How to Find the Best Way to Learn a Language
There are a lot of videos on YouTube and many published books talking about different methodologies, tips, and tricks to learn a language fast—how to remember more words, speak like a native in X days, or go from a beginner to a C-level speaker in half a year. There are also many research papers on this topic trying to find the best, quickest, easiest, or even laziest way to learn a language.
We have so many theories out there, yet so many people are still struggling in their language learning process. Why?
In my opinion, there is no single "bad" way to learn; it is just that not every method suits you. Before you start your learning today, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- What kind of method am I using now to learn a language? (You can use one or more at the same time.)
- How long have you been using this method, and how often do you use it?
- Does this method help you get closer to your goal? (For example: being able to communicate with locals, writing essays, etc.)
- Do you enjoy the process, or do you feel like it is torture? How long do you think you can sustain this method?
You can write down the answers to each question, and I will tell you how to interpret them and review your progress.
1. What kind of method am I using now to learn a language?
This is the most important question to make everything clear. I have seen many different kinds of learning methods, and they can generally be classified into the following groups: learning through the eyes, the ears, or both.
- If your method relies heavily on reading text, you are using your eyes.
- If you listen to the radio or a podcast while you walk or drive, you are using your ears.
- If you watch videos or movies where you listen and see the text at the same time, you are using both. (Note: For this third method, most people still rely more heavily on one sense over the other, rather than both equally. Write "ears," "eyes," or "both" after each method, and be honest with yourself.)
If you attend a language school or another institution, make sure to write down the actual methods you use there—for example: listening to lectures, discussions with classmates, writing homework, and so on. Don't just write "go to school" or "school," because those are not detailed enough to be discussed.
Besides eyes and ears, some people rely on writing to learn and remember, while others need to speak aloud. In these cases, you can write hand or mouth next to the method.
2. How long have you been using these methods, and how often do you use them?
Be completely honest with yourself here. I have met people who claim they have "tried so many methods before," but when I ask them this question, it turns out they only gave a method a try once or twice. Or, they had just heard about it and thought it might be helpful, but never actually tested it.
This question is designed to find out how much you have actually practiced using a specific method. For example: "I have listened to a podcast every morning for 3 months to practice English," or "I have written a diary in Spanish for a year." If you truly use these methods, you should be able to provide these timeline details.
If you are thinking, "I just watch a few YouTube videos every now and then to learn a couple of new words, does that count?"—if you consider it part of your learning routine, you can still write it down.
3. Does this method help you get closer to your goal?
After finishing the first two questions, we check the outcomes. First of all, do you clearly know your language learning goals? For example: passing a language test, being able to communicate in daily life, or wanting to understand my neighbor.
You can have more than one goal. Write them all down on the same paper and line your methods up with your goals. For example, I listen to university lectures to pass a language test; I have a 1-on-1 tutor for daily conversation; I read the news aloud for speaking practice. Many methods can point to a single goal, and one method can point to multiple goals. Just be honest about what goal each action is serving; you know your habits best.
If there is a method on your list that does not line up with at least one goal, then that method is not for you right now. You can delete it and save your time for something more interesting in your life.
After lining up your goals and methods, give a percentage to each line based on your progress. For example: Listening to podcasts has achieved 30% of my goal to talk to people in Icelandic. Writing homework gets me 50% closer to passing my French class. These numbers come straight from your intuition and gut feelings. Be honest; there is no wrong answer.
4. Do you enjoy the process, or do you feel like it is torture? How long do you think you can sustain this method?
By this point, you have mapped out a clear picture of your language learning process. You can see whether you rely more on your eyes or your ears, and whether you need your mouth and hands to help you retain information. You can also see exactly which methods work best for you. Is reading helping you achieve your goal the most, or is listening doing the heavy lifting? Is writing things down actually worth your time? Is talking to a 1-on-1 tutor genuinely effective? The percentages on your lines will tell you the truth.
The reality is that learning takes different amounts of time for different people, depending on how their brains process information and the target language itself. Everyone is wired differently; some people rely heavily on auditory learning, while others must read text to absorb it. Again, no method is inherently bad—you just need to look at what your paper is telling you.
Our ultimate goal is to find your perfect match. Imagine that reaching a natural speaking level takes a year. Will you be able to sustain your current method for a whole year to get there? If you are not a marathon runner, you need a short-term method. Is your current learning routine built for a marathon runner or a 100m sprinter? If you feel you lack discipline or get lazy from time to time, check if your current method accommodates your personality. Also, check if your goal is real or just a passing fantasy. We put effort into our goals, not our imaginations.
If a method on your paper matches your goal, shows clear progress, and is something you can keep doing without misery—keep it. For the rest, you don't need them right now. Save that time for something more interesting.
How to Find the Best Way to Learn a Language
We have just done a smart check of your language learning process. If you found your ideal methods, congratulations! If you ended up deleting them all, you still saved yourself a massive amount of future time by cutting out unsuitable learning styles.
Let's look back at your paper. The "eyes, ears, mouth, hand" labels you wrote down are the clues to finding your best path.
Shift your sensory input if you are stuck
In my experience, many people spend months reading textbooks but still cannot speak to locals confidently. This means you are heavily relying on your eyes to take in information, but there is a bottleneck when transitioning that knowledge to real-time communication. You need to pivot your strategy to heavily engage your ears and mouth instead.
Stop translating in your head
Another very common issue stems from bilingual learning materials. Bilingual textbooks or lectures aren't bad, but you must learn to stop translating in your brain. A language book with native language support is only meant to help you grasp the initial concept of a word or sentence; it is not meant to train you to be a translator. Many people get stuck here because their brains are too busy executing a middleman translation step. Translation is a highly specialized professional skill that requires separate training. If your goal is simply to talk to your neighbor, you do not need to be a translator to achieve it.
Choose a method that fits your actual lifestyle
Everyone can learn a language, whether you are lazy, introverted, tired, or busy. There are countless language courses, tutors, theories, and methods out there. Before you spend your time and money, make sure you are being treated like a human being and individual in the process.
Some language schools, courses, or books promise that following a rigid system or standard operating procedure (SOP) will make you a master in a week, three months, or just 10 minutes a day. It works for some, but not for everyone.
During the learning process, everyone runs into different obstacles. The learning methods we defined here is designed to help you look directly at your difficulties and goals, rather than forcing yourself into a factory system. If you want to fit a standardized mold, an rigid SOP is fine. But if you aren't a standardized product, your process shouldn't look like one either.
Face your goals and difficulties directly, solve them on your own or find someone who can understand your obstacles and give you useful advice, and always ensure your methods and goals are on the same page. Do this and keep practicing, and you will not get lost in the language learning again.
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Photo by Kristin Wilson
