere, because even if you know you’ll never pursue the language when you come back home, the learning process is going to be fun and likely make your trip a lot more interesting as well.
Set concrete challenges
When the initial excitement of learning a new language begins to fade, it can be hard to stick with it. The hardest bit for me is definitely when I’m comfortable enough with a language to understand most things and make myself understood.
I’m actually stuck at this stage in Norwegian and it’s really frustrating. Like, on the one hand my Norwegian is pretty solid as I can understand most everything and communicate fine, but on the other hand I still kind of speak like a toddler and I know I’m just not improving at all.
The answer?
Ideally I should sign up to take a big language exam (like the Bergen’s Test in Norway – most languages have similar fluency exams) because then I’ll have to keep studying, and work to master the details that seem unimportant enough in everyday usage that I tend to just ignore them.
Basically when I start getting complacent it means it’s time to enrol in a new course or sign up for online lessons, or commit to some sort of challenge that will require me to level up my skills.
Think in the language you’re trying to speak
Obviously this one is going to be hard if you only know like, 20 words in this new language, but get used to expressing everything you possible can with those few words you do have. It’s really, really hard to translate directly between two languages, especially if they’re totally unrelated, and it can lead to really awkward and unnatural sentences.
I think this is also a big reason each new language becomes easier to learn – we get better and better at communicating with a very limited number of words and kind of just going with conversations where we only understand a portion of what’s being said.
The best language class I’ve ever taken was my beginner’s Russian course at university where my professor never used any English. It got to the point where I would kind of just forget about English while in Russian class, which helped me to really immerse myself in the Russian language and do a whole lot with the limited Russian I had.
Learn Russian!
Since I’m talking about Russian I feel like I have to say something about how useful a langue it is. Like, I definitely expected my French or German to be of most use during my travels, but I’ve actually used Russian the most!
I used it in Russia (duh), Central Asia, the Caucasus, Mongolia, and a lot of Eastern Europe, but I also used it in Egypt and Israel and that time Danielle and I hitchhiked with a Russian truck driver in Greece.
Know your strengths – and then ignore them
It can be really tempting to only play to your strengths when studying a language. So if you’re good at memorizing vocabulary, then you might want to spend all day doing that, or if you’re really good with accents you’ll focus on mastering that before you even have any grammar down.
The thing is, the stuff you’re good at is going to improve quite naturally, so you don’t need to worry too much about it. And if you focus too much on one aspect of a language, then you might actually end up hurting your progress.
I really love grammar, but I usually actively force myself to ignore it when I’m speaking because otherwise I’m going to get way too caught up in tiny details that most people won’t even notice.
Be consistent
It’s amazing how much of a language you can learn in just a few days. It’s also amazing how much you can forget in just a few days.
Language learning is one of those things where it’s much better to do a little each day instead of a lot every once in a while. You’ll learn way more if you spend 30 minutes studying everyday rather than say, 8 hours once a week.
Every language gets easier
There’s a reason people who have studied one or two foreign languages tend to then go on to study even more languages. I think it’s a really helpful thing to keep in mind because it means finally trying to learn a new language not only means opening up a new world in that particular language, but also a whole world of new languages to learn.
Travel!
Uh, okay not until all the travel restrictions get lifted. But then!
Travel has helped me learn so many languages I otherwise never would have had the chance to use, or even thought about learning.
I never, ever would have studied Japanese if I hadn’t spent two years on a Japanese island where no one spoke any English, and my university Russian was awful until I spent a few months traveling through Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Remember that people have different communication skills
This. Is. So. Key.
There’s no better way to kill your confidence in a new language than attempting to speak with someone who just cannot understand you, or you just cannot understand them.
The thing is, it might also be partly their fault. Some people just aren’t great at communicating with foreigners and they won’t know how to simplify what they’re saying or state it in a different way if you’re not familiar with the words they used the first time around. Some people also really struggle to understand different accents.
I mean, I have a friend here who can’t understand some other Norwegian dialects, so I don’t feel bad when my American accent confuses her.
