How to Learn a New Language: 20 Language Learning Tips

Last Updated on September 11, 2024

Are you currently learning a new language? Here are some language learning tips from our polyglot writer, Chad Emery from Langoly.

When I first moved to Spain, I only knew the bare basics of Spanish. But hola and gracias can only get you so far when you’re living in Spain. I knew I had to buckle down and learn Spanish, and the quicker I did it, the easier life would be. I had the opportunity to live abroad before that, and thankfully I knew some language learning tips to help me get started. 

I learned French while living near the Swiss Alps, Dutch while studying in the capital of the European Union, Portuguese while visiting São Paulo in Brazil, and I studied German all through school. Each language is different in its own special way, and mastering a foreign language, no matter what language it is, is the same process. That’s what I want to discuss with you today.

How To Learn A New Language Quickly

Learning a language is an exciting journey, and following these 20 language learning tips will have you speaking a foreign language in no time! 

1. Choose a language that is suitable for you

If this is your first time learning a foreign language, then find a language that is easier to learn to start with. For instance, learning Chinese isn’t a good idea if you only know one language.

For English speakers, the easiest languages to learn are Spanish, French, Dutch and Portuguese. These belong to the Germanic family of languages — just like English. Many of them also share quite a bit of vocabulary with English.

2. Know your motivation

There’s probably a reason you want to learn a second language. If the reason is for school, for your partner, or even if it’s so you can understand a TV show you like, it’s important to know why you want to learn a foreign language. 

Knowing your motivation can help you stay more focused and productive during your study time, and it’ll also make your language learning journey more fun. I had a different motivation for learning each of the languages I know, and it’s because I took time to understand those different motivations that I accomplished my goals for each language.

3. Speak before you know how to speak

This is one of the most powerful language tips I’ve learned. Even if you don’t know what you’re saying or it doesn’t sound 100% correct, speak! Think of the time when you were a kid and still learning your native language. Did you speak completely fluently from the moment you took your first breath? Unless you were a child prodigy or reincarnated from a past life, you probably didn’t.

When I was learning French, the words and sounds felt so awkward when I first started to practice. This really held me back for a while, and I didn’t make much progress because I was so self-conscious. Once I finally pushed through that awkward barrier though, I learned so much so quickly! After that, I used my pronunciation mistakes as motivation to improve instead of letting them hold me back. 

4. Accept your mistakes before and after you make them

Learn to accept that you’re going to make mistakes. If you keep this in mind from the beginning, your language learning journey will be a lot smoother. You’ll also be more successful in the long run. 

It’s important to accept your mistakes after you make them, too. There’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed if you make a mistake. In fact, it should be encouraging that you realized your own mistake! If you use the wrong word, verb conjugation, or unclear pronunciation, you’ll remember the correct way to express yourself next time. 

5. Learn basic questions right from the beginning

This is one of the best language learning tips to get you speaking right from the beginning. Not only will you be able to have basic conversations with native speakers, but you’ll feel the satisfaction of being understood in your target language. 

Here are some great basic questions to learn in your target language. These questions will get the ball rolling, and you may even learn some new words from the native speaker’s response!

• How are you?
• What’s your name?
• How old are you?
• How do you say … in your language?
• Where is the …? 

6. Study smarter, not longer

Your study time is probably limited, so it’s important to use it effectively. If you want to become conversational, focus on conversational words and phrases. If you’re studying for a language exam, focus on preparing for that specific exam. 

I had a lot of trouble with this while I studied German in school. I memorized every verb conjugation in existence, and I learned the most complicated words. This took hours and hours each week, and I eventually lost motivation to continue studying. When I was finally able to visit Germany, I had a difficult time with the most basic of conversations. This was so frustrating!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re learning a new language, and some people insist on studying for hours at a time. They feel like they need to know everything before they even begin. This always leads to exhaustion and burnout though. Using your study time wisely will help you learn what you want to learn and achieve your goals.

7. Focus on the most common words

This is another one of the most valuable language learning tips I’ve picked up over the years. There is no need to learn every word in your target language, especially since you won’t use most of them! Most people speak about 16,000 words each day, but a lot of these words are repeated.

When you practice using the most common words, you’ll become conversational a lot quicker than expected. When I was learning Spanish, the most useful words I learned from friends were Spanish swear words! 

8. Pronunciation is really important

Everyone has an accent when they speak any language, even their native language! An accent is part of who we are and shows where we come from. An accent can also prevent you from speaking a second language effectively though, if you’re not careful. 

When I was learning Dutch, I had a really hard time with some of the sounds of the language. At first, I gave up trying because I thought it was just my accent. Native Dutch speakers had a difficult time understanding me sometimes though, and that’s when I learned how important proper pronunciation is. 

I practiced and practiced the sounds, and even though I still can’t pronounce them perfectly today, Dutch speakers can understand what I’m saying. If you don’t practice proper pronunciation while learning a foreign language, native speakers may not understand you. And isn’t that the whole point of learning a new language?

9. Learn a language online or with a language learning app

There are a lot of great language learning apps out there; Duolingo is the most popular of them all. A lot of the apps have free versions, too! It’s always worth it to try out a few different apps so you can find one you like. These can be a great way to immerse yourself in your target language. Here are some of the best travel apps.

