Advice on learning languages

[UpperMaster]

I've been learning a language for the past 2 years. I've been taking classes for 2 years. We've moved super slowly. 

I wanted to reach B1 level, but I can't even pass A2 exam. I don't think my teacher is any good. I was concerned by the pace of his teaching. But now I took a practice exam at an institute and failed. It's as if the last two years was for nothing. So much money spent. 

 

I need advice literally every piece of advice that helped any you guys master languages?

 

[Clarence]

I'd advise reading this website: Antimoon.com

There's a lot of valuable information in it. If I had to learn English all over again, I would use this method. I feel like my output got messed up because of school and traveling too soon. I should have focused on input only for much longer and avoided trying to speak or write too early, which is what teachers asked me to do.

Taking classes in any language is terrible, since you constantly hear people (and yourself) making mistakes, and that becomes part of your input. Input should come only from native speakers who speak perfect English; otherwise, mistakes or unnatural sentences will enter your input and start to sound natural. Correcting that later is incredibly difficult. I'm trying to do it now, but I don’t feel like I’m making any progress.

I use ChatGPT to correct my English every time I write. It's burdensome, but it's the best way I've found to see and correct my mistakes. I wish there were no language classes at school and that I could have learned on my own using this method. I'm sure all my English skills would have been better.

I also ask ChatGPT many questions to better understand the nuances between similar words and sentence structures. The goal is to know which ones are more natural in a given context and closer to the intent and tone I'm aiming for. The trickiest part is that it often wants to make more corrections than necessary, so that’s something to be aware of. But you can always ask for more explanation about a correction if needed.

[Lyubov]

I know exactly how you feel. I've had the same experience as well trying to learn a second language... two years, hardly any progress, thought I would at least be reasonably proficient at this point yet was lacking tons of vocabulary, couldn't understand what anyone native speaking to me was saying in 75%+ of situations, etc. It can be hard to accept this and we need to really accept ourselves even if we fall short of what we had hoped to achieve.

There's a lot of things you haven't been told about language learning and over these two years I've reflected on it a good bit and have had quite a few insights, I'll list them off for you. The language apps don't tell it like it is and language learning is a lot like the fitness industry, they show off the best when marketing products, when it reality many people take a lot more time and effort to learn a second language. 

Everyone learns different and at a different pace - you cannot compare yourself to others ever when learning a language, we all learn differently, some just have a knack for it, some move slower.

Knowing a similar language or already speaking two languages is a ton of help - If say you want to learn Italian or Portuguese, and you see someone crushing it after 6 months, pay attention, most of the time they already speak Spanish, French, etc. If you know similar languages already, learning a third one or another one that is similar speeds things up drastically. Even just knowing two languages can make you keen on different patterns, different phonetic sounds. If you only speak one, you not only need to learn the language itself but lay the entire groundwork for a container and mind that comprehends language differently, thinks differently. It is mentally taxing and on top of that you need to put yourself in all sorts of unfamiliar social situation with different people who may not understand a word you say, may not have any patience for you, learning a language for many is a slow journey up a huge mountain. 

Timeframe - it doesn't take 1 year or 2 for most people who only know one language. If you only know English and are then trying to become proficient in another that is quite different, it can take 3+ years of consistent learning to actually really nail it. Not for everyone, butt it's not uncommon to  need double the time as someone else. Again, everyone is different but it really depends, it is not uncommon to need to be immersed for 4 years to actually be proficient in the language and understand what people are saying to you

You need to have a reason and a heart for it - this is perhaps one of the most challenging things that you can't really fake, you need to actually have to learn the language or you wont, you need the motivation and you need a genuine reason to remember it and use it. You need to work on your emotions and sense of self to integrate it and create a identity that incorporates this language, or else it's just a bunch of silly gibberish which can be instantly dropped for what you feel comfortable with. The thing is if you know English, maybe have an English partner and work in English, you aren't exposed as much to the language you want to learn to get good at it in the time frame you expect.

In my opinion you need to have a genuine heart felt reason to learn the language and the language is kinda like a person you date, you need to wanna be with them and work at it daily. If you are just studying because you are trying to prove something or there is insufficient motivation, or you aren't having fun, you won't wanna use it or remember it and you will have huge gaps in your studying because it's just being seen as useless gibberish. If it a boring to study, uncomfortable to talk to strangers in it, stuff like this, it isn't going to stick because you just see it as a burden, you need to have genuine reason and enjoyment. This is why someone will learn a second language easy when they for example have a girlfriend who speaks Spanish or they absolutely love TV or music from a different culture. They have a genuine reason to learn the language. You have to find things about the language that inspire you to use it, things that genuinely interest you in the language.

