How Best Way Learn New Language

Many of us dream nigh the possibility of learning to speak a 2d linguistic communication or, if we're lucky and work actually hard, potentially a third. But the ability to speak more than iii languages is so rare that it seems most impossibly out of achieve.

Yet there are people among us — polyglots, as they're chosen — who serve every bit walking, talking evidence that teaching yourself how to speak five, six, seven, and fifty-fifty viii languages is non only possible, but it's more than achievable than you lot might think.

In a recent webinar, nosotros spoke to one such polyglot, Olly Richards, in an attempt to gather some actionable, effective tips on how to learn a new language, from somebody with a wealth of experience doing so.

In addition to speaking viii languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Thai, Arabic, Cantonese, and Italian) Richards is well known online for existence the man behind the pop website I Will Teach You a Linguistic communication and the creator of the StoryLearning® method. Let's check out his advice on how to learn a new language fast.

10 Tips to learn a language fast

Looking to expand your horizons by learning a new linguistic communication? Well, there's no better way to learn how to do something than to get advice from somebody who has done and then successfully themselves. To that end, here are 10 linguistic communication learning tips from Olly Richards, who has washed information technology not one time, not twice, simply viii times.

1. Start with brusque, unproblematic dialogues

Richards believes that information technology's possible to go conversational in a language in merely ninety days — as he did with Italian — by starting with reading and listening to stories. Simply how tin you practice that when you're so new to the language that you barely sympathize a thing? Well, Richards says, "At the get-go, yous need to use textile that'due south actually, really simple."

In the get-go week or and then, even if you merely stick to reading the curt simple dialogues that y'all might find in a beginner language learning textbook, you'll even so be exposed to the 100 or 200 or and so words that make up fifty% of a language.

Y'all can first by making your ain elementary dialogues with our guide to start speaking, or take these phrase lists as inspiration.

2. Focus on comprehensible input

If your goal is learning languages fast, it'south key to familiarize yourself with the concept of comprehensible input, or "the idea that you should read or listen at your level or slightly above."

And then if you're merely starting to acquire Spanish , it's probably besides early to watch an entire movie in Spanish. Instead, at every stage of your language learning journey, you lot'll desire to find material that is just in a higher place your level.

Very chop-chop, you'll commencement understanding more than you think and be ready to start reading non-fiction material or stories. By reading, y'all access everything you need for comprehensible input; y'all get to study at your own pace while highlighting vocabulary you lot don't know. And stories, in particular, are effective because their structures are universally relatable, giving you a base that you already understand.

Beyond that, stories allow you to have an feel, engaging your entire brain in the learning process instead of just the left brain that may be involved when you lot're but learning grammar. Learning through stories is more natural, similar to how native speakers acquire their own language.

So cull some reading material that you similar. If it's fun, you'll get it done.

3. Study pronunciation very early

With languages, you can always larn more vocabulary and more grammar, but 1 thing that you lot can't set up afterward on is pronunciation. That's why Richards is a "large laic that one of the first things you should do with a new language is really report pronunciation, considering it's much easier to become information technology right at the beginning than try to fix it later on."

As Gabriel Wyner says in his book Fluent Forever ,

I encountered iii basic keys to language learning:
1. Learn pronunciation showtime
2. Don't interpret
3. Use spaced repetition systems

How can you practice pronunciation? The all-time mode is to learn with native speakers so you can hear how they pronounce things, then mirror them past repeating the same sounds over and over until they begin to feel natural in your mouth.

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4. Read wisely, non widely

Of class, as important equally reading is for language learning, not all reading is created equally. Richards offers a few specific keys to reading in a foreign linguistic communication.

Read the chapter from the starting time to the finish and try to understand as much equally possible
Get dorsum and reread the chapter
At present you tin can look up the words that are repeated throughout the chapter
Move on to the next chapter
Repeat

Additionally, there's value in narrowing the focus of your reading materials. Focus on choosing the right books, ideally some that are related to your hobbies and interests. Olly Richards says, "If you are really into gardening, for example, then wait for books on gardening in your target language."

The idea is to learn things y'all want to and have intrinsic motivation to empathize. Contrary to many common suggestions, Richards actually recommends not using the Harry Potter serial to learn a linguistic communication, every bit information technology's filled with odd vocabulary y'all're not going to use in real life — unless you're a wizard.

Fiction books in English

v. Start speaking early

While we've focused a lot of tips on input, permit'due south not forget the critical importance of speaking. Later all, when Richards learned Italian in ninety days, he spent his entire 2nd and third months actually speaking Italian.