If you have a total conversation fail with someone, don’t take that as a sign that you won’t be able to communicate with anyone else. Try again until you find someone with better communication skills.
And sorry if this is sexist, but I find that women tend to be way better at understanding my broken language skills and responding in an understandable way- maybe because we are wired to understand little kids? So like, maybe try to find a mother to talk to, haha.
Use your phone
I mean okay, you know this. But I also feel like I have to include this on this list because of course these new fangled smartphones we all have are so helpful with language learning. Duolingo, Memrise and Quizlet are all great tools.
I’ve used Duolingo as a general language course (they don’t have so many languages, but if they have one you want to learn you should definitely try it out!), Memrise for vocabulary, and then if you’re feeling ambitious you could also make flashcards from the words in Memrise and run through them on Quizlet.
If communication is your aim, find a way to speak the language
As a shy person I’m always so tempted to just learn a language in the safety of my own home, all alone where no one can hear my mistakes and make fun of me.
Of course the problem is, that never really works.
To really learn a language I have to get out of my textbook and actually, like, speak with people. In fact I didn’t truly start getting comfortable with Norwegian until I had lived in Norway for five months and began working at the local supermarket. I was forced to speak Norwegian everyday and stopped caring about making mistakes or sounding like an idiot.
So while a language course like Duolingo can teach you so much, you definitely need to supplement it with lessons where you’ll actually be speaking the language with someone.
And this is where the Internet comes in handy again: Skype lessons!
I actually recently did a ton of research into online language lessons (remember how I said my Norwegian had hit a plateau?) and my favorite platform by far turned out to be italki. Have you heard of it?
It’s a social language learning platform where you can find:
- Language exchange partners – here you can find someone who speaks the language you’re learning and wants to learn your native language, and you can set up Skype sessions where you spend half the time speaking your language, and half the time speaking their language.
- Informal language tutors – you can get lessons with tutors who don’t have teaching certificates. They’re often very budget friendly – like as low as $5/hour.
- Professional language tutors – I think this is the best part about italki. You can find a professional language tutor who will cater a curriculum to your needs. So if you’re working with outside materials like Duolingo or Memrise you can set these sessions up to supplement them perfectly. SO helpful, especially if you’re between language levels or don’t do well in a classroom setting.
I also love that italki has a really big network of tutors so you can try a bunch of different people out to see who you mesh best with (at least personally I’ve found teaching style has a huge impact on how I learn). Tutors also tend to offer a trial lesson at a big discount too, so you won’t waste a lot of money trying to find the best teacher for you.
My parents started using italki when they moved to France and they are huge fans. They also happen to have learned French super quickly, so I think it really works!
I also love that you can just take a few lessons if you want – next time I’m visiting a country where I don’t speak the language I’m totally investing $20 in a couple of language lessons!
Lol this post isn’t sponsored by italki, I’m just really excited to have found them!
Go ahead and get started!
I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I’d love to learn X language someday.” And I get it, I’m a huge procrastinator too.
But you’re not going to learn if you never start.
Do you have any tips to add, or a new language you’re interested in picking up? Share in the comments!
Leanne says
Great tips, I definitely think having an interest or a purpose helps. When I was at school I had ZERO interest in learning French (though nowadays i’m more interested as I like to go to France). My obsession with Scandinavia means that learning Norwegian and Swedish are actually something I do for fun now! I used Babbel for Norwegian for ages, but it’s not so great for speaking, but really useful for spelling, writing and reading – it’s not free but it was much better than my experience of using freebie Duolingo for Swedish. I’ve just paid for and tried sections 1-5 of Pimsleur Swedish and it is SO good. I have no idea how anything is spelt but I can speak more Swedish now than ever, even after spending almost a month in the country. Once I’ve finished the course I’m thinking of taking up Babbel again for spelling and reading and then joining a Swedish meetup group in London to practise or getting a tutor, as I think i’ll get more out of these things then. It helps having lots of Swedish friends to occasionally practise with too. I can’t wait to go back and surprise everyone with how much i’ve improved! I switched from mostly learning Norwegian to Swedish because I know more Swedish people, but after spending time in both Sweden and Norway last year with a Swedish person, I saw how easy it is for Swedes and Norwegians to communicate, so I think it will be good to revisit Norwegian once I’ve grasped Swedish and then I should find it easier.
