How to learn a foreign language

So you want to learn a foreign language? You might be reading this because:

• You’ve decided to learn a new language and you’re looking for ways to do it effectively and independently
• You’re already learning a foreign language and you’re looking for tips on how to make your language learning process more effective, or how to make progress faster

I can help you with both. I’ve been learning languages for over 15 years now. I’ve tried and tested different methods and strategies. I run this blog to share with you the things that have worked for me so that you don’t have to repeat my mistakes.

Are you ready to find out how to learn a foreign language? Let’s get started!

1. Set SMART goals

I can’t emphasise this one enough – whenever you’re learning something, or trying to achieve something, you need to be specific about what it is. ‘Learning French’ is not a goal in itself. Your goals need to be smaller and more defined than that.

Not sure how to do that? Start by downloading your free ‘Learn Languages Like a Pro’ starter guide below. It’s got everything you need to know to set your language learning goals right, including examples of goals and a template you can use to write your own goals in. 

When people ask me how to learn a new language, I tell them to start with their goals. This is an essential step so make sure you don’t miss it!

Click here to download your free starter guide.

I also have a video and another blog post that detail the process of goal setting for language learning. Make sure you check them out as well:

How to set SMART goals for language learning [blog post]

How to set SMART language learning goals [YouTube video]

2. Schedule in your learning

One of the biggest obstacles that language learners encounter is the ‘lack of time’. They want to learn but somehow other things get in the way. To prevent this from happening, make sure your learning is scheduled in. In the same way as a doctor’s appointment would be. If it’s in your diary, it will happen. If it’s not, it won’t.

You don’t have to be over-ambitious. Start small.

For more information about creating an effective language learning routine (and how to learn a foreign language even if you’re busy), check out my video:

How to create a language learning routine [YouTube video]

3. Study the pronunciation of the language

When you’re learning a new foreign language, you want to be able to speak straight away. And no, I don’t mean you will be talking to people straight away. But you will be saying everything you’re learning out loud. Even if it’s just individual words.

To be able to do that, you need to know how the pronunciation works in the language you’re learning. Every language has pronunciation rules you can learn pretty easily. Check how to pronounce individual letters and letter combinations. Yes – there will be exceptions, but start small and learn the rules first. Leave the exceptions for later.

4. Learn some basic words and sentences

Image credit: Dmitri Popov

Once you know the main pronunciation rules, you’re ready to get started. One way to start is to learn some basic words. I definitely recommend Duolingo or Memrise for that. They are both free mobile apps that teach you pretty much any language you want to learn. And they’re great for beginners.

The apps will teach you both some basic words and some very basic sentences first. The idea is to learn some words to feel like you’re making some progress while getting to know the structure of the language at the same time.

If you’re looking for more information about Duolingo, check out my detailed review of the app. 

5. Explore the structure of sentences a bit further

Look at some more basic sentences and try to understand how they’re constructed. For example, where do adjectives normally go – before or after nouns? In English, they go before nouns (blue book, not ‘book blue’) but in other languages it is the opposite. Try to get a general idea of how very basic sentences work in the language you’re learning. It will help you create your own sentences very soon.

6. Learn more words – a lot of them

Vocabulary is the foundation of any language. Your progress depends to a large extent on how much vocabulary you know and can use.

So it’s crucial that you continue to learn vocabulary throughout your language learning journey.

You can focus on different groups of words if you prefer. For example, start with verbs. Choose the 10 or 20 most common verbs to start with. Ask yourself – what are the verbs you use daily in your native language? In English, you probably use the verbs ‘think’, ‘know’ and ‘get’ quite a lot. The idea is that you learn the most useful verbs first so that you can start making sentences as soon as possible.

As with anything, set yourself vocabulary learning goals.

If you need more advice on how to learn vocabulary effectively, check out my resources on this topic:

How to learn vocabulary effectively [blog post]

How to learn vocabulary effectively: top tips [blog post]

How to learn and remember vocabulary [YouTube video]

How to NOT forget vocabulary in a foreign language [YouTube video]

7. Learn verb conjugations

Verb conjugations are basically the different forms that verbs take in sentences. For example, in English, the verb ‘to know’ becomes ‘know’ in the sentence ‘I know’, and it becomes ‘knows’ in the sentence ‘she knows’. To make correct sentences, you will need to know how to conjugate verbs (if you’re learning a language that uses conjugations – many languages do!) so make sure you prioritise this!

It will involve a lot of memorisation but it will be worth it – I promise!

8. Practise active listening

‘Knowing’ a language, or rather being able to use it, consists of several different elements, such as being able to speak or being able to write. Being able to understand spoken language is also one of them. You need to practise listening as soon as you start learning. Even if you can’t say anything yourself yet.

When you’re a beginner, listening practice will be quite simple. Listen to individual words and repeat them out loud. Do this several times to make sure your practice is effective.

When you move on to sentences, you can make your listening practice a bit more complex. You can listen to short recordings and try to paraphrase what you’ve heard, sentence by sentence. Or you can decide what questions you’re trying to answer before you start listening and then listen for the answers. This is called active listening’ – you’re not just hearing the language but you’re listening with a purpose.

9. Read a lot

Image credit: Freestocks.org

Reading is one of my favourite ways of speeding up progress when learning a foreign language. It’s a great way to get to know the language – to discover new words and phrases, to understand how sentences are constructed and how different words go together, to learn what sounds natural and what doesn’t in the language you’re learning.

Reading practice should also be something you commit time to from the start. You can start with children’s books or children’s stories you find online. They’re simple enough and don’t contain very complex vocabulary so they can be a great resource for language learners!

10. Speak even if you’ve got nobody to talk to

Like I said at the start, when you’re learning a new language, you will want to speak straight away, even if it’s just saying individual words out loud. With every new word you discover, find out how to pronounce it and say it out loud. Find a sentence that uses this word (most dictionaries contain examples), write it down and say it out loud.

As you become more advanced, you can start making your own sentences, writing them down and saying them out loud.

11. Work on your confidence

Confidence is everything when it comes to language learning. You don’t have to be fluent to be confident. Think about it this way – even if you only know how to introduce yourself in Japanese, you know how to introduce yourself in Japanese and that’s amazing. Any Japanese person you speak to will be impressed with that. You’ve made the first step and now you’re only moving forward. And that’s what matters.

12. Track your progress

Progress tracking is essential when you’re learning a foreign language. That’s why having clear SMART goals is so helpful – when you have goals, you’ve got something to track. You can look at them every week or every month and see what’s gone well and what else you need to work on.

Make sure you celebrate your successes as well!

Are you ready to learn a new foreign language? Make sure you start by downloading your free ‘Learn Languages Like a Pro’ starter guide.

Click here to download for free.