How to Learn a New Language: A Step-by-Step Guide
Most people think learning a language is hardest the older you get. But the truth? It actually gets easier the more you do it. It’s not knowing how to learn a new language the right way that makes it overwhelming.
If you’ve ever stared blankly at a vocabulary list and thought, “This is useless,” you’re not alone. The real challenge isn’t your age—it’s not knowing how to make it more fun.
As your online polyglot friend who speaks 5 languages, I’ll share the most effective (and brain-friendly) ways to make language learning easier, based on how we naturally absorb information. Think about how babies acquire their mother tongue. Why don’t we do that? 🤔
These language learning tips will help you build vocabulary, understand context, and learn faster—no old-school flashcards required.
Ready to ditch the pointless vocabulary lists they give you in school? Let’s break it down!
Note: I originally published this post in February of 2024. I’ve recently updated it to include better and more relevant information.
Why Learn A New Language?
For one, it would become harder for people to talk behind your back the more languages you speak.
I’m just kidding. It’s true as well, but not the most important reason.
Seeing how people behave differently and react to the world differently in every country, wouldn’t you agree that learning a language is not just about “speaking” to more people, but “understanding” more of how their cultures have raised them?
For me, at least, that is the most fascinating aspect of knowing another language.
Health Benefits of Learning Languages
Studies prove that learning a new language enhances cognitive abilities, improves problem-solving skills, and even delays cognitive aging.
Beyond the brain boost and personal enjoyment, language skills can enhance your career, offering opportunities for better jobs, higher salaries, and more meaningful connections in your network as well.
In short, learning a new language, even just for fun, can mean:
- 🧠 Better brain health
- 🌍 Deeper cultural understanding
- 💼 Career edge
- ❤️ New friends
Who wouldn’t want those, right?!
How to Choose the Right Language for You
The first step in this journey is to select a language that resonates with you. Whether driven by passion, heritage, travel dreams, or career goals, the choice should align with your interests and practical needs.
Consider the balance between utility and enjoyment. I have learned Spanish, which is useful in multiple countries, but I also have more eccentric and limited languages like Korean and Italian on my list.
When it comes to languages that won’t take you places (travel-wise and professionally), make sure you have enough passion for it to see it through, or you’ll end up dropping it at some point.
10 Real Language-Learning Tips That Work
Once you’ve chosen your language, the next step is to dive into the learning process with effective techniques that cater to your style. Below are some of the best techniques that have worked wonders for me.
1. Listen Like a Baby
When you saw the word basic, your adult brain probably jumped straight to “grammar,” didn’t it? I meant way more basic than that. As basic as when you first learned how to speak your mother tongue.
I always tell my language students this, and they’re always so skeptical; Listen with your heart, not your brain. And I get it… “How will I understand anything if I don’t use my brain?”
But how did you start understanding what your parents were saying to you? Your thinking capacity wasn’t that great, wasn’t it? You just kept listening to it until one day, things clicked in your mind, and they started making sense.
As someone who successfully learned 3 languages as an adult, I guarantee that things still work the same way, regardless of whether you’re 8 years old or 33.
When you think about every word you’re hearing and trying to decode it, the time you use to focus on decoding one word will cost you the rest of the sentence. Result? You got one word and missed everything else. Think less and listen more. Trust your innate abilities. Our mind is more powerful than we believe.
Do you agree with this? Or are you skeptical, too? No wrong answer!
2. Be Consistent (Even for 3 Minutes!)
Unfortunately, setting aside one hour or two once a week to learn does not work when it comes to languages. By the time you get back to learning, you’ll already have forgotten everything you learned the week before.
Consistency is your mind’s best friend. If you’re busy and exhausted from work and you have to choose between 2 hours once a week and 3 minutes every day, the latter will yield faster results.
3. Use Multiple Resources
Don’t depend on one medium or one single app. I always find something lacking in each resource because every teacher and every author has different strong suits. You also have your own strong suits when it comes to how you learn best.
Use Duolingo, pair it with Tandem, and then write in the workbook you ordered from Amazon on weekends. The more baskets you put your eggs in, the more insights you’ll find in your learning process.
I also find that taking even one virtual class a week with a real person greatly improves my speaking skills. It’s very easy to find a teacher with affordable hourly rates for any language on iTalki.
4. Immerse Yourself
This means flying over to the country where that language is primarily spoken, or simply trying to recreate an environment as close to it as possible.
Create a playlist of songs in your target language and ONLY listen to that every day. Watch shows in your target language only. This Is Us? The White Lotus? If they’re not teaching you to speak a new language, they can wait.
5. Practice Expressing Yourself
I learned this the hard way… But it doesn’t matter how many thousand Duolingo lessons you’ve aced, actually speaking to express yourself is a different skill set that needs practice.
After 3 months on Duolingo with 5 hours per day on average (during lockdown in 2020), I still was a complete mute in my first class with a real teacher. “What do you mean I can’t talk about a cat watching TV?”
