How to learn any language

The Penny Pincher’s Guide to Learning Any Language for Free

There are also a few methods for learning that are almost free but really worth it if you can scrape a few pennies together.

Contents

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How to Learn Any Language for Absolutely Free, Gratis, Gratuit, Besplatno, Kostenlos…

First, we’ll take a look at the options you have online for more structure, formal learning. There are tons of lessons available out there to teach you the key grammar lessons you need to advance.

1. Libraries stock language guides

If you’re lucky, your local library may have a small selection of books published in your target language. In terms of language guides, look for self-teaching books, ideally with an audio component, such as Assimil or the Teach Yourself series, rather than classroom-oriented texts.

If you’re prepared to spend any money on your language learning adventure at all, though, buying at least one good book is worth the investment (you can try out options at the library before you buy). You’re going to need it for more than the several-week lending period. And printed paper is a lovely thing—I almost exclusively own e-books now, but my language guides are of the paper sort, allowing me to mark them up, flip through their worn pages and manhandle them with all of the love and anguish that language learning inspires.

Use your local library to take potential learning books you may want to purchase for a test run. This will ensure that you end up with a book that you’ll actually use, and that works for you.

Be sure to ask your librarian if there are more books covering more languages available offsite, as they can usually request what you need from other libraries in the area, or from a nearby college or university.

2. You’ve probably heard about the internet

Searches can provide you with free and approachable articles on specialized subjects, from evil German cases to delightful lessons on talking with Spanish animals. (And yes, there are also non-FluentU blogs floating around in lesser parts of the Internet.)

There are also online reference works that are language-specific, two options that cover a lot of languages are wordreference.com (and its lovely forums where you can pose questions to seemingly out-of-work translators) and wiktionary.org. I got rid of my paper dictionaries a decade ago.

3. YouTube

On Youtube, you can search for topics relevant to your interests and see videos in your target language that will hold your attention.

One great way to get language immersion through is to use a search term that interests you, and search for it on Youtube in your target language.

For example, if you’re learning Spanish and you like video games, you can search “videojuegos” on Youtube and get Spanish content that you’re motivated to watch.

Of course, this works better if you already know a bit of the language. And with so many videos to choose from, you might have a hard time finding something interesting that’s also appropriate for your learning level.

You can use the FluentU app to integrate language learning lessons into some engaging videos curated from native sources. Videos are personalized to your learning level, and they include interactive captions and flashcards to help you review the vocabulary and phrases you learn from the videos.

FluentU offers a free trial, so you can give it a try without paying anything.

Now, if you’re dying to learn in an actual classroom, with a solid four walls and a real, live person teaching, then there are free and cheap options out there for you in the real world too. Let’s take a look at those!

4. Take advantage of your employer or school

Check with community, university and employer programs for scholarships and language learning programs. You’re likely not the only one who wants your language skills to improve!

Check in with the human resources office, your supervisor, your university’s study abroad programs office or office of global affairs. Let them know your interests and goals, and I bet they’ll come up with something for you.

5. See what’s available for people learning your target language

Minority and even not-so-minority languages in many parts of the world have government and non-profit programs that support their diffusion.

This means it’s definitely possible (and maybe even easy) to learn languages for free, even those such as Catalan, Breton, Navajo, Serbian, etc.

If you’re a true cheapskate, you might even choose to tackle one of those languages for this very reason. Just to give an example, the government of Catalonia offers heavily subsidized courses as part of its effort towards “linguistic normalization.” The more a language has the support of a government that fears for its disappearance, the more likely it is to financially support learning materials and classes.

Now, we’re going to move on to less structured learning. This is great for anyone who learns well through immersion, and for learners who are reaching fluency.

Self-directed, online learning can be the most efficient way to learn.

It’s also the cheapest and, if you do it right, it’s free.

6. Online language exchanges

These are completely free.

The entire world always wants to practice its English.

Paying for classes can also be worthwhile since there’s always a risk of language exchange partners being a bit less serious and flaking out on scheduled sessions.

There are both professional teachers on italki as well as students and others who are simply willing to rent their time to have a chat with you in their native language, slowly, and correct your language use. Choose whatever is best for you!

You can always do mostly free language exchanges, and then pay for a private, professional session every couple of months to give yourself an extra boost.

7. Offline language exchanges

These can be even more motivating and fun. Couchsurfing, InterNations and Meetup meetings can be a good way to meet people in your area who speak your target language, or you can post a message in those forums about what you’re looking for.

Also look for community events and volunteer work in your target language if possible. For example, I’ve practiced my Portuguese a lot by taking Samba de Gafieira classes. If you’re in an area with a community that speaks your target language, what are ways that you can make yourself useful to native speakers while practicing? Can you volunteer with children or old people, or do community activism?

8. Dating

Yup, this is also great (I plead guilty to using Tinder for my language goals!).

Pillow talk is inevitably both more motivating and more memorable than a grammar text. Of course, to avoid bad feelings you should be honest about your intentions from the start, whether romantic, platonic, sexual or linguistic…though any of these can easily get confused once passion kicks in.

I’ll leave you to decide if you’re cheapskate enough to make dating into a truly “free” activity.

9. Find a Penpal

For most learners, writing is a goal or at least a major support of learning, and you can exchange writing help with native speakers the same way that you do oral language exchanges.

A good, focused way to do this is through the site Lang-8.com. Users of the site exchange corrections of each others’ texts. It’s a great, highly organized and free way to get native speakers’ reactions to your writing.