If you’re looking for more structured ways to learn a language, there are also a lot of language courses available online. edX has a wide variety of online English courses, as well as courses in a few other languages. Online language courses are packed with language learning tips and other helpful information. 

10. Find a private tutor or language partner

To immerse yourself in your target language, I recommend finding a private tutor or language partner online. They can help you quickly improve your speaking and listening skills, and you may even make a friend abroad! Tutors and partners are also full of language learning tips specific to their native language, and these can help you a lot! 

There are a lot of ways to find an online language tutor. The most popular is to use a tutoring platform like Preply, where you can find tutors based on the language they speak, where they’re from, and their availability.

11. Change all your settings to your target language

One of the best language learning tips I can give is to change your phone language settings. Changing the language settings on your phone and social media is a simple and effective way to immerse yourself in your target language. 

If you’re like me, you’re always scrolling through something on your phone. Why not do it in the new language you’re learning? This will help you feel more comfortable interacting in a foreign language. You’ll also learn a lot of useful words! 

12. Immerse yourself any way you can

In addition to changing your language settings, the best way to learn a language is to completely immerse yourself in it whether that means watching TV or listening to songs in that language. You don’t need to travel to immerse yourself in a foreign language.

Even if you’re sitting at home, you can find music, videos, movies, podcasts, and TV shows online in a foreign language. Try to make friends who speak the language and practice with them. I learned most of my Spanish from socializing and going to parties! 

13. Don’t fall off the foreign language rollercoaster

Learning a language isn’t a sprinting race to the finishing line; it’s a marathon. You need to persevere and keep at it. There will be times when you feel unstoppable, but more often than not, you may feel defeated.

Learning a language is never easy, but you won’t find anyone who regrets learning one. Once you reach your language learning goals, nobody can take your achievement away from you. You’ll benefit from it for the rest of your life! 

14. Find other fun ways to learn a language

Trying to learn vocabulary around the kitchen? Try putting a post-it on everything to help you learn the words. Do you want to learn different foods? For instance, making Spanish food can be a fun way to learn more Spanish. Trying some Japanese recipes can teach you a lot of new vocabulary.

When you add some variety into your normal study schedule, you exercise your brain more and remember new material more effectively. This also helps you use your target language in different situations. This is a really important skill to have!

15. Social media is a great way to learn a new language

A lot of people around the world are on social media. You can find groups, forums, and websites where you can practice using your target language with native speakers. Whether you comment on a YouTube video, join a Facebook group, or chime in on a Twitter thread, you can find people with similar interests anywhere on the web. They may even have some useful language learning tips to help you! 

You can also research to see if there are any specific social networks that are popular where your target language is spoken. Some great examples include VKontake in Russia, WeChat in China, Line in Thailand, and KakaoTalk in South Korea. Joining these will open you up to a lot of content in your target language! 

16. Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself

The voice in my head is constantly going a hundred miles an hour, and sometimes my mouth tries to keep up. When I was learning Portuguese, it occurred to me that this is a perfect opportunity to practice speaking! 

Nobody is around to hear your mistakes, and you can talk about whatever you want to. This is a great way to improve your pronunciation skills and conversational skills, even if the conversation is with yourself! 

17. Listen, even when you don’t understand

Listening to someone else is one of the most intimidating aspects of learning a new language. You may not have any idea what the person is saying, and you may not even be able to decipher the different words. It’s still important to listen carefully though.

Whether you realize it or not, you are training your brain to communicate in your target language each time you listen. Even if you can’t understand the words and sentences you hear, you’ll still become accustomed to the different sounds, tones, and inflections native speakers use. This is an invaluable skill that will come in handy as you learn more words and phrases later on.

18. Learn about the culture along with the language

Every language has its own culture, customs, and traditions. Learning about the cultures that speak a foreign language will help you pick up some cool slang expressions and understand how native speakers describe different things. 

One of the most insightful language learning tips I’ve received over the years is to look beyond the language. No matter what language you learn, there are people from other cultures who speak that language. If you have at least a basic understanding of their culture, you’ll be able to communicate with them even more effectively. 

19. Focus on fluency, not accuracy

Everybody makes mistakes when they speak, even native speakers. As long as you can get your point across and express yourself clearly, you can consider yourself fluent in your target language. 

Whether you’re studying for a language exam or to move abroad, it’s important to know your fluency level. For example, if you’re learning English, there are a few easy ways to determine your English level. 

20. Set SMART goals

SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Setting realistic goals and achieving them is a powerful feeling. This will take you to the top of the language learning rollercoaster I talked about earlier! 

A goal of being “fluent in one year” won’t motivate you to push through your language learning journey. A year is a long time, and you can procrastinate a lot during a year. Unless you’re the most self-disciplined person on earth (which I am definitely not), this goal is unclear and unrealistic.

Instead, you can set a SMART goal, like “I want to be able to order in a restaurant in Japanese by the end of this month”. This goal is specific and measurable (order in a restaurant), attainable because it’s not too complicated, relevant because it’s in your target language, and time-bound (by the end of this month). 

Final Tips On Learning A New Language

So many people dream of learning a foreign language one day, but they never actually accomplish it. You’re really brave for taking the first step, and I hope these language learning tips help you along the way. There are endless opportunities and benefits waiting for you down the road, and the quickest way to get there is to start learning a language today!

What languages do you want to learn or have started learning? Share your language learning journey with us! Leave a comment below to let us know.

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