Silvia says
Oh thanks for the tip! And yes, Swedish and Norwegian are so similar. I’m in Sweden now and understand pretty much everything, and I can just speak to people in Norwegian and it’s not a problem at all. It’s like two languages in one!
Henry Stivenson says
Main Essentials of Learning a New Language – They distinguish three main essentials associated with learning a new language; namely the vocabulary, basic sentence elements / patterns, and grammar rules. Vocabulary – the most basic step towards learning a new language is to learn its words. Familiarity with the words will lead you to form sentences. Sentence Patterns and Elements – this has to do with how you ask and answer questions. Making coherent sentences is the way to make someone understand what you are saying. The ability will also help you understand what others are saying and how you might respond. Grammar Rules – Each language has certain rules that need to be followed.
There is a special type of media developed for the first and second component – a bilingual graded book. Bilingual graded books are also called bilingual graded readers. They offer a parallel translation that allows the user to learn a new language in less time. With the translation on the same page, learners can effortlessly learn what any unfamiliar words mean. They can quickly pick up new vocabulary and phrases that are used over and over in texts of bilingual graded books. When they read a graded bilingual reader, they can pick up chunks of language and vocabulary that they can use in conversation and other real-world applications. It also significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to become conversational in a new language. As you read a bilingual reader, your brain begins to remember words and phrases simply because you are exposed to them several times. You don’t even realize, until you have to recall what you’ve learned, that you have already learned the new words and phrases. Listen to the audio tracks that should always accompany a bilingual graded book to learn how words are said and to improve your overall ability to speak the new language. A good idea is to use the free VLC media player to control the playing speed. You can control the playing speed by decreasing or increasing the speed value on the button of the VLC media player’s interface.
Decide what is better for you a paper book or an e-book. Many of the e-readers by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo have dictionaries pre-loaded on their devices, with options to download additional ones, for free. If you do not have an e-reader, you do not have to buy one, because you can download it as a free app to your phone and use it right away. Writing your own notes, searching or making highlights is ridiculously simple with an e-reader or e-reading app. Anything you do with an e-book is also synced to the cloud, ensuring any change will follow you, no matter what device you are on.
At first search on Google for “bilingual graded books” or “bilingual graded books for beginners”. Choose and buy a book on a suitable topic, for example general, business, medical, culinary, dialogues, students, cooking, family, tourists, detective, short story or whatever you like. Read it for about twenty minutes a day. If you do it every day, you will be surprised how much you can learn in a month’s time. Try to use the target language after you have learned for a month. If you don’t have an opportunity to talk to native speakers at home or at work/study, use your target language in small talk on Skype or another online chat. Search on Google for “free online clean chat rooms” and pick up the one that suits your interests. Two or three minutes of small talk two or three times a week or more often will give you some motivation and encourage you to learn new questions and answers for new dialogues. Compile a list of questions and answers for your dialogues in a target language or find them on Google with keywords “Bilingual graded books dialogues” and try using them.
Don’t be afraid of making errors. They are your steps to success. You will spot and correct them sooner or later anyway. They will not be for the rest of your life. Better not to talk at all than to talk incorrectly? Wrong! Start talking as much as you can! Your language will improve every time you talk. A learner who knows only a hundred words and isn’t shy of talking will progress more quickly than the one who knows a thousand words but remains silent because he or she is afraid of saying something wrong.
It can usually take you from one to three months to finish a bilingual graded reader at beginner level (A1) and elementary level (A2). The amount of time depends on your previous experience with learning foreign languages and on your personal abilities. At this point you should be able to ask and answer simple questions with the following questioning words: What? Who? Where? When? Which? How many/much? As you improve and become more confident in your ability to use the new language, you can move on to the next reader level and continue your language-learning journey. After using a bilingual graded book for a week or two you are ready to study grammar rules, so buy a good grammar book. A grammar book will satisfy your curiosity about grammar rules awakened by the bilingual graded book. Read the grammar book to find out how you can use your target language more precisely. Follow this order – first read a reading book, then use a grammar book and exercises to make your learning experience uninterrupted.