The easiest way to do this without having someone to talk to is to keep a diary in your target language. Write your thoughts down and check your own grammar. Read the entries out loud so your tongue gets used to speaking the language.
Once you’re more comfortable expressing yourself and need less time to think things through, progress to thinking in the target language, out loud. Yes, I mean talk to yourself. It’s a blast.
6. Set Realistic Goals
This one is not complicated. If your first language is English, and you set out to become fluent in Japanese in 5 months, you’ll give up before reaching the goal because it’s unrealistic. It’s not impossible, of course, but quite discouraging.
Be kind to yourself! You might be a genius, highly driven human, but you’re still a human. As long as you don’t lose traction, you will achieve your goal one day.
7. Learn the Culture Too
This goes hand in hand with immersing yourself by listening to music and watching movies in the target language. Take it a step further and look into the history of the language or the people, you’ll find yourself connecting to it more quickly.
Maybe it’s the innate understanding that comes from research. I still can’t quite put a finger on it myself.
8. Always Learn with Context
Keeping a list of new words and staring at them every day does NOT work. Our brains are not naturally equipped to understand abstract concepts as quickly as it does something contextual. And until you speak a language, words in the language will remain just that: Abstract concepts.
Are you learning “Empujar?” (“To push” in Spanish) Do it. Push your water bottle away from you. Push yourself away from the desk. Do the action as you say the word, so your brain will make that connection.
You don’t even need to connect “empujar” with “to push.” Your mind only needs to understand the action of pushing, and your brain will do the compartmentalizing.
Are you trying to memorize “librero” or “estantería?” Try picturing a bookshelf every time you say the word, then watch your brain magically seal it down after a few times.
9. Make Mistakes (Lots of Them)
Oh, the biggest paradox of language learning… If you want to be perfect, you’ll never be perfect.
If you needed to hear this from someone today, let me be that person for you. IT’S OKAY. It’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to make mistakes sometimes. In fact, mistakes are the superheroes of language learning! Every time you grab onto their capes, they’ll take you flying miles forward at lightning speed.
Have you noticed how if you’ve entered the wrong bathroom once, you’ll start to check the sign before entering every time because that mistake made you remember? It’s the same principle.
10. Enjoy the Process!
The last one, but not least of my tips is to enjoy the process! Have fun! We do everything better when we’re having fun. This is no exception.
Extra Language-Learning Tips
Here are some extra ways you can populate your day-to-day life with your target language.
- Change your phone’s language settings.
- If there’s a word you don’t know, this is an amazing opportunity to look up what it means!
- Follow social media accounts in your target language and engage with them in that language.
The Role of Tech in Language Learning
Luckily for us, technology has revolutionized language learning, offering tools that cater to every need and learning style.
From comprehensive apps that guide you through each level to online communities where you can practice with native speakers, digital resources make learning more accessible and interactive.
My personal favorite is Tandem. But don’t waste your time with the chats, go straight to their language parties.
These are rooms run in certain target languages. You can enter and only listen to people speak, or you can push a button to “raise your hand” and be invited to join the chat.
It can be scary at first, but everyone is on the app to learn another language. They tend to be very patient and understanding of others with the same goal. That includes you 🥰
Note: These language parties will prove my point that with continuous listening, things will start to make sense for you. There are no subtitles, so you’re REALLY listening with every aspect of your mind.
Final Thoughts
The takeaway point to remember is that you, too, were a beginner in your mother tongue.
You’ve done this before. You can do it again! The journey may have challenges, but the rewards—personal growth, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of the world—are immeasurable.
Can’t wait to see where the journey takes you! Come back and share what language you decide to learn!
Eager to Start Practicing?
I have phrasebooks in a few languages that you might want to try your brain on. They’re supposed to help travelers get by in those countries, but they can also help get you started on a fun and contextual note!
I also have vocabulary lists in Thai and Korean. These can help you practice retention!
Common Questions
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How Long Does It Take to Learn a New Language?
Subjective! It can vary widely based on factors like the language’s difficulty relative to your native language, your learning method, and how much time you dedicate daily. Generally, a basic conversational level might take a few months, while fluency could take years, or less.
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Can I Learn a New Language on My Own?
Totally. With the wealth of resources available online, including apps, tutorials, and language exchange communities, self-directed learning has never been more accessible! Setting clear goals, maintaining daily practice, and immersing yourself in the language through media can lead to significant progress.
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How Important Is Grammar in Learning a New Language?
While grammar is important for understanding the structure of a language, don’t let it hinder your early learning stages. Focus on communication and practical use. As you become more comfortable, incorporate more complex grammar rules into your study.
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Is It Better to Learn One Language at a Time or Multiple?
Focusing on one language at a time allows for quicker progress. Spreading your efforts too thin across multiple languages can slow down learning and lead to confusion. But if you’re at least upper intermediate in one language, adding another wouldn’t hurt as much, and it could add to the fun!
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