How to learn a language? Don’t learn

If you really want to learn a language then stop learning.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Confusion

There is a certain aspect we need to understand to truly be effective.

- Don’t learn a language? What do you mean?

- Yeah, just don’t.

And now let me explain what I mean.

If you really believe and say that you don’t have the time for learning then oh boy, you will never learn a language…

“ I would like to learn but I don’t have time for that. ”

- EVERY ADULT EVER

Why?

Because to learn a language you need hours and hours of language input. You need to learn thousands of words, phrases, nuances and grammar cases. And we don’t have that much free time for learning.. You barely can find 1.5h for your evening classes, right?

Conclusion?

You will never learn. How on earth you will find those hours and hours required to learn a language and gain fluency?

So how to learn?

If you still want to learn a language, but you have no time (adulting is hard), then what do you do? No worries. There is a way.

THE SECRET

What’s the secret?

You should be learning a language while not learning.

That’s the secret right here.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

Process this.

If you learn only when you are learning, then you are limited to the time you have for learning.

Solution

You need to be learning a language unconciously during other activities not connected with learning.

Solution in practice

Theory is cool, but it’s worth nothing if you don’t apply it in practice.

Here’s a list of a few examples:

• When you are cleaning your house, you can’t learn the language, right? But what if you would put the headphones on while you are cleaning and listen to the spanish podcast?
• Or listen to a french radio station instead of your usual one? For example while driving a car to work. You get the music anyway but those annoying advertisements become your friend in a language learning journey cause they are in your target language.
• If you want to unwind and chill, you don’t want to be learning stuff in that moment, right? But what if you would choose an italian tv show on Netflix? You would still enjoy your Netflix & Chill, but you would get exposure to some italian words and phrases in the meanwhile.
• If you are looking for some information on the internet, recipee for a cake, celeb news or excel tutorial — could you do it in another language and get the information you’re looking for? I think you could 😃
• Or if you spend too much time on youtube… See if there are some german youtubers vlogging about your favourite topic.
• If you go for a run.. You don’t want to listen to any podcasts and learn a language, you just need your music and a distance to run, right? But what if your running playlist had some hot songs in the language you are learning?

You see.. I can go on and on. Find whatever works for you.

You can be learning when you don’t have the time for learning.

Combine language exposure with your daily habits and things you are already doing.

If you don’t — well, you can compare the results with those who do.