Language text with a parallel translation has helped many to uncover their potential for learning multiple languages. Whether you are learning a language as a hobby or for a necessary purpose, you will find such books are supportive. Using them is by far more pragmatic, efficient way to learn a new language than a “learn a language in two weeks” program. However you should frequently use the target language by using bilingual graded books with audio tracks, grammar books, chats, internet pages and even songs to maintain your motivation and progress. Remember – twenty minutes a day does the magic!
Webber says
Thank you for providing such clear, concise and orderly advice and instructions. This is very helpful for my personal learning style.
Cynthia says
Ahhh this is such an informative and useful post! You’ve discussed things I haven’t even thought of: for example, it’s not all my fault when an interaction (in a foreign language) goes sour. That thought had literally never crossed my mind, so now I’m feeling much much better 😉
This will sound really stupid, but in the first almost 3 (!!!) years I lived in CZ, I didn’t try very hard to learn the language because… I thought it would make me forget all my German. (the same way that I forgot my Spanish when I started learning German) Of course, have since found this to be so untrue and wish I had started studying the language years ago. But, no better time than the present 😉
Silvia says
Haha I totally had that fear before! But I think we’re safe to learn another language – at least it seems so!
Nynke says
I *love* learning languages. It’s so exciting to decode mysterious foreign messages (ahem, storefront advertising, menus, news items and the like), and possibly even more exciting when you can communicate in a new language with someones you otherwise would never have been able to talk with. Now, as the latest language I’ve learned is Norwegian, there are extremely few relevant people that I couldn’t have spoken English with, but that made the one brief phone conversation I had with the elderly lady who lives at the remote Kjeåsen farm in Hardanger all the more special. That and the fact that when I later started watching ‘Der Ingen Kunne Tru at Nokon Kunne Bu’ on Norwegian web TV (nrk.no is really great for that and has subtitles), I saw her portrayed there and realized I had actually talked to a bit of a celebrity!
I think your tips are great! If you learn Norwegian, you can actually watch a lot of television programmes online, with Norwegian subtitling, via the national broadcaster’s website (NRK), and reading the news will work in almost any language. I also like to read romance novels in languages I’m learning: they’re not too complicated and can be a lot of fun!
One more thing: as a trained linguist, I don’t think women’s brains are really hardwired differently that men’s when it comes to language, but the pattern you noticed may have something to do with people’s attitudes. Research shows that having negative attitudes towards other languages/versions of a language can really make them more difficult to understand… And another thing is that having more experience in dealing with ‘imperfect’ language really helps, too. In societies where women do most of the child rearing, that may make a difference, of course :).
PS Typo alert: “a spent” should be “I spent”
Nynke says
Oh, and itaki sounds great! If I ever actually start learning Japanese beyond what I pick up from watching anime, i.e. right before I go on holiday to Japan, I’ll definitely look it up!
Silvia says
Haha yeah, that makes a lot more sense than our brains being wired differently! Thats so crazy that the woman ended up being a sort of celebrity – what are the chances? And thanks for the typo alert!
Cavaforlunch says
Great article! I’m actually facing the rather opposite problem – how to TEACH someone a second language. I’m a Norwegian living in Scotland, but my boyfriend is British and he really wants to be fluent in Norwegian… My solution turned out to be post-it notes. I’ve stuck a post-it note – containing both the English and the Norwegian word for the item – to literally everything we own. I also speak to him in Norwegian quite a lot – even though he doesn’t get every single word, he still gets the gist of what I’m saying.
I think the best option is to not look at learning languages as a chore, but rather as something playful. As you mention yourself, apps such as Memrise are both great fun AND helpful.
Best of luck with your Norwegian! xx
Silvia says
Ooh good idea! When I studied Greek my room was literally covered in post it notes – it was insane!