You can also look for local people to exchange help with. Translators in particular are always looking for help unraveling tricky phrases, and willing to trade for help correcting your texts. If you’re a native English speaker with friends from different lands, you’ll be hit up countless times for help correcting CVs, letters, etc. Partly to reduce the number of requests, but also for my learning benefit, I always ask these friends for help in return with correcting a text that I’ve written in their languages.

If your previous excuse for not getting going on your language goals was a faulty budget, I hope I’ve blown that out of the water with this post. In general, with free options, you’re spending a little bit more of your own time and you have to be more self-motivated and self-directed. But these tend to be quite positive tendencies in other ways and will favor your ultimate success in language learning.

Don’t forget: You can save any extra cash for a trip to a tropical island with your library book, or your Portuguese language exchange partner.

Mose Hayward is a polyglot and language learning addict who, for the good of humanity, has collected and translated every single one of the 53 Catalan expressions involving poop.

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The Fastest, Most Direct Way to Learn a New Language in 8 Lightning-quick Steps

Want to put a rush on this whole “learning a new language” thing?

Maybe you need to learn a language so you can speak it on an upcoming trip.

Or so you can take on new job responsibilities.

Or so you can read your favorite novel in the language it was first written in.

Whatever your reason for learning a new language, you can probably agree it’d be ideal to learn it fast.

Yet the idea of learning a language, especially when you’re learning it from scratch, seems anything but fast: You’ll have to learn a new grammar, memorize vocabulary words, practice speaking…

But learning a new language doesn’t need to be a slow or tedious process. Although nothing can replace the hard work and effort it requires, you can absolutely learn a new foreign language fast if you follow the right strategy and dedicate yourself to the process.

Follow these eight steps, and you’ll be on your way to mastering that new language faster than you ever imagined!

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The Fastest Way to Learn a New Language in 8 Simple Steps

1. Set language-learning goals.

The first step to learning a new language fast is to set goals for what you want to achieve. When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. If you don’t set goals, how can you know what you want to achieve and measure whether you have achieved it?

When faced with the idea of learning a new language, most of us feel overwhelmed. There are so many words to learn and so many different ways to study. Setting goals narrows your focus so you can stop worrying about the details and get down to business.

Research shows that people who set the right kind of goals are more likely to achieve success.

Use these guidelines to get the most from your goals:

2. Learn the “right” words.

Languages are made up of a shocking number of words. English, for example, has between 600,000 and 1 million words.

Luckily, you don’t need to learn anywhere near that many words to be proficient in a language. Consider this: the top 100 words make up about 50 percent of English language texts, and the top 1,000 words make up about 90 percent!

Check out these lists of the top 1,000 words in these languages:

By focusing on learning these words first, you can eliminate wasted time and increase the amount of information you understand very quickly.

3. Study smart.

When learning your words, you’ll learn faster by using the very best study techniques.

For example, one of the best ways to learn vocabulary words is to use flashcards. Flashcards help you focus on individual words and allow you to test yourself, which helps you memorize new information.

When you learn with flashcards, follow these tips to learn fast:

To maximize your use of SRS programs and electronic flashcards, check out polyglot Olly Richards’ Conversations course, which is designed to help you set up workable, step-by-step systems for learning your target language. You can also get more targeted help with the Uncovered courses, which introduces the basics of specific languages including Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Practice makes perfect, but effective practice makes perfect even faster!

Some more great strategies for integrating new words alongside and beyond flashcards include:

4. Start using the language all day, every day.

As a beginner, it can seem overwhelming to try to use the language all day, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. There are many easy and even fun ways to make the language a part of your regular life.

First, make use of every moment you have to learn new words. Take flashcards with you, and study them during your train or bus commute (but not while driving, please!) or when you’re waiting to meet a friend.

When you start to feel tired, switch from active learning to passive learning by doing what you would normally do in your native language in your target language. Try watching a video or TV show, or streaming radio broadcasts in your target language.

There are many online resources to access entertaining audio and video clips. You can go to YouTube, search for radio stations and discover more native language content on the internet.

You may be asking, “How can I possibly watch a video or listen to the radio when I only know a handful of words?”

That’s where a program like FluentU comes in handy. With the FluentU program, you can watch content in your target language and understand everything thanks to accurate, interactive subtitles. This includes TV show clips, news segments, funny commercials and other native language media.

Besides having subtitles in English and your target language, the FluentU video player also lets you see the definition of any word at a click.

From this screen, you can check the grammar, pronunciation and example sentences of the word you clicked on. You can also see the word in use in other videos and add it as a flashcard.

Personalized exercises, interactive transcripts, vocabulary lists and other learning features round out this learning program. FluentU makes it possible to study with authentic videos in 10 different languages under one account.

So don’t neglect your listening skills, because listening to your target language can have many positive effects, including:

5. Seek out real-life practice.

Some of the best learning happens in real-life situations, particularly when you have no choice but to use a foreign language.

The easiest way to gain real-life practice is to travel or study abroad. Going abroad creates opportunities to be surrounded by people who speak the language you want to learn, many of whom don’t know your native language.

This is the favorite approach of organizations like the Peace Corps, which regularly places people with little or no knowledge of a language into full immersion situations. Although such situations can be uncomfortable, they provide enormous motivation to learn quickly.