To that end, if you want to learn a language fast, Richards recommends to already start speaking and having daily conversations in the second month. He explains, "It'south a flake earlier than I would commonly recommend, but because nosotros've got this goal of speaking quickly, nosotros've got to first".

In that location are many opportunities to speak a new language even if yous tin can't travel to a state where that language is spoken. You tin can opt for attending a language substitution, using a language exchange app with on-the-become speaking tools, or use a service like Preply to accept daily 1-on-1 lessons with a language tutor.

vi. Immerse yourself in the language

Once yous've trained your ability to "get the language out of your mouth and speak it," yous demand to start doing the same things as earlier "on steroids." The thought is to speak to every bit many people every bit possible and get every bit much linguistic communication input through reading and listening equally you can.

In society to create as much immersion as possible from your domicile without traveling to a foreign land, you need to find ways to input your target language into your life. As nosotros mentioned above, information technology can help tremendously to learn around your own interests in order to keep yourself engaged and interested equally yous learn the language.

For more tips on creating an immersion environment from dwelling, check out this article.

7. Larn i linguistic communication at a time

Equally a polyglot who has taught himself to speak 8 languages, the almost mutual question Richards receives is, "How tin can I acquire more than one language at the same time?"

His communication? "Don't do information technology… Let's face it, learning i language past itself is difficult enough, right? And in that location's a straight correlation between focus and the amount you learn." The more focused your learning is, the more time you spend in a linguistic communication, the faster you're going to learn. Adding a second language just divides your time and attention.

That being said, if you really only want to learn ii languages at the same time and you're not equally focused on speed, Richards encourages you to go for it, equally long as you sympathize "that it'south going to slow yous downwardly." And if yous are committed to learning two unlike languages at one time, try to choose two languages that are very unlike (such every bit Castilian and Japanese) in order to avoid confusion.

Friends laughing sharing conversation

eight. Focus on existent concentrated written report… non cheap hacks

Simply like anything that requires hard work, there's no shortage of myths and shortcuts floating around in the public soapbox on learning a language chop-chop. Just the truth is that with language learning, you won't go results by putting in the minimum corporeality of effort.

And then, can you acquire a linguistic communication while sleeping or is it a waste product of time? Richards doesn't hesitate to answer: "A waste material of time."

Got it… let's move on.

nine. Turn off the subtitles when watching Tv set

Some other common "hack" for learning languages is to watch TV and movies in that language. In fact, Richards isn't such a fan of this as a core language written report format. In his opinion, "movies are not a very user-friendly format" every bit they're long and you lot only see i judgement onscreen at a time, as opposed to a book where it is easy to scan, read, and reread. As such, Richards is not a big fan of movies "as the main study vehicle."

That being said, if you are going to lookout movies or Television in a foreign linguistic communication as a supplemental learning tool, you lot'd better plough off the subtitles. Considering when you turn the subtitles on, yous're not listening anymore, yous're reading. And if you're reading a pic in English language, you won't be learning much in a foreign language, volition you lot?

The bottom line? "Don't be under the illusion that by watching a movie for two hours you are making big progress in your linguistic communication skills considering unfortunately, you're non."

10. Have a strong "Tolerance for ambiguity"

You might be a bit shocked past the thought that a person can learn a new language to a conversational level in three months. For most of u.s., it takes much longer. Doesn't it?

Well, when asked what makes linguistic communication learning have longer than information technology should or has to, Richards explains that language learners need to accept a strong "tolerance for ambiguity." This means you have to be okay with the millions of things yous don't understand when learning a language.

If yous get caught upwards by checking every single word in a text that you lot don't empathize, information technology'due south only too inefficient and takes likewise much time.

But when you have a loftier tolerance for ambiguity, as good language learners do, you can be comfortable being a chip lost. By tolerating ambivalence, nosotros liberate ourselves to go on to the fundamentals, while besides being open up and curious about the linguistic communication to learn more.

The biggest error y'all can brand is insisting on knowing everything.

Learning a language tin can take as long as you need

While these ten tips from Richards focus on helping yous learn a linguistic communication at breakneck speed, they're just every bit relevant and useful for people who are able and willing to take their time learning their target language.

Because unless yous have a good reason to prepare a goal of learning a new language in 90 days, there'south no reason to stress out as well much almost learning a language fast. If yous have to compete with anybody, compete with the person you were yesterday, not somebody external to y'all.

Celebrate the pocket-size, incremental improvements that are the bread and butter of linguistic communication learning. After all, the best ways to learn a language are the ones that work for you. So enjoy the process!