ESOL edit

Learning a new language as an adult may seem like a daunting challenge, especially if your goal is to become bilingual. However, with the right approach, persistence, and patience, it’s an entirely achievable goal. Based on my own experience and observations, here are five key strategies to help you effectively learn any language and navigate your journey to fluency. These tips focus on communication, building confidence, and mastering the foundational elements of the language.

1. Find Someone Who Loves to Talk

When learning a new language, it’s essential to find someone who enjoys talking—ideally, someone who can talk at length without needing a constant back-and-forth conversation. This is because, in the early stages, you’ll be doing a lot of listening. By listening attentively, you’ll pick up colloquial expressions, slang, and the natural flow of conversation that textbooks often don’t cover. These real-life interactions will help you understand how the language is used in current contexts, giving you a more authentic grasp of its nuances.

The ideal conversation partner shouldn’t speak your native language (bonus points if they have no interest in learning it). This removes the temptation to fall back on your own language during moments of difficulty. With no safety net, you’re forced to stay immersed in the target language, which accelerates your learning and ensures that your relationship with this person remains firmly rooted in the language you’re aiming to master.

2. Use ‘Learning Phrases’

When engaging in conversations, it’s essential to learn and use key phrases that will help you continue learning and keep the conversation flowing, even when you face difficulties. Such phrases might look like (translate the following examples from English into the language you want to learn): “How do you say…?” (as you point at an unknown object), “What does X mean?” (as you ask them to explain the meaning of a word or expression you don’t understand), or “Sorry, can you repeat that?” These questions are invaluable, as they show that you’re engaged and allow you to acquire new vocabulary and expressions in real time.

Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or corrections—it may feel awkward at first, but it’s a crucial part of learning. The more you use these phrases, the more confident you’ll become in navigating conversations, and you’ll gradually build a natural understanding of the language. Curiosity is key in language learning, and asking the right questions opens doors to greater proficiency.

3. Embrace Your Imperfections: Use Strategic Shortcuts

Accept from the outset that you’ll make mistakes, possibly for months or even years, as you develop your skills. Fluency doesn’t happen overnight. At first, you’ll feel unable to fully express yourself in conversations, but that’s perfectly normal. What’s most important is that you speak as much as possible, even if your sentences aren’t perfect.

A helpful technique is to use strategic shortcuts—simple constructions or phrases that you know aren’t fully correct but allow you to keep the conversation going. For example, if verb tenses are difficult, you might overuse a simpler tense until you’re ready to tackle more complex grammar. Over time, you’ll naturally incorporate more advanced structures, but these shortcuts will help you stay engaged and build confidence in the meantime.

4. Let Go of Self-Consciousness

Many language learners feel self-conscious or embarrassed when speaking, worrying about how native speakers perceive their efforts. However, it’s important to remember that while your speech may feel new and unfamiliar to you, native speakers see it as their everyday language. Even if you make mistakes, most native speakers won’t find it strange or funny that you’re trying to communicate in their language. In fact, they often appreciate your effort.

Your discomfort is subjective, and others are unlikely to focus on your mistakes as much as you do. To overcome the fear of being judged, it helps to think about how you perceive non-native speakers of your own language—you don’t think poorly of their attempts, and you should apply this same level of neutrality and acceptance to yourself.

5. Master the Basics First

It might sound obvious, but it can’t be overstated: when learning a new language, it’s essential to prioritise mastering the basics before moving on to more advanced topics. A strong command of fundamental grammar, vocabulary, and everyday phrases will provide the foundation for your future success. In my own experience, moving to a different high school and changing curriculums meant I ended up repeating Beginner’s Spanish three times. This allowed me to truly internalise the essential elements of the language.

This repetition gave me confidence and a solid base to build upon when tackling more difficult concepts. Even if you think you’ve already mastered the basics, it’s always worth reviewing them, as there may be nuances or details you missed. Repeated exposure to the fundamentals will strengthen your overall understanding of the language and make everything easier going forward.

Learning a language as an adult is a journey that requires dedication, persistence, and a willingness to make mistakes. By befriending someone talkative, using ‘learning phrases’ and ‘strategic shortcuts’, letting go of self-consciousness, and focusing on the basics, you will steadily improve your language skills. The path to bilingualism may be long, but with these strategies, you’ll gain fluency and confidence, one slightly less awkward conversation at a time.

Read this essay in Spanish.