But even without traveling abroad, you can immerse yourself in real-life situations that give you loads of language practice. Try these options:

6. Learn about the culture.

Understanding a language is about more than understanding words on a page. It’s important to learn about the culture and history associated with these words.

Knowing something about a country or culture’s history, current events, religious beliefs and common customs can help you understand a lot about what people say and do.

Researchers have found that children learn to read in a second language better when they understand the culture and context behind the pieces they read.

As you begin to study a new language, take some time to learn about the culture of the people who speak that language. Don’t feel this is a waste of time, even if it involves reading and watching videos in your native language. It will help you enormously and can even prevent you from making embarrassing and potentially offensive mistakes.

7. Test yourself.

Knowing that you plan to take a test is a great way to motivate yourself to learn faster.

Try to regularly test yourself in little ways. If you’re learning from a textbook, take practice tests or complete the exercises at the end of each chapter. You can also play online games or take online tests. Online practice tests can be found in almost any language, including French, Spanish, Japanese and German.

Planning to take a standardized test several months to a year after you begin learning a new language can also keep you motivated, and having the results can help you “prove” your language level to potential employers, schools or even just yourself.

The ACTFL OPI test is popular in many language-learning circles and widely respected. It tests oral proficiency and provides a score that ranks your level anywhere from “Novice Low” to “Superior.”

Some languages also have a standardized test specific to that language, such as the JLPT for Japanese or the HSK for Chinese. Ask teachers or professionals who know the language what tests they recommend.

8. Have fun!

We tend to learn best when we’re enjoying ourselves, so don’t forget to make language learning fun.

Playing games is a great way to have fun while learning. Games take advantage of our natural competitiveness and can help us practice language skills even when we feel tired.

You can also focus your learning on things that you find interesting, like a favorite hobby.

If you like to sew, for example, study words in your target language related to sewing, watch instructional sewing videos and talk with tailors who speak your target language.

If you’re learning French and fascinated by French politics, learn words used to describe political processes, and immerse yourself in articles about political issues, videos of political debates and talk shows about current events.

Finally, make friends who speak your target language or are interested in learning it. Languages aren’t meant to be learned in a vacuum! Real-life social events and conversations are what make language learning fun and worthwhile.

Make a point of talking to people and learning more about their lives and cultures.

You might be surprised at how excited they are to share information with you, and how quickly you make lasting friendships in the process.

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13 Tips on Learning a New Language Fast and Conquering Your Study Goals

“I studied Spanish for seven years in school, but all I can remember is hola (hello) and adios (goodbye).”

Learning a new language is one of the most enriching and rewarding skills we can acquire over a lifetime, but why is it so difficult? If you studied a language in school, why are you still unable to carry out a basic conversation?

You don’t want to spend another seven years re-learning a language the wrong way again, so here are nine ways to learn a language fast!

Contents

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1. Make Using Your Target Language Unavoidable

If you give yourself an option of using your language skills, chances are you’ll choose to not use them. Our brain will instinctively choose the decision that’s simple and requires less thought. To make fast progress, put yourself in a situation where growth is inevitable.

Many people say the best way to learn a new language is by living in the country—this is not true!

More often than not, when you’re in that country, the natives will want to practice their English skills when they see you. We live in a world where English is a desirable and lucrative skill to have, so most foreign countries will have an English-speaking population, especially around the larger cities. In this situation, growth isn’t inevitable; it’s still optional.

But is it truly possible to keep ourselves in a situation where we have no choice but to use our language skills? Yes!

In China, I was assigned to work at a school in a less industrialized part of Shenzhen. Although it was a city of over 12 million people, it was rare to find any Chinese people fluent in English. Most of the time, I was the only foreigner within a given five-mile radius.

This was insanely frustrating at first, but it forced me to start learning the language. If I wanted to order food at a restaurant or find my way around the city, I had to start communicating with the locals. Within a few weeks, I acquired dozens of new, useful phrases that may have taken me months to learn otherwise.

Not living abroad? No problem! There are still plenty of ways to make learning unavoidable, such as:

You might also want to consider checking out Olly Richard’s Language Learning Foundations video course, which helps solve the commitment problem by walking you through the immediate concerns of learning a language to fluency. It’s applicable to any language, but you’ll receive specific guidance, including “homework” to keep you on your toes.

By forcing yourself into such situations where you must use your target language, you’re guaranteed to learn faster.

2. Study with Entertaining and Fun Resources

To make studying fun, bring in some resources that you actually enjoy.

Here are two suggestions:

Movies, TV shows, podcasts and online videos for native speakers are actually some of the most fun resources for learning a language. Think of all of the idioms, conversational phrases and essential vocabulary that show up in them. Aside from being interesting, they also immerse you in the culture (different languages can have different ways of expressing humor, for example).

One downside is that as a language learner, you’ll likely have to keep checking what words mean, plus expressions and cultural references can be confusing. To fix this problem for learners, the FluentU program uses interactive, dual-language subtitles:

FluentU takes authentic media clips in your target language and turns these into study material through tools like flashcards, transcripts, a video dictionary and clickable subtitles that explain each word. It also has personalized quizzes that include listening and speaking exercises.

FluentU lets you choose from 10 languages, and it works on both web and mobile (Android and iOS).

3. Use Spaced Repetition Software to Remember Vocabulary

In Mandarin, there’s a saying: 好好学习天天向上 (hǎo hǎo xué xí, tiān tiān xiàng shàng) which means, “Study hard and make progress every day.” But is it really that simple?

