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Language learning is all about trial and error.
You try one approach. It gives you crappy results. You try something else.
Those of us who have already learned foreign languages tend to find it much easier to learn another one because we’ve learned a lot from our previous mistakes. We know what not to do the next time round.
While everyone takes their own approach to language learning as well as the plethora of “you should do’s” (some of which may benefit some but not others), for today’s post I’ve decided to share 19 “do not do’s” which I believe are hugely important for all language learners.
The most important thing before you do anything of course is to have a real purpose for learning and to be resolutely determined to succeed no matter what.
Whatever distractions get thrown at you, you’re going to see this through to the end.
If you don’t have that level of motivation then stop reading now and find another hobby.
But if you do then read on! 🙂
1. Don’t miss the importance of being able to paraphrase and describe
We all have a different understanding of what fluency means.
I talked about what I believe to be fluency a while back which can basically be summed up as this:
Being able to describe or ‘paraphrase’ unknown target language content using the target language itself without needing to translate using your own language.
For example, I might not know the word for ‘library’ in Russian say, but if I can describe a building that has many books which I can borrow, a quiet place, a good place to study, etc. using Russian then you could say I’m conversationally fluent.
Specific vocab can be acquired over time as required.
You’ll never ever know every word and every aspect of grammar (even in your own language) but if you can describe and elicit it then you’re already where you need to be.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in my opinion is that they spend too much time trying to learn specific vocabulary and not enough on the core fundamentals (e.g. focusing on terms like ‘library’ which is extremely limited in its use instead of learning how to actually describe the place and its function).
2. Don’t squander your time
Language learning takes time.
A lot of it.
While it’s definitely possible to achieve limited, semi-functional fluency in a few months, you need to understand that learning a language properly takes serious time and to achieve even basic conversational fluency in several months requires daily dedication.
One lesson a week or occasional study periods won’t cut it.
Remember too that there’s only so much we’re capable of learning in the hours we have. Excessive study over many hours at a time will also produce detrimental results.
What this means is that 8 hours in 1 day does not equal 1 hour a day for 8 days.
It’s not the same.
I’m confident that the latter would yield far better results.
You need spaced repetition and you need mental rest which is all part of the learning process.
3. Don’t work against your learning strengths
I told the story a while back of how I failed nearly everything in school and my first year of college.
I was hopeless at anything that involved study.
That was until I discovered that I’m a visual-spatial learner which enabled me to radically change my approach to suit my strengths and weaknesses.
We’re all very different so take some time to assess what works for you and if need be, do as I did and get advice from a professional who can help you identify the things that aren’t working for you.
4. Don’t speak English (or any other language)!
Don’t speak anything other than your target language unless absolutely necessary!
This is such an important point.
I’m currently working as an English teacher in Korea so my job requires me to speak English.
Outside of work and apart from times like this where I have to write a blog post in English or communicate with English speakers (rarely), I use Korean.
I saturate myself in Korean every day.
If you’re not living abroad then you need to allocate as much time as possible every day to do this.
For those of you living in a city where your target language community can be found, make a habit of spending your spare time in that area.
In my home town of Brisbane we had a very small Arabic-speaking community who all lived around one particular area of the city and I used to hang around that spot constantly just to get as much language action as I could.
5. Don’t use outdated, inefficient methods
Grammar-translation methods and tedious memorization of words and rules have been standard practice for centuries all over the world.
They’re outdated and totally ineffective.
I’ve worked in Georgia and Turkey for example where I’ve seen students who have been learning English for years – sometimes decades – and still can’t communicate ‘at all’. They can read and they know English grammar better than most of us do but they can’t respond to the most basic questions.
Whether you’re in a classroom or learning on your own, focusing on conversational, functional language use is crucial.
Learn in context through interaction with other people.
6. Don’t have a macro goal without setting micro goals
What do I mean by macro and micro goals?
A macro goal would be something like, “I want to learn French to pass a C1 test in 2 years”.
It’s a large, long-term goal that you’re ultimately aiming for but you need smaller goals along the way to help you keep moving.
The micro goals are the small outposts that you conquer which give you constant motivation and a way to measure your progress when you look back on what you’ve done.
For example, good micro goals for a fairly new learner would be something like “have 5 conversations every day each week”, “get a haircut”, “make a transaction at the bank”, “instead of using a basic word like ‘go’ which is too easy now, use a more natural-sounding, better alternative like ‘attend’, ‘travel’ or ‘visit’” and so on.
By constantly setting these new goals you’ll never allow yourself to get comfortable.
7. Don’t work hard on one skill and neglect the others
When I’m not learning languages or stuck at work, I’m probably training at the gym.
If I miss a gym day I can’t live with myself!
One of the things I’ve learned to be careful about is making sure not to miss a major muscle group during the week.
This is to avoid ending up like those blokes who have strong upper bodies and then an embarassing set of pencil-thin legs to go with it because they neglect it in their training.
I think of speaking, listening, reading and writing as muscles that need plenty of divided attention.
