How to Learn a Language Fast [Foreign Language Learning Tips Inside]

Learning a foreign language has always been my dream, as it is the basic requirement for becoming a translator or interpreter. Sitting in my German class, I wondered if it would have been better had I pursued another language like Spanish or French! But here I was, learning the most masculine language, which most people dread as it is tough.

This fear made me write this blog on how to learn a language fast! As a translator with English as my first language, I have often faced challenges learning a new language. However, some strategies helped me overcome them and achieve my goal.

So, let’s get started to smoothen your Second Language Acquisition (SLA), or L2 acquisition.

Why Learn a Foreign Language?

If I start talking about the benefits of learning a new language, I might never be able to stop. Yet, after carefully analysing all the benefits, I have curated a list where I plan to highlight some!

Enhanced Creativity

Your language-learning journey teaches you more than just the foreign language. You become creative as you can express yourself in new languages & ways.  

Boosted Confidence

Studies have shown that learning a new language boosts self-esteem and confidence by instilling a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Broadened Perspectives

Learning languages encourages individuals to be more sensitive and kind towards different cultures, promoting intercultural respect and breaking prejudices.

Improved Brain Function

Learning a new language improves cognitive function. It enhances your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. It also boosts your memory.

Enriched Travel Experiences

Learning a foreign language will help you enjoy a foreign country & its culture more. This significantly enriches your travel experience as you can communicate with the locals.

Increased Job Opportunities

In this globalised world, bilingualism and multilingualism are valued a lot. You can enhance your network and thus get more job opportunities.

Moving on, what challenges you might face when enhancing your language skills! Thus, before giving you tips for learning a new language fast, let’s learn about the challenges.  

What are the Common Challenges in Language Learning?

Your target language can be anything, but the challenges in learning all languages are mostly similar! Whether your native language is English or you wish to learn English, here are the common challenges you will face when learning any foreign tongue.

Pronunciation Difficulty

Most language learners face significant challenges in pronunciation. Most struggle to pronounce the sounds that do not exist in their native language.

Inadequate Vocabulary

The volume of vocabulary, especially words, phrases, and idiomatic expressions that one must memorise to achieve fluency in the language, is unimaginable.

Grammar & Syntax Issue

Grammatical rules and sentence structure are different in every language. This often leads to confusion and silly errors.

Lack of Mental Immersion

If you want to learn a language, be mentally prepared and do not feel ashamed or scared to speak the language just because you think you do not know the language.

Also, there’s one thing that you must remember: you must not lose interest or stop learning midway. Most learners stop learning the language when they cannot achieve proficiency in a short period. However, not all languages are easy to learn, so keep at it and do not let go midway.

Now, let’s learn about effective language learning methods so that you can quickly learn a second language independently.

The Best Way to Learn a Language on Your Own

Learning another language is as rewarding as it is challenging. When I started learning German, I never thought I would enjoy the language learning journey that much. However, trust me when I say, “Learning a new language actually changed my life.” Now, I speak more than 8 languages: Spanish, French, German, Polish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Turkish, and Chinese. So, when people ask me which is the best language to learn in Australia, I often get confused about how to answer.

You see, this is a very personal journey. So, what I do instead is share an effective way of learning a new language with them. However, I will share six language learning strategies that helped me and many friends today.

Create a Structured Plan

Everything starts with a perfect plan! Thus, that’s your first and foremost work. Make a proper plan. And to do that you must do your research.

Whey you wish to learn the language. If you are a beginner, find a language that’s closest to your native one.

For instance, if you are a native speaker of Japan, maybe start with Korean or Thai. Now, make a plan that you can achieve and stick to your learning plan. Always set specific, realistic, and achievable goals. Like dedicating 1 hour every day to your language course.

Utilise Diverse Resources

Honestly, I feel apps nowadays are genuinely helpful and one of the best ways to learn a new language. There are multiple language exchange apps like Anki, the Flashcards app. From grammar and vocabulary to reinforcing the habit of learning another language, this app is like magic!

You can utilise multiple apps and software apart from courseware to improve your language learning journey.

Whether you are learning Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, or Mandarin, listening and reading in a foreign language helps you learn faster.

Practice Speaking It Early

What most learners skip is speaking the language when studying it. They often fear that wrong pronunciation will make people judge them. But it should never bother you. As a learner, speaking habits are essential.

After all, language is spoken to communicate. So, if you do not communicate, you will never be able to speak properly. It is an unsaid theory of language that you must connect with the language by speaking it!

If you take my advice on how to learn a new language, engage in conversation with friends or people from your course. The conversational learning style helps you learn and remember words and phrases easily.

Immerse in the Languages

People often say Chinese is one of the Hardest Languages To Learn, and I cannot agree more. So, when I started the learning process, I switched to an all-Chinese environment.

Well, I did not shift China just changed some settings. To begin with, I changed the phone and computer settings from Australian English to Chinese.