When you study on your own, it can be tempting to try cramming loads of new vocabulary into your brain and then wait a while before you study again. While this may be effective in the short term, it’s ultimately not the way to develop a long-lasting memory.

Treat learning a new language differently than you would studying for an exam. There are more effective ways to memorize information that improve the likeliness of long-term learning, such as spaced repetition software (SRS).

SRS are computer programs modeled after a process similar to using flashcards. These flashcards are generated by sophisticated algorithms that space out the time intervals indicated when each card will appear again on the screen.

In other words, easier cards appear less frequently than harder cards, allowing users to spend more time studying the cards that are more difficult. The tough ones continue showing up until they are mastered, giving you the chance to actively learn them more efficiently than other learning styles.

To power up your SRS, you can even do sentence mining, where you put sentences on flashcards instead of isolated words.

Replace cramming with spaced repetition software, and you’ll be saving yourself lots of studying time, thus learning faster.

4. Get Plenty of Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible input means material in your target language that you can understand–but it’s still slightly above your level because there are some words or grammar concepts that you don’t know.

According to one of the most influential theories in linguistics, getting comprehensible input is how people acquire and become fluent in a language. It might seem unexpected, but to get good at a language fast, you’d want to get a lot of comprehensible input (listening and reading), especially at the start.

The more comprehensible input you study, the more natural the language will become for you–until you’re actually starting to think in your target language without too much lag.

This is pretty fun to apply because input can mean TV shows, comics, online videos, podcasts or even actual conversations that you overhear in your target language. The catch is that they have to be comprehensible, though. If you watch a movie without understanding the lines at all, take it down a few notches and choose easier material!

This video explains how comprehensible input speeds up the language learning process:

5. Focus on the Most Commonly Used Words and Expressions

The traditional approach is to focus on “textbook learning” by memorizing vocabulary. While this may build your arsenal of new words, it won’t get you very far when actually implementing the language. Speaking a new language is not a formulaic process. It requires quick and flexible thinking. Unless you plan on sounding like a robot, you may want to devote your attention to areas outside vocabulary.

Strategize and prioritize your learning by focusing on what matters. Mandarin is a language of over 3,000 characters. But did you know that by learning the 500 most commonly used words you acquire approximately 75% of language understanding?

This is not just isolated to Mandarin. In just about all languages, about 20% of the vocabulary accounts for 80% of understanding. So why waste time trying to learn more words?

While vocabulary is important, it must be considered holistically when learning a new language. Identify what words, phrases and expressions will get you the most bang for your buck, and work from there. You can start with practical, colloquial topics then work your way up from there.

You can also let someone else do that work for you by taking the “I Will Teach You A Language” Conversations course, which is designed to get you talking by systematically introducing you to your target language’s most common words and phrases.

6. Find Your Saturation Point Through Immersion

Another excellent method for making fast progress is intensive immersion. And yes, you can achieve this wherever you are!

With intensive immersion, you don’t ease up one bit on the target language. Make every area of your life part of your language program. That means you should listen to the news and music in the language, speak only the language—just make every option available in only the target language!

Create a period of relentless study and so much language it feels like on-site immersion. And when you think you can’t stand one more bit of the language? That’s the time to intensify your study.

Force your brain to begin thinking and responding in the target language.

Consider every minute of the day prime time for language study, and that includes your nighttime hours, too. I know a number of language learners who adhere to the technique of listening to languages while they’re sleeping. Play music, turn on some lessons or let the foreign-language films play while you rest.

7. Practice Speaking Right Away

When beginning to learn a new language, resist the urge to start learning as many words as possible. Resist the urge to say each sentence perfectly. Language cannot be learned from a textbook alone.

Don’t wait for your skills to get great—practice speaking immediately. Just dive right in! Speak aloud, name everything and engage in conversations with anyone available. If you don’t have a language partner (more about this later in the post), talk to yourself. Now is the time to do that!

For faster progress, you’ll have to value fluency over accuracy, which is one of the most difficult, yet powerful concepts to comprehend.

Fluency is the ability to express oneself easily and articulately. It means using the language smoothly in real-time.

Accuracy, on the other hand, is the ability to be correct and precise. It means communicating without any grammatical, vocabulary, tonal and other errors.

Yes, these two are distinct entities. You can be fluent in a language without having 100% accuracy. Alternatively, you can have language accuracy while still not being anywhere near fluent. The ultimate goal when learning a new language is to use it fluently, not accurately.

This does mean we should forget the importance of accuracy. Yes, you may have slip-ups when using your new language, and that’s okay. Think about times when you didn’t accurately follow the rules of your native language, but you were still perfectly understood by others. It happens more than we realize.

So expect to make mistakes—and be grateful for them. You don’t have the time to fret over language blunders, so just learn from them and move on. Remember, practice makes perfect—so practice constantly.

8. Set SMART Goals and Optimize Your Schedule

SMART is the acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. SMART goals help you determine the specific milestones you want to hit, how you’re going to reach those milestones, the attainability of your goal, the reason for the plan and the time frame you have to accomplish this task.

SMART goals leave little wiggle room and are helpful, especially when facing a deadline.

Part of this would also be coming up with a schedule that’ll ensure your success at meeting your goal of speed learning.

If you’re wondering how you can possibly squeeze another hour of anything into your already busy day, here are a few tips:

However you do it, make sure your schedule adheres to your SMART goal. In other words, be ambitious but realistic!