If conversational fluency is all that matters to you then you might place less emphasis on reading and writing but never underestimate the overall benefit that those skills will have on each other.
Often when I’m speaking I’ll recall words and phrases that I’ve read or written before so it’s all helping achieve the same goal.
Writing is the alternative for practicing output too when speaking is impossible.
8. Don’t use crap material
A lot of people just can’t tell the difference between good and bad material.
Antiquated or overly polite terminology and expressions that nobody in real life actually uses, irrelevant content, confusing or messy grammar explanations, use of a romanized text rather than the original script are common problems.
The issue with bad material is that people spend so much time just trying to make sense of it and find what they’re looking for before they actually get to learning anything.
It’s really important to seek out opinions from experienced learners.
Scan the forums (or Reddit), blogs and product reviews on sites like Amazon and Book Depository. Ask people who have had success already for advice.
A high price and a pretty cover do NOT necessarily mean high quality.
9. Don’t disregard the culture
As I said before, this is one of the things that separates people who have ordinary success from those with outstanding success.
Language is made up so many intricate expressions of culture and books and courses never adequately cover them.
I’m talking about the way in which the average, ordinary person interacts with other people in his or her community – gestures, intonation, slang, proximity, interjections and cuss words, fillers, etc.
These things take years to pick up even for the best learners but it’s important to realize that they’re part of the whole package.
You need to develop a very good eye for detail and most importantly, a desire and willingness to assimilate into the target language community.
10. Don’t spend too much time studying
Study in short, spaced sessions.
Sitting in front of a book or screen for hours on end going over rules, flashcards and so on isn’t going to make you learn faster.
If anything it’ll hinder you.
Have study periods of 15-30 minutes and spend the rest of your available time putting the language to use.
11. Don’t abuse your physical well-being
Common-sense advice really.
Most people should know that physical well-being directly affects the brain’s performance.
If you sit in front of a computer or TV for hours on end, eat shit food and don’t get enough proper cardio exercise, it’s going to wreck your ability to problem solve and retain information.
Stop poisoning yourself.
The best days I have learning foreign languages come after an awesome sleep and a good, early morning workout.
12. Don’t wait until you’re ready to speak
You’re never going to be “ready”.
People have this idea that if they acquire enough input over time then eventually they’ll be at the point where they can finally start conversing with other people.
While I do believe that input should take some precedence over output (especially in the early stages), to hold off from speaking entirely is to miss out on crucial skill development.
This is not to mention all the interaction and important relationships you’ll deny yourself as well.
13. Don’t focus on grammar study
Heavy grammar study kills conversational progress.
I wrote a contentious post on my position about this here.
You started studying grammar in school after you became a fluent speaker of your native language. Grammar study is for literacy skills at higher levels, not for conversational fluency in the early stages.
I’ve shown this with Arabic and Irish, and I’m about to do the same with Korean.
Focus on dialogues and actively using common language patterns (chunks as some call them) and save the grammar study for later on.
14. Don’t read and listen to stuff that’s way above your level
I made this point in a video I made a short while back.
It’s best to use material that you already understand most of.
Once you’ve moved through the elementary coursebook material and start to use other resources, don’t overwhelm yourself with advanced level content that you understand hardly anything of.
If that means you have to stick to children’s books for a while instead of politics or thick novels, so be it! 🙂
15. Don’t allow other people to give you unrealistic expectations or feelings of inadequacy
Don’t be discouraged by that guy or girl who speaks amazingly well.
They’ve probably been learning for many years and put in a lot of hard work to get to where they are now. Let it encourage you.
Just focus on what you’re doing.
16. Don’t procrastinate with activities that make you think you’re achieving something when you’re not
It’s very easy to spend an addictive few hours using popular programs like Anki, Memrise or Duolingo.
There comes a point however where these things become just another form of procrastination – and a deceptive one at that.
Think of them as supplements to your learning and limit your time using them. An hour spent just flicking through flashcards is wasteful.
There’s a world full of people out there. 🙂
17. Don’t let technology make you stupid
I have to say I do agree with some that the more technologically advanced we get, the stupider we become.
It’s so easy to jump on Google and immediately find an answer to something that we used to have to work hard to figure out.
While there are definitely huge benefits to having so much online material at our fingertips, it also means that we’re not training our problem solving skills enough anymore (this applies to many areas including foreign languages).
Do your brain a favor and spend some quality time away from the screen (this includes your phone!).
I force myself to have technology fasts where I shut off the computer and sit down with the old-fashioned pencil and paper, a coursebook and a real dictionary.
Try it sometime.
18. Don’t pay for low-quality teachers
There are some seriously shit teachers out there. Lots of ’em.
You’re the paying student – you’re in charge!
If they don’t give you a top-quality, communicative lesson and clearly identify your needs, allow you plenty of time to speak, demonstrate patience and so on then find another one.
I’ve had horrible teachers in person and online who just don’t know (or don’t care) how to teach.
