There is a lot of advice, many apps, and multiple services online that claim to help you learn a new language. While some of these are quite good, and useful for learning a few basics such as being able to order food in a restaurant, they generally don’t cater to people who want to become fluent enough to work and have real conversations in a foreign language. This article is based on my own experience as a native English speaker learning Swedish and Norwegian. I hope it helps you.
Have realistic expectations
Most people will find it difficult to become fluent in a new language. While it is undoubtedly easier to develop native fluency if you learn a language from childhood, research shows that it is possible to attain “native-like” fluency if you begin learning a new language as an adult. That said, full native fluency is probably unnecessary (unless perhaps you want to be a spy). Attaining native-like fluency means being fluent enough that you can have meaningful conversations, work, or study in a foreign language.
That said, in my experience it is only going to be possible to achieve this level of competence if you devote a large amount of time to learning (and attaining a high level of fluency quickly probably requires that you make learning your “job” for a few months). Even then, you may also need a substantial natural ability to acquire language, which few of us do (I’m certainly not one of these people). For most of us, native-like fluency is likely to take years to achieve. My experience is that the only way to become a fluent listener and speaker is full immersion. If that is not possible for you, it will almost certainly limit your ability to become fluent.
So, have realistic expectations not only about what is possible, but also about what is possible for you in your unique situation. And let this realization allow you to be kind to yourself! Don’t feel bad if your progress is slower than someone else’s — they are different to you. Similarly, don’t give someone else a hard time if you’re pulling ahead of them: extend a helping hand.
Recognize that apps are limited
Apps like Duolingo can help you learn. Some apps are fully-automated, and essentially present material that you then mirror back to the app, following some kind of learning theory. Other apps, such as Tandem, connect you to other learners. By all means use apps, but be aware that they are limited and that it is probably not sensible to rely on one learning method.
My main objection to apps is that they make it easy to confuse the challenges of learning a new language with the difficultly of building the habit of using an app every day. It is difficult to drag yourself to the gym two or three times every week, but it is not hard to get fit if you do hit the spin bike and freeweights that often — in fact, you’d have to actively work not to get fit! So, don’t confuse the challenge of learning a new language with the challenge of building learning habits — both are difficult. You may find it better to attend a language school, where there are set hours and some degree of social pressure to attend (not to mention a little financial skin in the game).
Find good teachers
You can learn the basics of a language using apps and services, but there is no substitute for good teachers. Note that I did not write “teacher”, but “teachers” (plural). You will need different teachers at different stages of your learning, and the definition of “good” will vary based on who you are, and your level of study.
If you are a complete beginner, it’s worth considering learning from someone who speaks your language natively, rather than a native speaker of your target language. They will have experienced the same learning process your are embarking on and will have come across the same problems you are likely to encounter. They may be able to give you tips on how to think about your new language in terms of your shared native language, for example by suggesting words you already know how to pronounce that rhyme with words you are trying to learn, and by providing an “outsider’s” perspective on your target language.
When I studied Swedish with a teacher who is English, she explained how to think about the word “på”. “På” basically translates to “on”, but is used more broadly. As in English, you can use “på” to say the mobile phone is laying on the table (“mobilen ligger på bordet”), but you can also talking about living or staying “på” a place. If the place is elevated or an island, you say you “bor på” (are living on — as opposed to in) that place. You can also “bor på ett hotell” (be staying at a hotel). My teacher explained that if a place is public in some sense (hotels are open to the paying public), you are likely to use the word “på”, otherwise you would use the word “i”, as in “jag bor i ett hus” (I live in a house). When I mentioned this rule to a teacher who was actually from Sweden, they said they had never heard that rule, but when they thought about it, realized it made sense. This is an example of the kind of perspective you may get from someone who is not a native speaker of the language you want to learn — they have had to study it and have worked to extract rules and ways of thinking, rather than learning them implicitly at a very young age and never codifying these “foreign” ways of thinking.
If you do start learning from someone who grew up speaking your language, you should definitely switch to a native speaker of your target language at some point. They will have an authentic dialect and accent, and you’ll benefit from hearing the language spoken in the way that people actually use the language. Most apps and online language learning services use recorded or synthesized audio snippets. These are definitely useful for trying to pick out words and phrases you have studied. However, for this reason they are also synthetic and unrealistic. The actors are following a script, speaking clearly, perhaps in some “correct” version of the language, and are probably avoiding slang. Canned conversations will usually be very linear, focussed on a single topic. This is not how people actually speak: as a nonnative speaker, I find that real interactions often seem to start partway into the “script”, can assume shared cultural reference points, and take abrupt turns onto unrelated topics — what a nice shade of blue your sweater is! Working with a teacher who grew up speaking your target language will expose you to the some of the reality of the language and how people actually use it. They’ll take it easy on you and probably won’t get upset when you incorrectly commiserate with them over their divorce that never happened. (Yes, I have made that mistake!)
As you become more proficient, your definition of what a good teacher is will change again. You may find (like me), that it is relatively easy to read and write, but difficult to understand the spoken language. You should seek out a teacher who can tailor their tuition to your changing needs. I’ve had an excellent experience with personalized one-one tuition with Berlitz. Similarly, if you are working towards a language proficiency test (which may be needed for residency, or to work in certain professions), you may want to find a teacher who has a track record of getting students through the test.
