9 tips for learning a new language

Learning a new language it's like an adventure, and it can be intimidating, but also - and most importantly - it can be fun and rewarding. You get to see the world through a new perspective, understand better another culture or multiple others, and open new horizons and possibilities to yourself. For me, learning a new language, even if we're talking about the very basics, it really is like opening the door to a new world.

Here I give you some pieces of advice from my own experience studying languages:

1 - Don't be afraid!

Learning a new language can present a challenge, and it can be hard for a lot of people, but the fact that something has some difficulties doesn't automatically rule it out as frustrating or boring. It can be intimidating at first, but don't let it get to you; learning a new language isn't really too hard, crossing the threshold to start may be the hard part. You'll soon become familiarized with the sounds and basic words of your new language and you'll be able to recognize it wherever you hear it or see it.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and don't be afraid to use what you've learned; don't be afraid to practice, and if you're just considering starting a new language now, don't be afraid to start!

2 - Don't expect to know too much when you're just starting 

Expecting to be really good really quickly is what brings frustration to most people and eventually brings them to quit. Many people get frustrated because they can't sound like the native speakers, or because they can't be fluent when reading, etc, and they make the mistake of thinking they're just no good or that the language is too hard for them, and eventually they quit. Truth is, not everyone can start learning a new language and be really fluent from the get go. Of course some people can do it, but most people will start without much fluency and make progress from there.

We have to start at the basics and progress in our skill and understanding; we can't expect to be perfect right from the start, because this is where frustration happens. When you're just beginning, don't expect to be perfect; strive to be a perfect beginner.

3 - Don't pressure yourself 

Go at the pace that's comfortable for you. Learning a new language is not a race or a competition. Some people will advance very quickly, and in reality they're not really learning; just consuming too much information at once that they will soon forget. It's best to take your time and learn and understand well. Stay calm and positive and you will make real progress.

4 - Try to practice every day if you can 

Once you start, try to set a time to practice everyday, even if it's just for a few minutes. You don't have to learn something new everyday, some days you'll just want to review previous lessons or concepts. A pinch a day you can make mountains of progress. Practicing every day helps you stay familiarized with the language and to gain fluency.

5 - Don't cram too much new information in one study session

I should know, this can result in a headache. Study as much new stuff as you feel comfortable with in one sitting, if you're studying on your own. If you're in a class, you can take the new information and divide into different smaller sessions until your next lesson day if you find that the information was too much.

6 - That said, don't study new concepts when you're tired; instead, take the time to review what you've learned

Use your time to its fullest benefit, especially if you're busy and only have a few minutes to practice a day. If you get home too tired, perhaps studying something new is not a good idea, unless you feel it relaxes you. In my experience, sometimes studying something new when I'm tired just results in a waste of time, since the next day I don't remember much of it, but other times, sitting down to study helps me relax.

It all depends on how you feel.

7 - Review often

Reviewing it's important to keep things fresh in your mind and eventually make them second nature when practicing your new language. Reading old lessons if you're studying with a book is all you need to do for a quick review; watching old videos and reading old blogs you've studied with before, if this is your method. I find it fun. Whatever your method of out of classroom studies, if you're taking a class, (surely you don't only study in the classroom!) reviewing will help you make progress as much as practicing and studying new things.

8 - Set a time and a place that's free of distractions 

You've probably heard this one before a lot. Having a time of day and a place where you can sit down to study calmly will keep you organized and give you a better feeling of commitment to your language study. It will help you absorb the knowledge better if you're not distracted, too.

9 - Have fun! Keep it interesting

Last but not least, keep it fun! Making your studies fun and interesting is the key to make progress, in my experience. If you see it as work or as a daunting task chances are you won't want to keep studying at all. Learning a new language can be really fun, and when you're having fun, you don't even notice you're learning and things just come naturally! Look for ways to keep things interesting, to keep you motivated. There are many activities you can do to keep it fun, like watching movies in that language, listening to songs and reading news articles online; the possibilities are pretty much endless on what you can do.

Be creative!

---

I hope this little page of advice can be of help to you, and I wish you much success and joy with your new language. To sum things up, the most important advice here is to make sure your studies bring you joy, comfort, and fun; not any stress or pressure.

Until next time! 

*This was originally posted on my old website (yourdailypinchofspanish), which no longer exists. If it is still running, it is a person or bot using my content without my permission.