Just to show you how much you can achieve if you’re consistent, here’s a video about how FSI (Foreign Service Institute) diplomats manage to learn different languages to fluency through intensive study:

According to the FSI scale, FSI students could learn Italian, French, Spanish and other languages similar to English in 24-30 weeks or 600-750 class hours, while languages like Chinese and Japanese can be learned in 88 weeks or 2,200 class hours.

The more hours that you put into regularly studying a language, the faster you’ll make progress with it. This is called your time investment. Time is your greatest asset and speed-learning is the endeavor—so prioritize the investment to see rapid results!

9. Find a Language Partner

There’s no shame in asking someone else for help. So do it! Asking for help is an action you should be proud of. It shows that you take your learning seriously and will do whatever it takes to become a master in your desired skill.

With that said, having the support of another person will accelerate your learning immensely. No matter what stage you’re at in learning your new language, find someone who’s also trying to learn the language. Schedule times to meet up and share any progress and offer feedback for one another. Exchange resources or tips that have been helpful to you.

This can also be a great time to practice your skills with each other. Best of all, you can set goals and hold each other accountable for completing them by the next time you meet.

10. Consider Investing in Tutoring or Other Resources

While it’s great that there are so many free language-learning options available, if you’re trying to learn the most in a time crunch, you may need to make an investment.

Hiring a tutor is a good option for getting on the fast track to language success. Look for qualified tutors at universities and colleges, on Craigslist or even on the message boards in local businesses. Many tutors offer their services on those boards, so it’s a good idea to check them out.

Also, remember to interview any potential tutors to be sure you’re finding the right person for the job. Discuss price, scheduling and language qualifications.

Don’t want to leave your home? No problem: There are plenty of online tutoring services you can turn to. You could also pay for a course, subscribe to a learning service or take classes on the side.

We wouldn’t expect professional services for free. We shouldn’t necessarily think language learning should be gratis, either. By investing in a professional and high-quality learning resource, you’ll be giving yourself the best chance at learning effectively… and quickly.

11. Plan a Virtual Trip

Who wouldn’t love to fly off to a country to learn a language? Immersion programs sound like heaven to travelers and language lovers but for most of us, they aren’t feasible. (Jobs, families and other obligations. Remember those? The things that keep us grounded?)

But if you can’t go traveling in real life, there’s no reason you can’t plan a trip. Virtual travel won’t get you a slice in a Roman pizzeria or a seat in a Munich beer garden but it’ll certainly engage you so well that you’ll want to learn as much about a culture—and language!—as possible. And quickly, too!

The key to this strategy is to investigate traveling options as if you were actually going to grab your passport and head to your dream location. You need to act as if time is of the essence, which makes it imperative that you gather as much information—particularly language skills—as possible!

Prepare as if you had a one-way plane ticket. Read up on local attractions in the target language. Nearly every country has a webpage and most allow visitors to choose a language for the material they showcase. Choose the target language and add some authenticity to your planning! And, don’t forget to learn some travel phrases. They’re often part of the country’s webpage!

Find a virtual host in the destination country online. Start a friendly chat in the language. Ask questions about the area and its attractions and culture.

12. Become Passionate About Learning Your New Language

Hobbies are activities we enjoy doing at our own leisure. They are simply for the purpose of fun, but there’s no pressure to keep at them every day. If you treat your new language like a hobby, it can mean the difference between you spending five months and five years when learning a new language. By being nonchalant about learning, you’ll achieve nonchalant results.

Make language learning a passion instead. Merge the fun of language learning with the commitment to follow through. Knowing that you want to learn a new language is not enough to get us to actually take action.

Give yourself clarity on what exactly compels you to learn a new language. Figure out the why behind your desire to learn. What’s the goal behind the goal? What’s the bigger picture here? How will learning a new language open opportunities in your future?

Simply answering these questions for yourself will motivate you on a much higher level to take action when necessary.

13. Learn from (and Celebrate) Every Mistake

If you’re living in an environment that allows you to practice your new language, congrats! Now get ready to make a lot of mistakes. It’s best to leave your ego out of the situation when doing something as difficult as learning a new language. Leave any desires for perfection and any fears of judgment at the door.

You can be the smartest person in the world, but if you’re stubborn or defensive, you’ll shield yourself from endless opportunities for growth. Keep in mind that many natives will be grateful and appreciative of your attempt to learn such an important part of their culture. Congratulate yourself for even the smallest mistakes because it means you are trying.

As you go about your day-to-day life and practice using your new language, resist the urge to judge each conversation as a success or failure. It’s tempting to be our own worst critic and beat ourselves up for not remembering a particular word or knowing how to clearly express a thought. Instead, approach each interaction as a new opportunity for you to learn something.

Reflect on each conversation and give yourself constructive feedback. Some things you might want to think about are:

When you start embracing the ups and downs of the learning process, you’ll better enjoy and appreciate the journey, which sets you up for more learning opportunities.

Remember, success comes from the simple fact that you are trying. Use these tips and you’ll be well on your way to learning a new language with grace, speed and ease. Good luck!

How to Learn Any Language Effortlessly

I always try to do the things that are the least amount of work when learning a language; I like to engage in effortless language learning when I learn any language, not completely effortless of course, but as effortless as possible.

