4 Practical Ways to Learn a Language Now

At one point or another, all of us have been overwhelmed with the desire to learn a new language. Whether it was to impress that beautiful señorita / señor, get that international job or to just to enjoy those slightly weird but also slightly addicting international shows on Netflix, learning a new language certainly has its appeal.

Yet for most of us, learning that language ranks right in between that gym membership and the photography hobby on the list of things that never seem to get done.

Here are 4 practical tricks I’ve used in my own language learning adventure:

1. 5-a-day Rule

The hard truth is there is no way to get around vocabulary. To speak a language you have to know the words. You can’t step into the world of languages without the basic vocabulary.

Simply put, learn 5 words a day. Now, this doesn’t mean just glancing at 5 words a day until you can recognize them on flash cards. You have to get a little deeper.

Every morning, start reviewing your 5 words for the day. Then throughout the day, think about those 5 words in as many different situations as possible. This is where many vocabulary learning methods fall short. The focus is typically on quantity instead of the deep understanding needed for real conversations. The utility of the words gets lost in the memorization, which isn’t helpful for daily life.

Effective language learning is about knowing words so well they become natural. Deeply focusing on those five words throughout the day engrains them in your life.

To further reinforce this, at the end of the week pick 15 words that you are least comfortable with and add them to the pool for next week’s words. This will ensure that those hard-to-absorb words will eventually flow naturally into your vocabulary.

I have found that Wunderlist or similar to-do list apps are great for keeping track of words to learn. This is nice because anytime you are out and find a useful word, it can be added to the list.

2. Thinking Until It Hurts

So now you have built up some vocab. Time to start using it! For most people trying to learning a new language, native speakers are…