Whether your adventure of learning a new language has already started or you are thinking about taking the first steps, one question you might have is “What is the best way to learn a language?”
Several factors contribute to language learning and being aware of these helps make the most of your experience.
Whether you’re studying for family reasons, travel, personal growth, career advancement, or any other reason, in this article, you will find the best strategies to help you achieve your language-learning goals effectively.
Check out these six golden rules on what the best way to learn a language is:
1. Being consistent
It can be hard to know where to begin when learning a language from scratch and if you are wondering what is the best way to learn a language, one key element to remember is consistency. By dedicating time to it regularly, you will see constant progress, whereas if you only work on your language skills every now and again, it will take much longer to reach your language-learning goals.
We believe that you can make language learning something regular and enjoyable that fits in with your everyday life, just like having your daily coffee break. And in this way, you’ll form a language-learning habit that sticks.
Pretty much common sense, isn’t it?
To help with your consistency, our top tip for you is to build a regular study routine and commit to daily or weekly practice sessions. Remember: little and often is more beneficial and easier to stick to than planning to study for two hours every fortnight.
In addition to that, be sure to have realistic goals – don’t expect to be able to understand everything that is being said in a dialogue after one month of learning.
An achievable goal would look more like “feeling confident to order a coffee abroad after a month of learning” or even “being able to answer basic questions about yourself after two months”. And be proud of yourself when you achieve these!
If you’re looking for some great tips on what the best way to learn a language is, by sticking to a routine and staying consistent, be sure to check out the video below featuring Mark, the founder of Coffee Break, as he shares his valuable insights as both a language teacher and learner.
2. Taking good notes and reviewing the content
Ok, so what is the best way to learn a language? Another technique that may be useful to you is to take good notes and review the content you learn whenever you have a spare moment.
With effective note-taking, you can better memorise:
- key vocabulary;
- grammar rules;
- natural phrases and idioms;
- and cultural aspects.
Writing explanations or definitions in your own words is very useful for consolidation and helps you to remember them.
Don’t forget to organise your notes in a structured manner – maybe with some colour coding or by incorporating visual elements. This way you can create a great resource to refer back to whenever you need clarification.
Make sure to regularly review your notes to help reinforce your memory and deepen your understanding. This doesn’t have to be a long or boring task – instead, we’d encourage you to carry your language-learning notebook with you and simply review a couple of pages while you’re waiting for the bus, on the train, or during your next coffee break. This will improve the long-term retention of the newfound knowledge.
3. Engaging with the culture
Another great way to learn a language is to actively engage with the culture or cultures associated with it. After all, language and culture are deeply connected.
Immersing yourself in cultural aspects of the new language can be helpful to improve your understanding and proficiency. You can try books (to suit your level), movies in a different language (maybe watch something with subtitles to begin with) and music, for example!
It may seem obvious, but what many people forget when looking for resources to help their language learning is to look for something they enjoy! Think about it – if you’d never normally choose to watch a historical movie, instead of making yourself watch one in the language you’re learning, look for albums of your favourite genre of music to help you practise instead. Similarly, if you don’t enjoy reading crime novels even in English, perhaps a better choice for you is watching an action movie.
By making your learning enjoyable, you will form habits you want to stick to, and will make better progress.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel to a country where the language you’re learning is spoken, you can also use your travel plans to encourage yourself to interact with native speakers and with the culture around you.
4. Choosing the right method for you
If you are wondering what the best way to learn a language is, remember that the ideal technique for other people might not be the same technique that suits you best. However, with so many resources online, choosing the right one for you can feel challenging.
Therefore, go for a method that matches your schedule. For example, maybe you have a busy schedule and are looking for a method that allows you to learn at your own pace – here at Coffee Break Languages, we provide resources to allow you to do exactly that.
We offer bite-sized lessons in 10 different languages, which is ideal if you feel you need flexibility and relevant content, where you’ll learn with experienced teachers and native speakers. In addition, instead of overwhelming you with complex grammar rules or ignoring grammar altogether, for us, it’s important to present language and concepts in an easy-to-understand way, as if you were sitting down for a coffee with a friend who speaks the language you’re learning.
5. Immersing yourself as much as you can
Another aspect of what is the best way to learn a language is immersing yourself in the language as much as possible. This can help accelerate your understanding of new vocabulary, and it is essential for developing listening skills and good pronunciation. This way, we also soon start to hear things like terms that don’t translate 100% to your native language.
You can do this by listening to podcasts, watching movies or TV shows, reading books or articles, and engaging with the language whenever you can. Fit these things into your day, during your moments of downtime or while you’re doing other things.
Our top tip: bring language learning into your everyday life wherever and whenever you can. If you’re out on a walk, look around you and see if you know the words to describe what you see. Or, if you’re waiting to pay for your shopping, take a moment to think about what you would say to the cashier if you were in a country where the language you’re learning is spoken.
6. Understanding that language learning is a journey
After reading these tips about the best way to learn a language, there is one more you should add to the list: understanding that learning a new language is a journey.
This journey should be taken with patience, perseverance, but also enjoyment. Of course, there will be moments when you will feel you’re not getting the pronunciation right, or you are not progressing as much as you should, and other frustrations.
However, the thing to keep in mind here is that this journey is worth it and that you are more than capable of doing it. So, don’t forget to celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and stay focused on your goals.
So, in summary, what is the best way to learn a language? There isn’t one, but if you take into account these tips and always remember to keep going and use the method (or methods) that feel best for you, that will make your learning journey better.
In order to have the best results possible, the support and guidance of a great language platform, like Coffee Break Languages, can make that journey so much easier. We offer easy access to learning resources at any time, so you can adapt to the language-learning method that suits you.
Visit Coffee Break Languages and find out more about the Coffee Break method and languages!