The Most Effective Way to Learn Languages

Disclaimer: This article is written based on my own experiences learning foreign languages, and the experiences of other language learners I know and have talked to. It is a subjective observation.

There are two types of language learners:

1. The “formal student” language learner
2. The “happy” language learner.

The “formal student” language learner

This is the type of people who learn a language best by going through the motions of the “formal” learning methods: using books, sitting at home or in a classroom, studiously reading through texts, memorizing vocabulary and grammar, and using listening aids.

If they are not learning a language in school or other types of formal educational institutions, they typically would enroll in language courses and follow their syllabus faithfully. The learning is usually very intensive. This type of learners typically takes language learning very seriously, and they will force themselves to still continue doing homework, memorize, read, etc. even when it is not fun for them.

The “happy” language learner

In contrast to the first type, the “happy” language learner typically focuses on having fun with languages. This type typically dislikes formal learning methods, or can only take small doses of it. They don’t like to sit with books for hours, studying every detail in the grammar and trying so hard to memorize vocabulary. They prefer to go out, meet people who speak the language, and talk to them. If they are still beginners, they would listen and observe gestures, watch videos, and imitate. They learn languages the way a small child would: by observing and imitating. For this type, fun in learning a language is a priority, and if they lose motivation, they will not force themselves to continue learning.

Neither of the two types is better than the other. Neither is objectively more effective than the other. However, this article is titled “The Most Effective Way to Learn Languages.” So what way is that then?

There is no “most effective way” for all. There is only “the most effective way” for each individual language learner. Just like everyone is different, everyone has a different style of learning. The key is to recognize which style works best for you. Some learn best through listening to lectures, reading, memorizing facts. Others learn through audio-visual stimuli, movement, or by actually doing activities. This learning style also applies when learning languages. But most of the time, we forget this aspect when we’re talking about learning languages. Most people don’t even consider the fact that there are different learning styles and think that there is only one correct way to acquire a new language. This is why many people lose interest in language learning quite quickly, and why kids have no fun in learning languages.

Now that we know there are different language learning styles, how to determine which style is best for you? It is quite easy to find out. Ask yourself these four questions:

1. Am I someone who can sit for a long time, reading text after text, and analyzing them in detail, without being extremely bored or frustrated? This doesn’t just apply to texts in the language that is being learned, but in any language.
2. Do I enjoy the challenge of memorizing new words?
3. Am I an extroverted person who likes to chat with anyone, and actually learn things from socializing?
4. Am I good at imitating accents? You can do this by trying to imitate different accents of speakers of a language you already know.

If the answer to questions 1 and 2 is “yes”, then you have the “formal student” learning style. You learn best through formal education in a classroom setting with an instructor. Or you learn best through 1-on-1 tutoring with plenty of books, work sheets, and grammar discussions. If this is your learning style, not only will this method help you acquire the new language faster, you also enjoy learning a language this way. You find the challenge of a steady rise of vocabulary quite enjoyable, and you find pleasure in understanding and analyzing grammatical structures.

On the other hand, if you answer “yes” to questions 3 and 4, you probably have had trouble learning languages in a classroom setting in the past, and you work best with the “happy” language learning style. You easily get bored when you have to sit in a classroom facing a book, and you have trouble concentrating on a text about a topic you are not interested in. You despise worksheets and prefer word games, videos, etc. You enjoy talking and listening to people, and you have a natural talent for recognizing the subtle aspects of different accents. These are the things that the first type of language learners may not have, but you do. Your ear naturally picks up on the different intonations, phonetics, and speech patterns; and you have little to no problems imitating these. You learn grammar through using it and hearing it being used by native speakers.

After recognizing what your learning style is, the next step (and possibly the most difficult step) is to find an instructor that not only understands that there are different learning styles for language acquisition, but also can accommodate your learning style.

Finding the right instructor is extremely important to your progress. What usually happens when the instructor is not the right one for you is this: boredom, frustration, stagnation of progress, leading to loss of interest in continuing the learning process. On the contrary, if the instructor is the right one for you, what will happen is: you will have fun in the learning sessions, you will feel the right amount of challenge, connection and understanding with the instructor, all this leading to continuous visible progress and an increased fascination and love for foreign languages.

If you are of the first learning type (formal student), you should generally find no difficulty in finding the right courses to take. Most of us learn a foreign language at school this way. Most private language schools also implement this method. The options are unlimited for you, and they exist at different price points.

It is more tricky for students of the second type to find an instructor. There are two things you can do to find the right instructor: find conversation-based language classes, or find a 1-on-1 tutor. In either case, be really specific in what you need and how you want the lessons to be like, and do not compromise.

Acquiring a new foreign language can be highly enjoyable and extremely fascinating. Language skills can open up so many doors and build so many bridges across the globe. But one can only see the beauty only when they are enjoying the ride. And to be able to enjoy the ride, we need to first recognize what our individual needs are, and take actions accordingly.