Learning new languages enables you to form genuine connections with people from around the world. It is important to learn languages accurately and efficiently, and in a way that fits your individual needs. There are dozens of tools available online, and it can be difficult to decide which ones are helpful and which ones aren’t. In recent years, I have read books on the psychology and neuroscience of language learning, asked teachers for their opinions, taken language classes, and tried most of the online tools available for learning the French, Italian, and Dutch languages. I have come to the conclusion that learning a language on your own is not easy. However, it is very possible.
Here is how I would start learning a language from scratch on my own right now:
1. Don’t bother with DuoLingo, Babbel, Memrise, or other mobile “game-like” apps.
Even if these games are fun and engaging, in my opinion, they are not worth your time or money if your goal is to internalize a language.
2. Complete the entire Pimsleur “audio-only” method (courses 1-5) for your target language.
Don’t just listen; it is really necessary to repeat the phrases out loud.
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- • Tip #1: Pimsleur’s instructions say to complete only one 30-minute lesson per day, but I have found that I can complete two to three lessons per day, especially if I have time while doing things like driving or walking.
- • Tip #2: Rent, don’t buy. The Pimsleur monthly subscription is only $15. If you purchase the whole thing, it is ~$500. Even if you only do one lesson per day using the monthly subscription, you will complete the whole method in five months for $75 (there are 150 half-hour lessons in total). The faster you go, the less you pay.
3. Decide on Your Language Goals
Pimsleur alone will get you to an upper-beginner level with a solid foundation for the spoken language. Next, it is necessary to decide on your language goal. For example, will you use the language primarily for everyday conversations (e.g. shopping, asking for directions, etc.)? Academic settings? Professional settings? What is more important to you: reading and writing or listening and speaking (they are probably pretty different)? Is there a specific type of vocabulary you will need or want to use? In general, it is not necessary to learn every single word or grammar concept of a language perfectly in order to communicate effectively. For example, I am learning French and I am mostly interested in everyday conversations and listening/talking about music. Once I have a solid core in those areas, I will radiate out into other topics that are less central to my life and my language goals. Read steps 4 and 5, and adapt them to meet your language goals.
4. Learn the Verbal Language
Listen to/watch content in your target language that is a) relevant to topics you would want to talk about and b) interesting to you. Hopefully there is some overlap there. The best resources I have found are YouTube and Netflix. Be careful with Netflix, though; movies and TV shows are often too advanced and too fast for beginner/intermediate levels.
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- • Important: if you cannot understand at least 80% of what you are listening to, listen to something easier. You will learn much slower if you are listening to/watching things that are above your level. For me, I have found that unscripted interviews with musicians are the best way for me to learn how people naturally talk about that topic. Vloggers are useful for learning everyday vocabulary.
- • I suggest watching in chunks of five or ten minutes, and watching everything three times. First, watch without subtitles to see how much you can pick up just by listening. Then, watch again without subtitles. Finally, watch with subtitles to see which words you missed. YouTube’s auto-generated subtitles are more accurate than Netflix’s closed captions, which are usually edited to be more useful for deaf people than for language-learners (although they can still be useful).
Make flashcards. Electronic or paper, doesn’t matter. Lots of people talk about Anki decks or other spaced repetition systems. I find all of that to be way too complicated. Just study about fifty flash cards front-to-back and back-to-front every day. Where do these flashcards come from? From step 4.1. If, when watching/listening, you encounter a word or phrase that is unfamiliar AND that would be useful for you to know, turn it into a flashcard. Ideally, pull out full phrases instead of just words. When studying, say the phrases out loud in your target language.
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- • One more note here: I don’t personally do this, but some people swear that it’s best to use pictures instead of translations where possible, and to make them personal to you. For example, if I were trying to learn the word for mother, on the back of the card I might simply put a picture of my mother. That would be easier using electronic flashcards, but I have been using paper ones.
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Practice speaking. If you don’t have a native speaker to practice with and correct you, record yourself talking about something. Talk for a few minutes without stopping, if possible. Listen to the recording. Were there any vocabulary words you found yourself wanting but not having? Figure out the correct way to say it and make a flashcard. Repeat.
5. Learn the Written Language
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- • Get and use a textbook to improve your grammar. Grammar mistakes are much more noticeable in writing than when speaking.
- • Read books. Copy passages from them out. Make flashcards from certain useful phrases. (I suggest Harry Potter because it contains a lot of dialogue.)
- • Journal every night in your target language. Write a paragraph and then correct it at the end using your textbook or another resource.
(6. If All Else Fails, Find a Teacher)
Learning a language with an experienced teacher will inevitably speed up your progress, especially once you’ve gotten through the beginner phase. Although autodidacticism is a rewarding journey, I highly recommend working with a language tutor. If you are looking for a tutor to help you learn English, contact me online now by sending en email to thomas.gurin@aya.yale.edu and I will respond to you as soon as possible.
Let me know if this system was helpful for you! Contact me online here.