Emily says
We were in Holland visiting my best friend and her new family last summer; it was my husband’s first trip abroad. One day we found him at the table flipping through their son’s picture books and learning the Dutch words for simple things like “police,” “sun,” or “flower.” I think starting with basics like that, the way children learn, is a great way to go about it! They sent my husband several Dutch children’s books for Christmas (partially as a joke, but partially as a way for him to keep learning some new words.) It was adorable and funny, but it works! He knows more Dutch words than me, and I’ve known her for a decade.
Silvia says
Aww how sweet! I always start a language by reading kids books, haha.
Keith Van Sickle says
Excellent advice, especially on the use of language partners.
Silvia says
They’re so helpful!
Laura says
I needed to hear this today! I’ve been stuck at sort of intermediate with my Spanish lately and I’ve been SO lazy – I’m going to try to start thinking in Spanish and also reading more Spanish blogs – great tips, thanks!
Silvia says
Yesss fill up your Bloglovin’ with Spanish!
Rosie says
Some great tips here; it’s really strange that you’ve used Russian more than French or German. I would never have expected that. I love listening to people talk foreign languages and thinking “how the hell does that mean something to you?”. Russian especially; I love the way it looks and the way it sounds.
I studied French and German at school and I’m not sure what you’re experience was at school, but as I’ve got older and used things like Duolingo, I’ve realised the way I was taught in school was pretty bad. It didn’t really teach me anything useful.
I really like Duolingo, especially the way it encourages you to do so much per day to keep on track. I found that really helpful when I was going to Italy and Sweden, because it meant I kept at it and when I went I could remember enough to get by.
Silvia says
Right? I also was surprised to use Russian the most, though I guess that is partly due to where I’ve traveled. It really is such a useful language though. And yeah, I think one of the best parts of Duolingo is that it penalizes you if you don’t study everyday, haha.
Agness of eTramping says
“Think in the language you’re trying to speak” is the best advice. It must be fun to know a lot of languages, Silvia.
Silvia says
Yeah, I swear by that rule!
Bea & Csaba says
We love Duolingo, too, it really helps picking up basic phrases. We just started learning some Spanish enthusiastically because we are going to Spain this spring. But we make the same mistakes again and again. Because when we only know a couple of words and phrases in a language then we are tend to change to English if we struggle hard or we even start the conversation in English – that is again a foreign language to us but at least we speak it good enough to be able to communicate.
But people are usually so happy even if we just say “Good morning” and “Thank you” in their language. And it’s fun to memorize these simple phrases. 🙂 They might not help in solving problems but they help starting a friendly conversation and then we can hope that they speak some English, too, so that we can actually get some help. 😀 And most of the times they can help even if they don’t speak English. We still remember an elderly women who called up her daughter and used her as a translator. 🙂
Silvia says
It’s so true – learning just a few phrases in a language can make for SUCH a better travel experience!
Erika says
Hi, I really enjoyed your post, since I love to know languages! I am brazilian, and we speak brazilian portuguese here (which has some differences comparing to portuguese they speak in Portugal). I have learned english since kindergarten to high school (1x a week), but after that I decided to study by myself with books and translating my favorite rock songs (lol)…this happened before internet era…and then a little romance with an american (that didn´t work out), at least I got fluency 🙂
Now I am trying to learn Italian, mostly because I went to Italy in 2015, so I signed up an online course before the trip, but didn´t continue after that…This year I took a decision to come back to study online, at least 2x/ week… I am improving a little, and it´s good for me because of my profession (fashion area). About Spanish, everything I learn was travelling to south american countries, asking directions, food, transport, watching tv… I hope to learn right how to write and speak this language too!
Allison says
Oh hi me! I’m very much the same when it comes to languages – I love love love the beginning stages (I have, at some point, learned bits of Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Serbian, Indonesian, Czech, Korean, and now I’m learning Russian for my upcoming Caucasus and Central Asia trip!). Though, honestly I can’t really hold more than a basic conversation in any but French, Spanish, and some heavily Spanish-sprinkled Italian. I definitely swear by “thinking in your language” – I used to think in Spanish on my way riding my bike to work each day because I needed my wits about me and couldn’t listen to music. It really helped me learn to talk my way through any gaps in my language knowledge.