There is an important difference between having a skill and being able to demonstrate that skill when tested. Tests rarely measure what we want them to: they typically also measure other skills that are simply easier to assess. Perhaps chief among them is how you perform under test conditions — some people underperform simply because tests are stressful. Language tests often have a listening comprehension component in which you have to listen to a conversation and then answer some multiple choice questions. We would like the test to measure whether candidates understand what is said. However, these tests also measure how much information candidates can take in, keep in mind, and process. They also test whether candidates are good at multiple choice exams! (If you don’t believe that’s a skill in itself, talk to a medical student.) If your goal is to pass a language test, a good teacher is one who understands what it takes to pass the test, has access to material you can practice with, and can coach you in exam technique.
Good language teachers are not only those you pay for. Perhaps the best teachers are people you regularly spend time with (e.g., colleagues and friends) who are prepared to patiently speak and share their language with an idiot (i.e., you!), giving kind and constructive feedback, and a little friendly mocking when necessary. Understanding when you’re the butt of a joke — and why — is a landmark in your learning.
Make a habit of reading
Being able to read is perhaps the most important aspect of understanding a foreign language, and also the one that is easiest to become proficient at: we usually have time when we read, allowing us to re-read and look up new words — you can only ask someone to repeat themselves so many times before annoying them and feeling stupid. If you cannot understand what kind of food is in the can, read a job ad, or pick out the most important details in a home rental contract, or simply understand which bus or train to take, you are going to struggle with the basics of functioning in a foreign land. You’re also going to find it difficult to build your vocabulary if you cannot look up new words in a dictionary written in your target language (translation dictionaries can be quite limited). Being able to read is super-important!
Reading text written in a foreign language is difficult at first, of course. Almost every word is new and needs to be looked up. The same words appear in multiple grammatical cases, and sentences can take a range of forms. Some words have multiple meanings, or take on completely different meanings depending on gender. If you’re a native English speaker, you even have to learn what gender means! You may need to learn a new alphabet, punctuation symbols and conventions, and accents. The Scandinavian languages have characters like å, ø, ö, and æ and use goose-eye «quotation marks»; French uses accents such as é and è; Spaniards make work for themselves writing an extra ¡exclamation mark!; and Greek, Russian, and the Asian languages use non-Latin alphabets.
Perseverance pays off. My advice is to start with textbooks, which are designed to teach you how to read and write. Once you know the basics (how to introduce yourself and ask questions that have simple answers like names, places, and numbers), try to find a source of text that is relatively simple. Once you get a little proficiency, I suggest looking for an online newspaper with a relatively low reading age, ideally one aimed at new immigrants: the language will be written carefully to be understood by foreigners, and the content will be updated frequently and is likely to have reasonable overlap with news you are already seeing in your own language.
The Swedish new website 8 Sidor (“8 Pages”) is an excellent example: an 8-page newspaper (and website, of course), written in simple Swedish, where even the text is formatted in a way that makes reading easier. It’s worth a look even if you have no interest in Swedish.
An additional benefit of reading news is that you will learn the ways people who speak your target language think differently compared to people from where you are from. Learning new ways of thinking is one of the major benefits of learning a new language — it gives you an extra cognitive tool in your belt.
Watch TV
This is a piece of advice that I do not follow myself — at the end of the workday, my brain is usually too tired to concentrate on something I don’t fully understand and my mind begins to wander. You may have more luck.
If you live in a country that speaks your target language, watching TV in your new language is probably straightforward. It is also relatively easy to watch TV from any country that streams (though you may need to use to VPN client and perhaps also pay for a subscription). Watching (and listening!) to TV in your target language will help you develop your ability to understand the spoken word. However, even if you watch using subtitles, be aware that you probably need quite a high level of competence to understand what is said on TV: the news can be complex and often depends on cultural knowledge (such as existing laws) or context that may precede your interest in the language by many years (such as old political scandals and unsolved crimes); dramas may use a lot of idiom and dialect; and comedies just might not be funny if you come from another culture. Kids’ TV is simple enough, but it’s also pretty brainless and can be like eating a bowl of sugar.
Use the language
If you live in a country that speaks your target language, try to use it as much as possible. Try not to fall back on English or another shared non-local language. This can be easier said than done. In Norway, where I live, most people speak English very well and are happy enough to use it. Some people actually prefer to use English (perhaps to get some practice, perhaps to feel part of the bigger world, or perhaps to spare themselves the pain of talking to someone who sounds like an idiot). Other people are quite uncomfortable speaking English, even though they are actually very good. This scenario is probably unusual outside Northern Europe and major world cities, though. My experience in France is that very few people outside the hospitality industry and professions either can or will speak English (I’m not sure which). For that reason, it is probably easier to learn French in France than Norwegian in Norway.
Unfortunately I speak English almost all the time because I work in a very international environment and most of what I produce has to be written in English. However, being able to read and write in Norwegian is invaluable, and I do that every day. It is constant use that leads to improvement. Progress is slow, but noticeable.
Take it seriously
If you really want (or need!) to learn a new language, you are not going to succeed unless you take it seriously and commit time and energy. It takes moments to download an app, but if you don’t use it every day, it won’t do a thing for you. And even if you do make a habit of using it, you will also need to build skills that an app cannot help with. It is entirely possible to learn a new language, and doing so has many benefits, but you have to work at it.
