How to start learning a language

Set goals

Decide why you want to learn a language. Maybe you want to learn enough Italian to order a pizza on your next holiday in Rome? Or you want to live and work in Madrid? Whatever your language learning goals, make sure you have a goal to work towards rather than just learning for the sake of it and having no concrete why.

By setting a goal you’ll be able to measure your progress against it.

Once you’ve set a goal, break it down into manageable chunks, week by week or month by month, whichever works best for you.

Learn vocabulary

Whatever your goal, start by learning the vocabulary most related to that goal. If you decided you want to order that pizza in Rome, then food and drink vocabulary is the best place to start.

Next, work out how you learn vocabulary best. This may be testing yourself on a piece of paper, rote learning, matching pairs on paper or Quizlet, or listening to a podcast or an audiobook.

Practise as much as you can

Once you’ve started learning, use the language as much as you can. When you’re next writing a shopping list, try writing it in your chosen language. Then when you go to the supermarket, say those words to yourself as you pick up each item.

Be realistic with how much you practise though. I want language learning to be fun and I don’t want you to experience burn out by trying to learn too much too quickly. There is only so much vocabulary you can learn in a week. Remember that you don’t always have to be trying to learn something new. Going back over things you did a few days or weeks ago is an excellent way to learn a language.

Enlist a friend

Testing yourself is a great way to practise, but testing a friend is even better! By doing this you’ll speak more and therefore reinforce the learning process. A little healthy competition never hurts!

You could also buy a textbook or grammar book and work through it together, or buy one each and arrange regular homework checking sessions to make yourselves accountable.

Speak

There are four parts to learning a language - reading, writing, listening and speaking. The first three are often any language learners strongest skills as they are able to practise these anytime by themselves. Speaking is often the weakest. It’s left until last and practised the least due to fear of making mistakes or not being understood, not having anyone to speak to, and in the age of social media, something that many people are just not used to doing in their native language!

When practising on your own, try speaking to yourself! For example, when you are learning vocabulary, phrases or sentences, repeat them out loud or even record yourself speaking and then play it back to listen to your own pronunciation.

Taking a private lesson is one of the best ways to learn a language and practise your conversation skills. It is also a chance to practise real-life role play scenarios directly related to your goals. Still want to order that pizza in Rome? You can practise ordering in a restaurant with your teacher and receive feedback on your pronunciation.