I also love grammar but I can get wayyy too hung up on it when I speak. I’m trying to learn to just push through it and make mistakes. I’m also the feeling same with my Spanish as you are with your Norwegian… I feel like I can’t get better even though I’m traveling in Latin America and consuming lots of media in Spanish. Maybe some big challenge like a test is the way to go. Anyway, you’ve already covered all my language learning methods and I have no other helpful tips to add, just so excited to find a language geek like me! PS you should read “Lingo: Around Europe in 60 Languages” if you haven’t already – it’s super fascinating and I think it’d be right up your alley.
Silvia says
Whoaaa we are the same person! That’s so crazy. Definitely going to check out the book, thanks for the tip!
Kathi says
These are some great tips. 🙂 I am trying to get back into studying Russian and before I sign up for a course again I will definitely stick to some of them. Do you have good Russian blogs in mind by any chance?
Silvia says
I actually never got into reading Russian blogs! I really should though — will have to go on a hunt for them.
Camila says
I love this! I love learning new languages, and do try to keep it up with every day apps. I think that books and movies and being immersed are the best ways. Lol love the idea of learning Russian! I actually tried it for a while and stopped, but I think I should go back to it now! 🙂
Learn Dutch says
Great article! Learning a new language is fun, but indeed you have to keep it up and practice a lot. I would recommend to go into the city with your tutor to learn the language in day-to-day situations.
Alex Marsh says
Learning a new language is always exciting and it adds to your quality as only a few people are able to learn a new language. There is no age for learning a new language, if someone is interested in learning then no one can stop him/her. Thanks for the blog it is very informative and motivating.
vidgrod says
Beside my native language I only studied english, romanian, and now japanese, but I’m going to disagree with you anyway. The beginner stages are always the biggest pain in the ass and the most boring. It is just frustration after frustration, you don’t know enough vocabulary to say anything meaningful or to think on your target language, you don’t have enough grasp on the grammar, it always seems like the natives speak way to fast for you to parse and even the slightest slang, coloquial speak or accent will confuse you.
It only starts to be funny once you get around B1 level and can start interacting with native material instead of all those retarded dialogues and boring drill exercises from the textbook.
Silvia says
That’s really interesting that you have such a different experience! I wish that I could enjoy the more advanced language learning levels, but I always end up getting bored. I love the beginning stages though!
Kristabelle Mendoza says
Dear Silvia,
Loved the blog, your personality, and of course the great tips! I am currently learning German after spending 6 months abroad in Innsbruck, Austria. It was very difficult to practice the German on the streets because I was always very intimidated by their dialect and I wanted to hear the German I was being taught at the university. Although now that I am back in the US I continue taking it at the university, use apps like Memrise and Reverso, and watch youtube videos and shows in German. Unfortunately, I barely have anyone to speak it with here, so I make up for it by exchanging text messages with friends from over seas. But I feel that it isn’t enough to help my speech!
Although, before German, I took almost 2 years of French in college and now I feel that I’ve put my favorite language on PAUSE because I started learning German.
Is it possible to study/learn both at the same time? German is the more challenging one since Spanish is my mother language, and French naturally comes easier because of their latin similarities. But how can I continue learning French (to not lose it) and still discipline myself to keep learning the German? I don’t want to lose either! They’re such beautiful languages and not to mention their cultures!
Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you soon 🙂
Sincerely,
Kristabelle Mendoza
New Orleans, USA
Brandy @ The Prudent Homemaker says
I like using You Tube videos. Some of the YouTubers I watch are comedians, which is good, because then I have to try to understand why the joke is funny.
I love to garden, so watching YouTube videos explaining gardening techniques is something I have done as well.
A Pinterest board for each language is nice; I learn a lot of colloquial sayings that way as well as vocabulary.