Case in point, I remember more Russian words because of my girlfriend than I do any Spanish that I studied in school, because I actually had a need to know these words and there was a genuine reward seeing my girlfriend attracted to me knowing her language, yet I barely studied any Russian, maybe just a couple months of classes. Basically you need to create reasons and have intentions you genuinely believe in for learning the language. Check out immigrants in English speaking countries who maybe lived in their community for 20 years and never learned English, they didn't have a heart felt need to learn it.

So here is my advice, don't force anything, find a reason to enjoy studying, maybe watch netflix in the language, movies, tv, music, maybe try to date someone who knows the language native, create a reason to actually know it. Then from there, take some private lessons with a tutor (can take time to find one you like), this is just ot build confidence speaking. 

For me, it's all about netflix, I can really only stomach netflix and enjoy watching TV in the language I'm studying (Portuguese), I don't like Brazilian music and don't want to date a Brazilian woman, so my motivation has to come from something else.

[Yimpa]

Quote

For me, it's all about netflix

Edited May 15 by Yimpa

[LambdaDelta]

Yes, this pace is unacceptable. You need lots of exposure, just not so mucn it overwhelms you. 

I learned English largely on YouTube, watching hours upon hours of content on any topic imaginable. 

For Spanish, I just got thrown into a public school class knowing only a couple words, had to scrape by somehow. 

The situation should almost be that you can't afford not to learn it. If such an environment is available, make use of it.

Some tips: make good use of etymology. This'll come in handy everywhere, from understanding the origins of the word, to how it's changed over time, to how it's relevant to philosophical inquiry, if you do any. Quick example: indulgence. Not nany know this, but that used to be the document sold by the church to avoid some hellfire punishments for sins the buyer committed. Classic church corruption. Now the meaning is reflected by that context. 

Your best friend and a new perma-open tab should be the thesaurus, there you'll find synonyms ans related concepts. Even for one's native language all of this is still useful. 

Languages can be similar, but also very dissimilar. In Japanese almost all of your knowledge is useless since the sentence structure different. So, patters are still your friends, but when starting out, throw away all assumptions. If some appear like they would work, bring them back. 

Sentence structure aside, there's also stuff like order of adjectives that you want to get comfortable with.

Always be asking the why, why does a thing work the way it does, that will fuel passion for learning more and cement the understanding. Same as with learning anything else really. The genetic predispositions and such play an undeniable role, but in the end it's a function of how implicitly you grasp a subject. If completely, you'll be a quick learner. But if you require a lot of explication to get a concept, that slows you down, not much more to do there other than get quicker through repetition. 

[Puer Aeternus]

@UpperMaster What language are you learning? What is the purpose for which you are trying to learn it? Reading, writing, speaking. Which are the most important to you? 

 

Honestly, I get the vibe that most classroom languages classes are kind of trash. So it wouldn't surprise me too much that it could be a struggle.

 

Memorizing vocab lists, focusing on grammar but without really having the context, and having your learning directed by a professor and not the way you want it to be. Can REALLY slow things down. It isn't very efficient at all.

 

Where is your greatest weakness with your language right now? How quickly do you learn other things? Can you remember them fairly quickly, or do you need lots of repetition? 

 

I think the biggest thing is to consume content. Keep consuming content. Keep letting it sink in, until day by day more puzzle pieces continue to click through pure repetition. Don't focus so hard on trying to make mental effort to memorize something but rather let it deep in via osmosis. Just make sure your contenr is in CONTEXT and you're not living on flashcards.

 

You've probably got enough of a base where you can start with basic content right now.

 

For vocab building I really like the mini stories from LingQ, you can review sentences easily and it will also read them to you for listening practice. It's a great way to hammer lots of vocab into your head up to an intermediate level! 

 

For listening, you can start by watching kids shows or soap operas. Something that is very visual, and very context heavy. You want to make sure that you understand enough for what's being said so that you can infer the meaning as well. Not only will it help you understand native speakers but can also build your vocab too. Once these become easy, you can keep leveling up to more interesting native content, makes the whole process more enjoyable! 

 

If you want speaking practice, hire. A. Tutor. From somewhere like iTalki! Having someone work with you one on one and be more attuned to your level just beats classroom instruction by a lot. You don't even have to have these sessions too often, but tutors can be cheaper than you'd think they would be.

 

As for grammar, unless you have some specific academic pursuits. Or really need the A2/B1/B2 leveling thingy grammar can be a background pursuit. You probably are familiar with the basic already. Rather than actively studying it- use your grammar book more as a reference for the content you'll be consuming. Really cuts out the fluff this way! Also, if you're consuming content and continually stuck on something Google the grammar rule and watch the lightbulb turn on and an emotionally significant memory you won't forget will be created.

