As we grow older, trying to learn a new language can prove tough, but there are many benefits to learning a language at any age. If you find that your everyday life is full of responsibilities, you might find it hard to stick to studying regularly and improving, regardless of how much you might enjoy it.
Fortunately, there are quite a few strategies you can follow to make learning that new language a priority, even if you don’t have a lot of free time. Here are some of the best pieces of advice you will find on how to stay motivated and keep learning.
1. Remind yourself of why you chose that language
The best way for you to be motivated and continue learning a language is by remembering exactly why you chose to learn that language. Maybe it is because of an upcoming trip, a romantic partner or a genuine interest in the culture and language of a certain country.
No matter the reason, it will help you relive the excitement you felt when you first started studying the language. This is by far the best feeling and what will keep you learning and improving.
2. Make it a habit to study daily
Staying organized within a certain studying schedule is one of the things that will help you stay motivated while studying. Even if you study for as little as half an hour every day, forming a habit of doing that is what will allow you to make progress.
To achieve this, you will need to study around the same time every day. Even if on some days you are not able to study at the same time, you should make an effort to fit some time to study into your busy schedule.
3. Create an inspiring study area
The room you study in can play a very important part of how interested you are in learning just about anything. The good thing about learning a language is that you can easily decorate the area you will be studying in with souvenirs you might have collected, images of the country, a national flag and other things which will remind you of your love for that language.
Creating a studying environment that is full of colors and pieces that remind you of the language you are learning will help you remember your ultimate goal and work harder.
4. Find a studying buddy
No matter how popular or not the language you wish to learn is, one or more of your friends may also be interesting in learning that language. Learning along with someone else will allow you to get a lot of speaking practice and correct each other’s’ mistakes.
On top of that, you will have someone who will remind you of your classes and help you look forward to spending time learning with the other person.
5. Watch TV shows and movies without subtitles
Understanding the dialogues when watching a TV show or movie in the language you are trying to learn is not only rewarding, but it can also help you see how far you’ve come in terms of learning the new language.
Watching native movies and shows is a great way for you to familiarize yourself with different dialects and native words and phrases which you wouldn’t have been able to hear otherwise.
6. Make a friend from that part of the world
Thanks to the internet, there are many ways for you to meet people from all over the world. Good use of this privilege is through making friends with locals who speak the language you are trying to learn.
You can even take this opportunity to teach your new friend a few words and phrases from your native tongue. In any case, this will not only help you practice a lot but it will also help you improve so that you can speak to your new friend with more ease.
7. Read a book in that new language
Books can help you connect with a much more poetic form of the language you are trying to read. Each country produces a lot of interesting and well-written books by native authors which you will sometimes only be able to discover in their native tongue.
Learning this new language will help you open up a whole new world of literature and allow you to get access to many books and other pieces of written content. If you’re a bookworm, this is going to be a great form of motivation for you.
8. Reward your efforts with a trip
One of the best ways for you to stay motivated learning a language is through rewarding yourself, and what reward is better than a trip to the country whose language you chose to learn.
“A different language is a different vision of life.” Federico Fellini
Traveling to a new country and being able to communicate with the locals in their native tongue will help you experience this trip differently.
There are so many aspects of a country’s culture and way of living that you would never be able to experience unless you spoke the native language. So, planning a trip to this country should be your greatest motivation for learning the language and enjoying exploring like a native.
9. Help someone else learn this new language
If you find that you have a hard time catching up with learning new things and not forgetting what you already learned, you can stay focused and learn more by teaching a friend or family member the language you are learning.
Teaching someone else will help you repeat what you already know and therefore make you a lot more confident in speaking that language. It will also help you practice making conversations and continue learning new words whilst teaching the other person interesting things every time you hold a “class”.
10. Be patient with yourself
Last but not least, it is important to be patient when it comes to learning anything new. Speaking from personal experience, giving yourself enough time to memorize things and improve your language skills at your own pace will help you be more excited about learning the new language.
If you bring yourself down and blame yourself for not learning quickly enough, you will most likely end up disliking the language itself. Instead, take it slow and enjoy the learning process. You will always have something interesting to learn about the language or about the country that speaks it.
Enjoy the process of learning
Learning a new language should be enjoyable and not seen as a task. Even if you have limited time to learn daily, there are many ways for you to make sure that you always make time to learn something new.
Whether you choose to watch a show without subtitles or hold a conversation with an online friend from overseas, staying motivated on learning this new language can be achieved in several ways and the result can be very rewarding.
Do you have any tips on learning a new language? Let us know about your experience!