Word Reference is my favorite online dictionary for multiple languages. They have a phone app as well, and I use that the most often, especially when looking up words to text to friends in another country.
Brennan says
I have often observed that when two languages are very similar, it becomes very difficult to understand the differences between them. Your blog is pretty nice as it elaborates many different ways in which language can first be learned from the basics and then mastered as per your needs. Well written!
Marie says
Great tips Silvia 😀
I feel like this article would be a great place for any language learner to start, and I particularly insist on your tip about Knowing what you want.
It’s one of the core values of my website, Just French It. Where I talk about French, how to learn it and France.
Jag lär mig svenska !
Webber says
Thourally enjoyed reading your tips along with those shared by others in the comments above. My tip… I talk to Betty my black labrador. Her comprehension of my butchered mandarin is improving everyday. It’s fun having a bilingual dog. 🤗
Ayan says
J ai adoré cet article et je suis très admirative de ce que vous avez accompli en langues étrangères. J aime les langues et elles ne m aiment pas. Ce qui m à le plus aidé par le passé c est les livres en vo.
Olivia Ridley says
Great article!
I’m actually searching the solution of these types problems. I am learning language learner, so this content was great.
Bahar says
Awesome article! Personally, I’m a huge fan of flashcards and I’ve been looking for the best software for a long time. I’ve tried Quizlet, Anki, Memrise, etc. But the best one I’ve found was WordUp. It seems like it’s not too popular, I have no idea why… the website is really clear and You can use it as an app. But the best thing about it is there are a few short films which show you how to use that particular word in Sentence . (And you can download it for free!).
I suggest to everyone.
you can find it on: https://wordupapp.co
TridIndia says
Great..!
I was loking the solution for language learning hacks. Very good article on tips to learn foreign language, thank you for keeping us updated. thank you for sharing this article with us.
Gabriela says
Love this! Thanks for sharing your tips. I’m excited to put them into practice!
Cosmic Sounds says
nice post
DEEPAK SHARMA says
Great informational post. Thanks. Keep posting such great articles
Kelsi Forrester says
I love that you mentioned how useful Russian is because that’s the language I’m learning!
Liam Foster says
Great tips, I want to learn french, I only want to learn it for communication.
Arielle says
Italki is the best! I’ve used it to prepare for the Spanish C1 exam, to try and learn Chinese, and now to learn more Italian before I move to Italy. It’s so much better than having to schlep somewhere for in-person language lessons, and the variety of teachers is totally awesome.
Also I totally agree that women are better at understanding others with weak language skills, but I think it’s just cause we’re socialized to be patient and listen more to others. Just my experience from being a teacher, haha.
Thomas Clarence says
My wife and I want to sign our son up for a language academy so that he can develop a new skill that will be beneficial for him. I like how you mentioned that it is a good idea to study at least 30 minutes a day in order to successfully learn the language. We’ll be sure to have our son do plenty of studying so that he can get the skill down.
impactinter says
I liked your blog. Thanks for sharing it.
impactinter says
Nice Blog. Thanks for sharing it.
Olivier says
“…maybe because we are wired to understand little kids?”
Maybe you noticed it too during your stay in Japan: women are better at understanding “broken” Japanese. And they pronounce more clearly too!
Oh shit, looks like I am sexist too… :))
Rajveer Singh Rathore says
Great Post! Thank you so much for sharing this kind of wonderful information.
Ashley Madison says
I also think that learning languages should be fun and enjoyable. At least I can’t force myself to do things that are not interesting and boring.
Now I am 100% into learning Spanish and German (here are the links to websites, translators, flashcards, dictionaries, converters, books I found useful and fun: http://www.cyphernaut.com/links.html). And I really hope that this summer I can go to Germany (and Spain probably) to practice. I’m watching a lot of TV series and movies now, but it’s still not full immersion in the language.
Charioteer says
Very helpful tips thanks for sharing.
Oli says
I’m planning on learning conversational German and was looking up advice/tips for learning a new language. This was very helpful dear! Thank you!
Hasan Babar says
Really very interesting language tips.