 

Ultimately, it will be slower to learn your first language. But it doesn't have to take 4+ years like the other guys are saying unless you continue to use inefficient methods.. like that class you were taking! It can be done though, I wish you all the best on your journey! 

 

Edited May 16 by Puer Aeternus
Double use of word missed in review

[Ramanujan]

learn to use a software called Anki

[UpperMaster]

Thank you everyone who answered. These replies really comfort me, feels good to know that other people here either already went through are currently going through the language learning process . I read everything, I'll reply what I think soon. 

 

 

[UpperMaster]

On 5/16/2025 at 0:12 AM, Lyubov said:

You need to have a reason and a heart for it - this is perhaps one of the most challenging things that you can't really fake, you need to actually have to learn the language or you wont, you need the motivation and you need a genuine reason to remember it and use it. You need to work on your emotions and sense of self to integrate it and create a identity that incorporates this language, or else it's just a bunch of silly gibberish which can be instantly dropped for what you feel comfortable with. The thing is if you know English, maybe have an English partner and work in English, you aren't exposed as much to the language you want to learn to get good at it in the time frame you expect.

In my opinion you need to have a genuine heart felt reason to learn the language and the language is kinda like a person you date, you need to wanna be with them and work at it daily. If you are just studying because you are trying to prove something or there is insufficient motivation, or you aren't having fun, you won't wanna use it or remember it and you will have huge gaps in your studying because it's just being seen as useless gibberish. If it a boring to study, uncomfortable to talk to strangers in it, stuff like this, it isn't going to stick because you just see it as a burden, you need to have genuine reason and enjoyment. This is why someone will learn a second language easy when they for example have a girlfriend who speaks Spanish or they absolutely love TV or music from a different culture. They have a genuine reason to learn the language. You have to find things about the language that inspire you to use it, things that genuinely interest you in the language.

 

Great takeaway from your message. 

Edited Saturday at 06:37 PM by UpperMaster

[UpperMaster]

On 5/16/2025 at 1:49 AM, LambdaDelta said:

Yes, this pace is unacceptable. You need lots of exposure, just not so mucn it overwhelms you. 

I learned English largely on YouTube, watching hours upon hours of content on any topic imaginable. 

For Spanish, I just got thrown into a public school class knowing only a couple words, had to scrape by somehow. 

 

 

Im thinking of maybe going to some camp where the target language is spoken a lot and pretend that I don't know any English. This way I can just speak using target language. idk Just an idea.

 

 

Quote

Some tips: make good use of etymology. This'll come in handy everywhere, from understanding the origins of the word, to how it's changed over time, to how it's relevant to philosophical inquiry, if you do any. Quick example: indulgence. Not nany know this, but that used to be the document sold by the church to avoid some hellfire punishments for sins the buyer committed. Classic church corruption. Now the meaning is reflected by that context

 

Great tip. Yea I am already seeing some patterns in target language. Why one word sounds like another one. The origins are related. My teacher explains that to me.

[UpperMaster]

On 5/16/2025 at 4:10 AM, Puer Aeternus said:

As for grammar, unless you have some specific academic pursuits. Or really need the A2/B1/B2 leveling thingy grammar can be a background pursuit. You probably are familiar with the basic already. Rather than actively studying it- use your grammar book more as a reference for the content you'll be consuming. Really cuts out the fluff this way! Also, if you're consuming content and continually stuck on something Google the grammar rule and watch the lightbulb turn on and an emotionally significant memory you won't forget will be created.

 

Okay thank you

[UpperMaster]

On 5/16/2025 at 4:10 AM, Puer Aeternus said:

Ultimately, it will be slower to learn your first language. But it doesn't have to take 4+ years like the other guys are saying unless you continue to use inefficient methods.. like that class you were taking! It can be done though, I wish you all the best on your journey! 

 

Thanks. I hope that learning to grasp one language leads me to grasp other languages faster.

[LambdaDelta]

3 hours ago, UpperMaster said:

Im thinking of maybe going to some camp where the target language is spoken a lot and pretend that I don't know any English. This way I can just speak using target language. idk Just an idea.

That would work too, although you could start smaller, switch the UI of your phone and various online services you use daily to the the target language. Previous knowledge of the labels will help you create associations quicker, but you'll also encounter new things. Reading comprehension most often precedes listening anyway. But whatever opportunity you have to expose yourself, take it, no matter how minor, it will all compound and many will cost you next to nothing.

What is your target language by the way? It's more natural you'd struggle with an entirely new character set of Asian/African languages set than any of the Romance ones that more or less share the same letters among other similarities. 

[Jacob Morres]

Scotthyoung has a lot of techniques on learning languages. he teaches a lot on the meta of learning how to learn but has good info on language learning specifically as well