How to Get Started With Learning a Language
This is the summer you’re going to do it: you’re really going to learn a language. For travelling, for fun, for career prospects — there are so many reasons to do it. But how do you get started? What does it actually look like? From my experience as a French and Spanish tutor, here are some pointers.
Set a goal
You’ve probably heard of SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timetabled. How will you know, at the end of the year, if you have “learned Italian”? Difficult to quantify. But how about, this year I will complete all the exercises in “Colloquial Italian”, or, spend a week in Venice and strike up conversation with five strangers? You will know if you have done those things. You may then find it helpful to break it down these goals into smaller steps.
Stay motivated
Make a list of five reasons why learning the language you have chosen is a good idea, how it will improve your life. Return to your list when you’re feeling fed up.
Find a tutor
Most of us do not have the discipline to keep up self-study entirely by ourselves, long-term. You don’t have to have a lesson every week, if time or funds don’t allow it: even knowing that you will have a monthly “check in” and opportunity to ask questions can be enough. A good tutor will be able to advise you on learning materials, too, and activities that suit your learning style. For professionals teachers where you live (or who can teach online), check out Language-School-Teachers.com. Or, if you’re looking for a French or Spanish tutor in person in London or online from anywhere, contact me!
Get a good textbook
Particularly at beginner level, a textbook will be invaluable to you, so that you can lay effective foundations and progress incrementally. For French, you can’t do better than the Grammaire Progressive du Français series, although it’s possible you will find it a bit dry without something else to complement it. For a good, well-rounded approach to many languages, the Colloquial series is recommended. In the old days, these came in a pack which included CDs (!), for listening practice, but these days the tracks can be found on the publisher website.
Listen to podcasts
You are, in all likelihood, busy. You don’t have hours and hours to devote to this new endeavour. But you do, probably, sit in traffic or stand, squashed, on public transport for a substantial proportion of your week. There’s always a fair amount of mindless tasks that need doing where you’ll welcome the distraction: cleaning, cooking, tidying. Use the time to listen to one of the many podcasts available, like the Coffee Break series.
Read books
At every stage of language learning, there are books that can work for you, help you to see how the grammar works for you. A good language bookshop such as Foyles will be able to advise you on Easy Readers, which are series of simplified, abbreviated novels especially designed for learners at various stages. As you progress, you might want to move on to children or young people’s fiction, or to translations of classics that you know well already.
Read magazines
As adults, we filter out enormous quantities of information that is not immediately relevant to us. But if we read something that is related to a topic of interest, we are more likely to remember it. If your language skills are lower intermediate or above (B1+), browse the press shops next time you are on holiday and consider subscribing to a magazine in a topic that interests you. (Ask your tutor (or me, in the comments!) or your language bookshop for advice on specialised language learning magazines if you are a beginner, or lower-intermediate.)
Use apps
There are a lot of those out there — the most popular are Duolingo and Babbel. Apps aren’t enough in and of themselves, but they are definitely a useful weapon in your language learning arsenal.
Use your screens
Films and TV series are a great source of vocabulary and idioms, and subtitles are a fantastic resource. At the beginner stage, try watching in your native language (say, English) and read the subtitles in your target language (say, Spanish). Intermediates can watch in Spanish, with subtitles in English, and then subtitles in Spanish, moving on to no subtitles at all.
Speak to people
That is, after all, probably the point, isn’t it? If you type in, say, “French conversation” and “London” to meetup.com, you will find groups that you can join or visit where you will be able to practise your language skills. A
Exchange emails
Remember pen pals, from the days of snail mail? Mylanguageexchange.com helps you to find people with whom you can exchange email, and practise conversation that way.
Little and often is the key
Websites like Transparent.com will email you a new word or phrase each day in the language of your choice. (For those of us who still like using paper, you can also buy physical calendars.)
Be patient with yourself
Language learning always tends to be slow and steady. Have grace for yourself and trust the process — small, incremental progress adds up!
Note that I use affiliate links for Blackwell’s, Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Libro.fm. When yo u buy books after clicking, you help support my writing. Thanks for doing that (and for prioritising the non-Amazon links if you can!).
For more tips and advice on language learning, check our my ebook, Conquering Babel: A Practical Guide to Learning a Language.