So, now I would get notifications in Mandarin Chinese helping me improve my reading and listening skills. Regular conversation practice and having an immersive learning environment help you stay focused.

Here’s one thing that you must remember Stephen Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition! According to him, you can learn the best through comprehensible input (i+1). Which means the language you’re learning, you must be exposed to it.

Incorporate Writing Words

If you want to improve and achieve your goal of learning one language quickly, then you must start writing. In my opinion, journaling and taking notes helps you learn vocabulary and connect with the language more.

The more you write in a specific language, the more your mind gets adjusted to the language and thus you will soon start thinking in the language.

This also increases your vocabulary and grammar. You can even watch movies or TV to get accustomed to the core language. You might not believe me but when I was learning French, I rewatched the entire Big Bang Theory in French and even heard news broadcasting channels! Watching TV and listening to music helps a lot!

Stay Motivated and Consistent

Learning a new language is going to be rewarding but also sometimes excruciating. Therefore, keep motivated and consistent, and to do so Join Online Communities and track your progress.

You can share experiences, tips for language learning, and challenges with peers and friends. Last but not least, celebrate each milestone. The more you use the language in your daily life, the more quickly you will learn it.

Also, do not try to study a language rather enjoy it! Think of it as a new experience because trust me it will become the experience of your life!

How to Learn a Language Using Technology: Apps and Tools You Need

We often encounter this situation and give up on the book or series because of the language barrier. Unfortunately, most of us do not have enough time to dedicate to learning a language. However, with these apps and tools, you can learn a language on the go!

Best Language Learning Apps

Duolingo

Whether you learning a traditional language like Chinese or a romance language Romanian, Duolingo is your friend! The Duo is a personalised learning app that helps you practice relevant vocabulary. This is like your language tutor!

Features: Includes 43 languages. Interactive exercises covering writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills.

Babbel

Features: Includes 13-14 languages. Podcasts, live classes, and videos

Memrise

So, you’re learning and your ability to speak the language is limited to “Hi, How are you?” Then, Memrise is your true friend. It focuses on repetition and interactive games.

Features: Includes 34+ languages. Daily lessons and quizzes customised to your knowledge.

Talkpal

The best way to learn your target language is by talking, so TalkPal brings real-life scenarios and practices with you. So, if you’re new, you can actually leverage this app and level up your game.

Features: Includes 51+ languages. Personalised learning experiences with feedback

Tutor Lily

Tutor Lily as the name goes is your AI teacher providing real-time feedback to help you improve your learning with conversational skills. 

Features: Instant corrections and pronunciation help are available 24/7.

Best Language Learning Tools

HelloTalk

Tandem

Tandem is a similar app focusing on language exchange. So, this is a kind of learning app that connects you to natives and you can converse with them. So, language input helps you get a better grasp of the language.

Rosetta Stone

Part of IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone is a computer-assisted language learning app that includes 25 languages so you get it right. You can spend time learning languages and even three writing systems, hieroglyphics, demotic script, and the Greek alphabet.

Ready to learn? But hold on! Here’s something that you must not do. I have listed a few mistakes that you must avoid.

Foreign Language Learning Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid

Neglecting Grammar

Conversation and communication are essential but accurate grammar is essential. As grammatical rules are different for all languages, neglecting might lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Ignoring Listening Skills

You must get as much language input as possible. Ignoring listening skills and not hearing words can lead to bad pronunciation.

Lack of Consistent Practice

You must be consistent because inconsistency often leads to procrastination. If you start being inconsistent you will soon stop learning completely.

Over-Reliance on Translation

Literal translations do not work all the time. For instance, in English, we say, “What is your name?” The word-to-word French translation will be “Quel est ton nom?” But French people actually say “Vous vous appelez comment?”

Therefore, do not translate in your mind; rather, learn the actual expression to avoid miscommunication.

Focusing Too Much on Perfection

It’s okay to make mistakes. You cannot be fluent in a day or two. Accept the mistake and still speak and focus on conveying your message and communicating freely.

How Long Does it Take to Learn a New Language?

Well, this is an interesting question. Mainly because there is no definite answer to it. It takes 6-12 months of dedicated practice to learn a language. However, if you asking about fluency and proficiency that might take up to 3 years!

Thus, to answer how long it takes to learn a language, it depends on you! If you are consistent and dedicated you can learn it in a year if not maybe a lifetime.

Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Categories languages based on their difficulty. According to FSI, you need approximately up to 30 weeks to learn Category I languages (like Spanish and French), whereas for Category IV languages (like Arabic and Mandarin) you might need up to 88 weeks.

Best Language Learning Institutes in Australia, USA, and UK!

Conclusion

Now that you know how to learn a language, let’s focus on the best! First things first, choose a language that is closest to your heart and native tongue and jump right into it. A reminder: do not try to learn more than 1 language at a time, especially for beginners. Give yourself time and the language as much as possible. Complete one course and then move to the next. For sudden help, use technology but not translating apps.

All the best!