5 Language Learning Tips From a Polyglot
As a polyglot/language nerd, I've spent years of my life learning different languages for fun! Below, I've compiled a list of the absolute best 5 ways to efficiently learn a new language, regardless of your experience or difficulty of your target language.
1. Input As Much As Possible.
The reason little kids learn languages so quickly is because their brains are wired to constantly input information. By downloading as much of your target language into your brain as possible- music, movies, audio, books- your brain starts normalizing the sounds of the new language. Subconsciously, your brain cracks the language like a code and you begin to familiarize yourself with words and phrases. So before you even try speaking or writing a language, (and after you’re fluent!) read and listen.
2. Focus on Grammar EARLY
I cannot emphasize this enough. Understanding sentence structure early is a MAJOR hack into learning a language quickly. Now, I don’t mean to master the past conditional verb tense before you dive into conversational introductions. Basically, if you grasp the basic grammar of a language, you can more easily pick up on context clues, add to your vocabulary, and save yourself a few memorization headaches. When you’re ready to start communicating with others, maybe you’ll confuse similar words with each other, but guess what?! They’ll know what you’re saying because your sentence made sense with context clues. Succeé! That’s the point!
One more thing- Let go of perfectionism. We don’t speak Native English in perfect APA format. Don’t beat yourself up over grammar, but definitely put the time into it.
3. Immerse Yourself Remotely.
Follow social media accounts of artists and influencers in your language, or make friends that speak the language you’re trying to learn! The absolute fastest way to learn a language is to immerse yourself into the culture. If you can swing it, spend a significant amount of time in a place that speaks the language. Understanding mannerisms and phrases of a certain culture can help you to better understand their language. Not only will you have the experience of a lifetime, but you’ll also boost your learning rate exponentially!
4. Create In Your New Language.
Get into the culture! Make a delicious homemade dish and use or write a recipe in your target language! Once you’ve learned some vocabulary, speak aloud and narrate yourself in your new language. This will encourage bilingual thinking, an invaluable skill known to boost fluency. Paint a picture and say the colors aloud to yourself, or put vocabulary stickers around the house. Change your phone’s keyboard language. Get jiggy with it!
5. Output!
Now that you’ve put a decent amount of energy into learning your new foreign language, you’re ready for output: speaking and writing! Writing and typing are great tools for learning a language. Play around with translating your favorite media, or have a conversation in the language As you get more comfortable, write and speak without translation tools. Remember: It’s okay if it isn’t perfect in the beginning. Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction!
I've been utilizing these 5 ways to efficiently learn a new language every year for the last five years. Putting a little extra effort to strategize a lesson plan with your learning patterns will make a world of difference. Start with these 5 tips, and you'll be confidently speaking your target language in no time.
