How Not to Study Your New Language So You Can Actually Improve

Three common mistakes new learners make and what to do instead

Photo by Andrew Haimerl on Unsplash

I’ve spent the past 15 years learning languages and the past 5–6 years actively researching what was done and said about it.

Turns out, most of the easily available advice online is absolute crap.

There’s some good advice online but most of it is spread out, almost invisible because of all the rest.

Like most long-term language learners, I’ve had my fair share of failures on my journey. I’ve tried some methods that ended up ruining my energy and wasting hours I could have actually spent improving.

I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.

And yet, most new learners will first fall upon people doing — unsuccessfully — exactly these.

So, here’s my advice I hope can help you not be one of those.

Learn the most useful words

One of the most common pieces of advice online nowadays is the “learn the 100 most common words.” Some other versions exist with a different number but they’re all the same kind.

If you think about it for a second, it’s great advice. After all, the 100 most common words appear in 50%…