Learning a foreign language, as learning any skill, takes time and effort. Learning a language as an adult is harder than learning as a child.
This post will cover some tips and tricks for adults learning a foreign language.
Tip 1: Set a goal
What is your goal with learning another language?
Why do you want to learn German or any other foreign language?
Does grandma speak German and you want to bond?
Do you have a trip planned to Munich and you want to practice speaking?
Did you find a book you want to read or a movie to watch and it’s in German?
Your goal for learning a foreign language will determine how to proceed and what resources you need. I talk more about setting goals in foreign language here!
Tip 2: A little bit goes a long way
Spending hours and hours every day learning one subject would burn anyone out.
Even if you’re trying to learn astrophysics overnight, how much are you gonna be able to retain in the long term?
Learn one word at a time or a few words a week at first! Spend 5-10 minutes a day instead of 8 hours straight!
Remember cramming for exams in high school or college? How much of that material do you remember now?
It’s much better to spend a little time each day working towards your goals.
Tip 3: Consistency is more important than volume!
Taking that little bit of effort and making it a habit will lead to more success than combining it all into one day.
When I taught swimming lessons and saw students once a week, I would see long term success and less regression than those who took a week or two in the summer only.
The week-long students made fast progress but didn’t maintain that progress over the year.
The same goes for any skill, including learning a foreign language. Progress from consistent work is not as fast but the skills and knowledge stay around longer.
Tip 4: Follow your interest
One way to get students invested in learning is to tailor it to their interests.
The more you are interested or invested in a topic the more you will learn.
You do need some of the basics (numbers, simple verbs) as your foundation to build your vocabulary in your interest.
If your goal is a certain movie or book, then you don’t need to learn all of German to understand it but their specific category of vocabulary.
If you have a trip planned, then travel, restaurant, or tourist vocabulary would be more beneficial than children’s literature.
If your goal is to be fluent in German then your interest is a starting point or a focus. When practicing writing, use grammar you need to learn with vocabulary you want to learn.
Tip 5: Know Your Limits
Learning can be overwhelming for some students.
No matter how much you really, really want to learn German, sometimes your brain just isn’t ready to learn.
And that’s OK.
Some seasons of life mean survival more than constant learning. If you’re sick, swamped at work, or have a family emergency, those aren’t the best times to try to learn a new language. Your brain is already being maxed out.
Pushing your limits too much too often does not teach you anything but that everything is hard and leads to you giving up.
Knowing your limits and pushing just a little bit teaches you how to persevere.
Tip 6: Functional Vocabulary
Functional vocabulary is the vocabulary that has value to you and you need to function in your daily life.
This follows Tip 4: following your interest.
If your goal is to become more fluent, then starting with words you use daily is the perfect way to start. Those words will be easier to use often (see tip 3!) and you can use a little each day and build upon previous words (like tip 2!).
Food is an easy one to start with because everyone eats. The words for table, fork, knife, spoon, water, milk, etc. are all useful at home and abroad.
These tips might not work for everyone but consider each one before passing!
Which one is new to you?
