10 THINGS LANGUAGE LEARNERS DO

10 things language learners do

There is a couple of things that most language learners have in common. If you want to find out what they are and become a better language learner, keep reading!

1. Set goals

In my view, setting goals is an incredibly vital element of the language learning process. Goals can be input or output based, and are usually set every year, quarter, month, week or even day. I always set too many goals though, which is not so good. But setting language learning goals properly can help us measure our progress and stay focused and motivated. It also forces us to reflect on our language learning journey, and enables us to learn from the past, realizing what worked and what didn’t. Thanks to this process it’s usually significantly easier for us to establish key goals and objectives adequately for the next period of time and actually stick to them.

2. Immerse themselves in their target language(s)

Especially in the early stages of learning a language, it’s very common to immerse yourself by watching TV, listening to music or reading books in your target language. There are numerous ways of immersion, one of the best ones being traveling to the country of the language you want to learn. Language immersion is believed to be a great method for mastering a new language - both quickly and effectively. It’s a natural way for kids to learn languages - intuitively and without the rigid learning of grammar and vocabulary. Even though adults learn languages a bit differently (it’s a whole different topic), we do benefit from many learning techniques that are normally used when kids first learn a language.

3. Use language learning apps

We know it’s not always the most effective way to learn a language, but we still do it. Why? Well, first of all, language learning apps are created to be engaging, enjoyable, and rewarding, and it’s good because language learning should be fun. Second of all, nowadays we use our phones a lot during the day, so opening one of these apps and studying a language for 15 minutes a day doesn’t require too much effort. Besides, in some of these apps competition is a pretty big thing, so it can be very motivating for many of us to learn languages through these apps daily. That being said, we tend to download too many language learning apps, and sometimes we end up being overwhelmed and not using half of them. In my view, it’s better to be a minimalist and stick to using 2 or 3 apps on a regular basis.

4. Eavsdrop conversations in foreign languages

I’m sorry, but we’re all guilty of it! For some reason it’s just so exciting to hear someone speak the language we know and we can hardly ever resist the temptation to listen for a while. We just can’t help it, especially if someone is talking loudly because they don’t seem to know that we understand what they’re saying. Anyway, it can be a good listening practice in your target language or even an opportunity to come up and say hi to people talking in the language, which could potentially lead to some interesting conversations.

5. Read (and collect) books in different languages

I’m definitely a sucker for reading books in foreign languages. Every time I go abroad, I try to get at least a few books in the language I’m learning from there. I especially love second-hand bookstores or flea markets because you can buy books so much cheaper there. I believe collecting books should count as a hobby too. Anyway, reading books in your target language is such a wonderful, unique and enternaining way to improve your reading skills, gain new vocabulary and learn grammar stuctures. It also shows you how native speakers naturally express themselves in their language, which is so essential. My advice for anyone interested is to start with reading books you’ve already read. This way you’ll find it much easier since you’ll be able to understand most vocabulary words just from the context.

6. Make many playlists in different languages

Who doesn’t like listening to music? I have no idea, but I know that language learners definitely do. For many of us music is a fundamantal element in the language learning journey, because it helps us pick up linguistic information very quickly, makes us understand the culture of the country better, and it’s simply fun. Listening to songs in our target language, and then analyzing them can help us learn things like grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation really fast. It also helps us better remember the words we learn, especially if we play the same songs on repeat.

7. Use many resources & study every day

It’s just not realistic to learn a language through a single resource. You need to practice your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, as well as grammar and vocabulary. That’s why it’s necessary to use various resources. Besides, many of us tend to learn a few languages at the same time, while also trying to maintain other languages they’ve learned. So if you ask a language learner what resources they use, the list is probably gonna be longer than you expect. We usually have 2-3 main resources to learn our target language(s), but we don’t limit ourselves to using only them. For instance, at the moment, I’m simultaneously reading a French book, watching an Italian TV show, actively learning Swedish and German, as well as journaling, listening to podcasts and practicing speaking in 7 of my languages almost every day. Whether it’s active or passive learning, I think it’s useful to do at least one small thing every day in order to bring you closer to reaching fluency (of course, only if your mental health allows it - taking breaks is also important and will help you avoid burnout!).

8. Travel whenever they can

The thing is that people who learn multiple languages are usually also curious about the world, different cultures and local traditions. Going to the country of your target language is an awesome opportunity to immerse yourself in the language, practice speaking skills and meet new friends among native speakers of this language. Visiting a country where you don’t speak the local language is also a very interesting experience, which can teach you a lot along the way. In general, traveling can help you see the world from another perspective, expand your horizons and enable you to make unforgettable memories. That’s only a fraction of reasons why we love to travel so much.

9. Embrace mistakes

I understand it can be embarassing if your language teacher corrects you after you had been saying the same thing incorrectly over and over again, but your class should be a safe space where everyone wants to learn, makes mistakes, and respects others. There’s no shame in making errors, since it’s a natural part of the language learning process. Successful language learners try to simply view them as an opportunity for improvement and growth. From my experience, making mistakes actually really helps me better remember things. The key is to accept that making mistakes is inevitable and it’s actually a good thing - if you choose to learn from them.

10. Constantly learn

What I love about this community is that we all wish to keep learning new things, and not necessarily languages. Anyway, we do have a strong passion for learning languages and are constantly seeking opportunities to expand our linguistic skills, that’s why we’re language learners. When we say that language learning is a lifelong process, we’re not wrong. When learning a language, in a way it becomes a part of us. I can’t really explain why, but I guess it’s partly because we spend so much time on studying the language, learning to think in this language, and then getting to know the culture, the people and the country pretty well. However, language learners usually tend to believe there’s always something new to learn, and I personally love this mindset!