5 top tips for learning a new language

Learning a new language is a fun and rewarding experience. Not only is it useful for your own personal development and cognitive function, but knowing another language is great for any future travel plans and meeting new people.  

Whether you want to learn a new language from scratch or brush up on a language you learned in school or college years ago, our top tips will help guide you on your journey. 

Check them out below and prepare to embark on an enriching learning experience. 

Set goals 

If you start on your language learning journey with no clear goals, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Before you begin, create a list of goals you want to achieve in an obtainable amount of time so you can constantly be working towards your next goal. You are much more likely to keep up with your learning if you have something to work towards. 

Immerse yourself

One helpful way to keep on top of your learning is by immersing yourself in the language. Try heading to your local library to check out books in your chosen language. Libraries have a plethora of titles in multiple languages to help you keep up your practice. When studying, write the name of new words and items you keep forgetting and place the paper on the item they correlate to in your home so you get a constant reminder of the translation. 

Language apps

There are so many different language apps available. The most commonly used ones are Duolingo and Babbel, which are both wonderful resources for beginners as they have a whole host of languages to study in a range of helpful ways. 

Incorporate it into your daily life 

Make sure to try and use your new language as often as you can in your day-to-day life. When watching Netflix and YouTube, turn on the subtitles so you can still enjoy your favourite films and shows, but can also recognise new words as you watch. Take the time each week to find a film or podcast in the language you’re trying to learn so you can really pay attention to pronunciations. 

Practice, practice and more practice

Try and practice as often as you can, whether it's on your own or with others. Research local groups and online forums for learning a new language to help keep you motivated and to build a support system with other learners.