Effortlessness and the Parable of the Crooked Tree

The author of the parable was Zhuangzi, an early exponent of Taoism, a school of Chinese philosophy from over 2,000 years ago. I referred to Taoism on a number of occasions in my book. Zhuangzi’s basic principle in life was to follow what was natural, what was effortless and not try to force things.

Typically, the Taoist philosophy was in opposition to Confucianism, which prescribed rules of what you should and shouldn’t do in order to be a great person. Confucianism is full of admonishments on how you should behave. As is often the case with prescriptive philosophies or religions, these “commandments” attempt to set the boundaries of correct behaviour. Zhuangzi was different. He advised people to follow their own natures, and to not resist the world around them. This effortless non-resistance would help them learn better and be happier.

In Zhuangzi’s Parable of the Crooked Tree, his friend Huizi tells him that a tree they are both observing is crooked because the lumber is not good for anything, like Zhuangzi’s philosophy.

“Neither your philosophy nor the tree is good for anything”, says Huizi.

Zhuangzi replies “You say that because you don’t know how to use them. You have to use things for the purpose intended and understand their true nature. You can sit underneath a crooked tree and enjoy its shade, for example. If you understand the true nature of things, you will be able to use them to achieve your goals.”

I’m in the lumber business, and sometimes those gnarly old trees produce very expensive and decorative wood. Compared to trees in a planted forest their wood is less uniform and less suitable for industrial end uses. We just have to accept these more individualistic trees as they are and appreciate what they bring. Zhuangzi defends his philosophy saying it is useful if we accept its nature and know how to use.

Zhuangi’s philosophy was based on effortlessness, called wu wei (无为) in Chinese. In other words, if you want to learn better, stop resisting, and stop fighting it; go with the flow.That has always been my approach. Language learning does require some effort, of course, but we learn best when effort is minimized and pleasure is maximized.

Reading

If I’m reading in a language that I read well, where there are few unknown words, then I don’t bother looking up these unknown words. It’s too much trouble. On the other hand, if I can’t read well enough to enjoy reading away from the computer, or my iPad, then I usually don’t bother. It’s too much trouble looking words up in a dictionary, since the minute I close it I forget the meaning. So I just I read on LingQ, usually on my iPad. LingQ is where I have learned seven languages in the last 10 years.

Once I’ve looked the word up on LingQ it’s highlighted. The word appears highlighted in any subsequent material, so I’m reminded that I’ve looked it up before. I can see the meaning right away, and eventually it becomes part of me, without any effort on my part. I’m not just looking words up in a dictionary and then forgetting them. I am creating a personal database of words and phrases for easy review as I continue reading.

Grammar

When I read grammar – and I believe we should occasionally read grammar rules as it helps give us a sense of the language – I don’t try to remember anything.

I don’t try to learn or understand anything. I just treat it as a spark, an exposure of something that might help me eventually get a sense of the language. I don’t worry about grammar. I know it will gradually become clearer for me.

Comprehension Questions

I don’t do questions. When I was learning Czech I found an old Teach Yourself Czech that I had bought many years ago. I found it kind of useful. It had questions and grammar drills, but I never did them. It was, however, useful to go to the back of the book and find the answers.

This way, rather than having to try to answer the question and wracking my brain, I just read all the answers. This gives me a concentration of examples of whatever the book is trying to test me on, case endings, pronouns or whatever else. I don’t like doing the questions because it’s too much work.

By the same token, when I read something I don’t like answering comprehension questions. I would rather have misunderstood the text and have my own interpretation of it than have to answer a list of questions. I have mentioned the great Brazilian educator Rubem Alves before. He once said that nothing destroys the pleasure of reading as much as being asked questions about what you have read.

Flashcards

I use flashcards as a break from my reading and listening activity. Doing them provides diversion and variety. Recently at LingQ we have created more variety and randomness in the nature of these flash cards. In this way, it becomes almost a game to go through them.

I don’t worry about what I remember, or what I am able to recall when going through these activities. Whether it is going from my target language into English, or from English into the target language, or multiple choice, or fill in the blanks, or writing out what I hear in the dictation card, I just mechanically go through them.

I am never sure how effective this activity is, but I find it enjoyable because it is somewhat mechanical. I don’t need to think. I don’t worry about what I get or don’t get. I do these for a while and then return to my reading and listening. Somehow, the combination of these activities moves me along in the language, effortlessly.

Dictionaries

Sometimes the purists will tell you that you must only use a monolingual dictionary. I never use a monolingual dictionary. It’s much easier to use a bilingual dictionary. If I’m starting out in a language and I know few words, a monolingual dictionary is useless.

Even when I’m quite advanced I just find that a bilingual dictionary is more useful. I get a hint of what that word might mean and return to what I am reading, wanting to continue the discovery of what the content is all about. My interest in the text drives my learning. I don’t want to be distracted by a dictionary definition which may contain even more words that I don’t know.

I know that only through a lot of exposure will I eventually get the hang of that word, but I don’t want to spend my time trying to figure it out from a monolingual dictionary. To me it is more effortless to use a bilingual dictionary, and whatever is effortless to me is good.

Strange Language Features

I don’t worry about things that I don’t understand or elements of the new language that I am not used to. One example is the custom, in some languages, to have a large number of very specific terms for relatives, much more than we have in English.

These names are often introduced early in a language, since they are perceived as interesting aspects of the new culture. I can’t be bothered with them. Those are concepts we don’t have in English, and so they’re very difficult for me to relate to or remember. Eventually, after enough exposure, these things will become easier to learn, as is the case with much that is new and strange in a language.

