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Getting the right advice when learning something new can transform your learning process. But getting the wrong direction and mistakenly following it can quickly undo that process.
So how do you distinguish the great advice from the awful? We’ll be honest; it’s complicated. Some of the worst advice about language learning can appear helpful for beginners or those without previous experience learning.
This is why we’ve curated the top 5 awful pieces of advice for you to ignore (and run from).
1. “You’re too old” to learn a language
Despite what conventional society tells us, how ‘old’ we are shouldn’t affect our ability to reach fluency in a language. We’re not saying that a 50-year-old person can learn as fast as someone who’s five years old, but it’s more than possible.
A study by Hakuta, Bialystok and Wiley compared the language learning abilities of adults of different ages. Each participant was taught the exact words in the same learning environment. The results showed that people over 50 learn just as well as people in their 20s or 30s.
2. You need to travel to a foreign country
With the advent of technology today, there’s no reason for anyone to travel to a foreign country to learn a language. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a plane ticket and finding accommodation, you can find excellent teachers where you are.
From my experiences traveling, I’ve seen many people assume living in a foreign country will guarantee their ability to learn. Because of this, they didn’t make much effort, and it was too late when they had to come back home.
The key is motivation, not just the environment.
3. use free mobile apps!
There are plenty of free mobile apps out there that can help you practice your vocabulary and grammar. But there’s only so much that these apps can help you with.
Duolingo is probably the first tool you think of, but the following is the response from some customers at Type:
The point we’re trying to make is not that you shouldn’t use these free language apps to learn but you shouldn’t rely on them as your sole learning method. It’s like trying to get in the best shape of your life by depending on a fitness application on your phone, and there’s more to it!
4. Focus on using just one method to learn a language
Focus is undoubtedly important, but as we shared, relying on one method is not the way to go. There’s a method you want to use for developing your writing skills, another for speaking, and so forth.
You should also find different ways to activate your brain. The purpose of learning a language for most people is to communicate with others, and that’s how we should learn to speak it. You can do this via language meetups, finding accountability partners, or working online with a private language teacher (especially if you’re busy).
5. You can learn conversation in the classroom
Last but not least, the advice on how to become a better speaker of a foreign language.
Tim Ferriss, who’s a polyglot and bestselling author, says:
“Somewhat like riding a bike, though unfortunately not as permanent, language fluency is more dependent on practicing the right things than learning the right things. The rules (grammar) can be learned through materials and classes, but the necessary tools (vocabulary and idiomatic usage) will come from independent study and practice in a native environment.”
His point was that nothing could replace practicing with a real human being to improve your communication skills. That’s how we learned our first language, and it’s still the best way to learn the second.