Similarly, if you’re a speaker of a language which doesn’t have articles, like Russian or Japanese, you’re going to find articles difficult in English. I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s going to take a long time before those things sink in.

As for me, I find it difficult to understand the explanations about certain grammatical concepts, like the aspects of verbs in Russian. I naturally get it right some of the time, and some of the time I don’t. I am aware that such a thing exists. I’ve read the explanations and kind of get it but not really. I don’t worry about it. Similarly, in Japanese don’t worry about polite language at first because it takes a lot of exposure in order to have a sense for that. So I stick with a neutral form of the language, and try to avoid being too polite or too casual. There is less strain that way.

So in summary my advice is as follows:

⇒ Do what’s easy.

⇒ Do what comes naturally and is satisfying.

⇒ Don’t answer questions if you don’t want to.

⇒ Don’t force yourself to learn things.

⇒ Don’t cram things into your brain.

Just expose yourself to the language, follow your curiosity, trust your brain and you will learn any language effortlessly…or almost.

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16 comments on “ How to Learn Any Language Effortlessly ”

About using monolingual dictionary, I think you’re right when you begin studying a new language, but when you start having a good grasp at a language you can start using it. It trains you in the language, and gives you an insight on relations between words and between meanings
Thank you

Definitely true. I remember when they recommended monolingual dictionary to us when were taught English. Problem was, it was in a phase, we barely could talk or write. There was no point for that.

After few months abroad I realized, that using it is very helpful because my English is good enough for that. Also, I stopped to be worried about mistakes. When someone approach to me with “I goed there and choosed there something…” I still understand. There is the point. Understand and be understood, despite it is sometimes hard.

There are points that go in the complete opposite direction as the common thinking for example “do what’s easy”. People use to think that to learn you need to go out of your comfort zone.
By the way great article!

Oh my gosh. I loved what you wrote under flashcards and I hate how it took me so long to ditch that format (for some reason a lot of people just do what they’re told in school without thinking about its effectiveness). It’s so useless if anyone thinks about it logically. Currently I use the MCD format which is like what you do except one part is blanked out. I find anki cards in those format to be easy and effective.

Regarding monolingual dictionaries… there’s a great firefox add-on for japanese called rika-chan which can be boosted with rikai-sama which allows you to see the definition when you hover over it. If you press the letter “O” the dictionary switches from monolingual to sanseido or the other way around depending on how you set it up. So I get the option of getting both definitions sand may generate an anki card using the definition that works better for me.

I agree. I find I learn the best and make the most progress when learning remains fun. When it starts to feel like work, it’s time to change direction – move to something easier and more enjoyable – while still moving forward.

I loved what you wrote.

I will apply to learn more.

Mr. Kaufman, I believe that encouragement is important, even critical, when dealing with students aspiring to learn a foreign language. But to call it “effortless” is truly misleading. It reminds me of the faddish, recurring slogan that “learning is fun.” Indeed it is, or should be, especially in the lower grades where rudiments are being introduced. In the language acquisition arena, learning is effortless if one is a child and the brain is still developing (i.e., new neural pathways are still being laid down) meaning the installation of one or more primary languages is organic. But after the neurological sculpting is done, say at around 12 or 13 years of age, language acquisition means *superimposing* other tongues upon one’s primary language(s). This takes tremendous time and effort, as evidenced by the years you yourself have spent acquiring foreign languages (I think you said something like 7 hours a day for Chinese). I also recall your referring once to “the relentless pursuit of words.” Good point. Without a critical mass of words, comprehension is unlikely. But once again, it’s hard. Another problem for the adult learner is that he/she may be someone who has a very difficult time pronouncing many foreign vocabularies. I have worked with students who cannot reproduce the basic sounds of the target language well enough to make themselves understood. Their tongues and mouth-related muscles simply won’t budge from familiar English patterns. Could speech therapy help them? Probably. But, once again, such an intervention would not be effortless. Anything worth doing well is worth sweating for. If it comes easy, there are only two reasons: (1) you are gifted, or (2) you can read a foreign language menu and are satisfied with your accomplishment, thereby earning the right to proclaim that you “speak” a foreign language (a little). In conclusion, unless one is gifted, it’s hard to learn math, it’s hard to learn music, it’s hard to learn to write well. Why should foreign language be an exception to the “it’s hard” mantra? In my experience, those who have succeeded in acquiring a comfortable fluency in a foreign language are those who have persisted, putting in the hours and the muscle, and repeating, repeating, repeating words and phrases until they are internalized and available on the tips of their tongues when they need them.

I agree with you to some extent. Language learning does indeed require a lot of effort. However, exerting that effort does not necessarily need to be a painful experience – there are strategies that can indeed make language learning a lot of fun. For example, reading books that appeal to the learners, listening to interesting news, music or even following celebrities etc.
Of course, the initial phases of language learning can be really challenging (for example, due to pronunciation problems you have mentioned) and normally require an investment a lot of ‘hard work’.
However, once the foundations are laid (basic pronunciation, alphabet/writing system, a small but useful vocabulary set, basic sentence patterns), one can begin to truly enjoy the process by exposing oneself to more and more ‘native’ resources and being able to make sense of them. At that point the main sources of enjoyment are the resources themselves (e.g. the pleasure of reading a book) and the progress one has made.
One point I would like to make is that language learning becomes easier for those who have already mastered one or more foreign languages.
Those who learn a foreign language for the first time might have a huge psychological barrier, lack language learning habits and are more susceptible to succumbing to more mechanical, inefficient and unpleasant language learning methods.
When one language is learnt, it is easier to focus on the ‘important aspects’ (e.g. recognising that learning a complicated Chinese family tree is not critical at the beginner stage) and to use a method that works for a given individual.
I do believe that it can be fun – it is all about finding a method that works for you!

I find that on a certain level of a language ability it’s much easier to get to the core meaning of the word rather than to try to associate it with a word on one’s own language. Also, some bilingual dictionaries are confusing as hell, especially when the words don’t quite match.

Great insight to “do what is easy”. I learned this after getting really bored with the canned dialogues that accompanied the foreign-language-learning books that I was reading. Instead, I started reading the news in German, and there was plenty of up-to-date, relevant news to be found on the German Yahoo! site. It was so much more interesting to do that. I often think that many people don’t learn a foreign language because the teaching pedagogy, while well-intentioned, often makes the task boring. One size doesn’t fit all.

10 tips on how to learn any language

To learn any language fast helps you to stand out within the competitive employment market. It also helps in opening up millions of job opportunities. Nevertheless, the trip of taking in another language is entirely rough and difficult. Mostly, individuals surrender since they don’t see much improvement.

Be that as it may, there we give you certain tips and trap that can help you however out the procedure. Observe in light of the fact that the accompanying 10 tips and trap can have any kind of effect when taking in another dialect. It’s not as simple for grown-ups to get another language as it is for little children. Still, you can take in any other language and learn effectively in the event that you know how your brain functions when challenged. Here are the logistics of knowing a new language: why repetition is ideal, you ought to learn during the evening, search for content in the other languages in subjects you appreciate most, and why you ought to blend the old ideas with new ones while you’re learning.

1. Immerse yourself into the language

Once you’ve chosen to take in another language you must be completely dedicated to it. You need to take a 360-degree methodology; so regardless of which language instruments you utilize, you need to practice it each and every day. In any case, what will have the effect is the point at which you put what you realize into practice, be that composition, addressing yourself, viewing a film or anything you like. So your first need is to set aside 60 minutes-a-day for language rehearsals. You will be surprised at how you begin to communicate in another language.

2. Practice makes perfect

One of the greatest issues is that we overlook things unless we utilize them as memory blurs’ unless it’s utilized. This is the reason it is essential to polish your learning. The more practice you do the better you learn. It won’t be viable in the event that you go to your language practice each week without your own practice. Learning with locals helps you to learn faster by permitting them to help you with the right pronunciation.

3. Accept mistakes when learning

One of the best boundaries for individuals when taking in another language is the trepidation of committing errors. However, you ought to accept mistakes, and you should not feel embarrassed, in light of the fact that practicing implies you are attempting and folks recognize that. You ought to begin acting like a kid when it gets to learning a new language. We learn by committing errors, so grasp them and you’ll take in the language much quicker.

4. Mastering the learning style

This is the most critical thing you have to know when beginning to take in a dialect. Everybody adapts in an unexpected way, particularly with regards to dialects. You’ll have to make sense of learning through reiteration, through recording the words or through listening to a local speaker.

5. Put more emphasis on vocabulary

Keeping in mind the end goal to effectively taking in another language, you initially need to get utilized and learn the vocabulary. So you don’t have to know each and every word, this will tag along as you practice more. You have to work on listening to the language in an ordinary setting. It is first about concentrating on your conversational aptitude, not about learning huge amounts of vocabulary. You have to pick a vocabulary structure that helps you organizing your conversational abilities. It’s valuable to utilize some applications and begin perceiving and keywords in your craved language.

6. Memorize ten phrases every day

Within 30 days this implies you will have retained around 80% of the dialect. To learn any language in 30 days, begin with the most widely recognized words. Remembrance is a large portion of the fight and there are various approaches to remember. You can work on composing every word twelve times, which will get you used to in utilizing the word itself. Have a go at utilizing the words as a part of different and diverse sentences. This will help you sharpen the words and make it simpler to review the words when you require them.

7. Watch movies and TV shows

Taking in another language likewise includes reading and listening. So why not begin sitting in front of the motion pictures and TV shows to get more acquainted with the language you are learning. At the starting point, it may appear too silly and entirely hard in light of the fact that you most likely won’t comprehend a solitary word. In any case, you need to get through and endeavor, since this will have an immense effect. This helps by getting used to sounds and rhythms of the language.

8. Utilize modern technology

Among the best thing to do when taking in another dialect these days, is downloading fun applications that aid your learning experience. There are numerous resources, for example, Memrise, Duolingo, and Babbel among numerous others. Utilizing extra assets helps you as a part of viably memorizing phrases and words by hearing, seeing and rehearsing them.

9. Carry a dictionary

When you are taking in another language you continually experience new words, expressions terms, and maxims. You’ll then likely feel lost as you don’t comprehend anything. Carrying a dictionary on your telephone will have an enormous effect. It is an incredible gadget that you can use to learn new words and their importance amid a discussion. It is important to note that to learn any language requires the use of the relevant pocket dictionary.

10. Master the alphabet

Particularly in case you’re taking in a dialect which works on an alternate alphabetical system, you should realize what the letters look like.