The great thing about my favorite language exchange site italki is that you can take trial lessons with teachers to see what they’re like.
19. Don’t rely too much on teachers
And as a follow-on from the previous point, when you do find a good teacher don’t rely on them for your success.
A teacher can’t make you learn.
It’s up to you, the learner, to put in the time and effort to make it happen. Some people blame their lack of progress on the teachers but the truth is a good student will make the most of any lesson – even if it’s bad.
Language teachers are meant to be facilitators and helpers but the rest is up to you. Remember that!
Do you have anything you’d like to add to this list? Share your thoughts below! 🙂
If you could take a few seconds to support this site by sharing this post it’d be much appreciated. Thanks!
This was written by Donovan Nagel.
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34 COMMENTS
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Emma
I would absolutely love to learn a language but the bit that makes me more nervous is not the word/sentence learning itself, but the pronunciation. I can understand how it should sound but I struggle to roll my Rs or get a throaty accent that is part of some languages. Is this something that I can pick up as part of learning or do I have to keep my expectations realistic that I may understand the words but now be able to sound fluent?
Jade
There are some good suggestions on this list; most of them work for me personally.
I personally have to disagree with not speaking English (or any other language). I need a break time to time and speaking my native language lets my brain relax and also gives me back some confidence I lose when I switch to a non-native.
Courtney
Is it ok to learn a new language by learning how to say your everyday phrase? For example I want to learn Italian and I’ve been going to Google to translate things like, “good morning”, “I need coffee” or “I’m not feeling very well right now” so I can say my usual stuff in Italian. Then I try to always say it in Italian before I say it in English (because my Dad doesn’t know Italian but I want to practice always using it) I took Spanish for 6 years so I have the basic understanding of the “a” or “o” thing but will this be a good way for me to actually learn to be able to say what I need to say and understand others speaking Italian? I’m not necessarily needing to learn to be fluent but I’d like to just speak and understand it enough to know it if I need to.
ojqpuhsviouhasoi
My high school has a student who took all the AP language classes, and was offered a job as a translator at the UN after graduation. He was born with talent, and others shouldn’t waste their time trying.
Jason
Bro! Love this advice. I am studying french at YMCA in Montreal and it sucks because as an English Second Language teacher I know the techniques on how to teach effectively (using scaffolding techniques, student talk time, lead-ins etc.). It’s as if this teacher and the whole school are stuck in the past. So much time with grammar rules and what not, so frustrating. Anyway, this experience, if anything will make me a better teacher. Cheers
MrJohn
I mainly agree with your points except 12. and 13. That may work for someone but not for me: being a bit shy / introvert, focusing on grammar while waiting to be ready is what eventually allows me to start to speak.
Jordyn Ferri
Wow!
Really appreciated, Thank you very much for publish the great helpful guide
Magda
This acrticle is so true! I myself, as a Polish teacher, couldn’t agree more. Here is what I think why one should not be afraid of speaking foreign language (in this case, it’s Polish) ;)
kevin
Sounds good so far.
As a super intelligent and super insightful person that has done things that most people consider impossible; what you say may have profound usefulness. I will consider your post in depth and respond, thank you for creating it.
Patrick O'Rourke
I’ve been studying Portuguêse for 4 years and 4 months and just returned from my 14th trip to Brasil to visit a friend that only speaks Portuguêse but I still can’t converse or understand much yet. It’s frustrating to work hard and still not be able to order food because I can’t understand the waiter. I had a Brasilian girlfriend for 4 years but she only spoke English with me because I didn’t understand Portuguêse. She wouldn’t help because she didn’t like studying languages she said. I tried to have her speak Portuguêse. I try many different things to help and even had my hearing tested. Pronunciation and spelling are easy.. Can everyone learn a second language? Patrick
Hongshan
nonsense. Have you really mastered a really foreign language on your own as an adult? I doubt it.
you point 1) and 2) are so wrong, the truth is 100% the opposite.
I didn’t bother to read No. 3.
Michelle
Have you seen the price of paper dictionaries though? If you are going to rely on a dictionary, you need a good one and they aren’t cheap. I have to prioritize because I’m on a budget and languages are my hobby, not something I’m required to do.
I don’t have the luxury for a native speaking teacher because that too costs a ton of money and you need a private one to be able to just hand them a list of your questions.
I often sit down with my coursebook and notebook and take notes with absolutely no technology. I in fact try to do this daily. But sometimes I also just google things to find out what something is all about so I can start using that particular grammar point, word etc. For me, it’s about balance. I don’t rely on it for everything, but I recognize that it is in part making it possible for a poor person like me, someone who cannot afford teachers and has limited money to spend on language learning, to learn a language.
Ed Love
Thanks for yet another great article.
Alan Fisk
We should use whatever method works for us. For me, I start with grammar-translation, and then listening and reading, and then speaking. I’ve got CEFR diplomas and certificates in four languages, up to C1 level, so I must be doing something right - for me.
Li
I agree with many tips, but the one about reading above your level. In my experience actually is the opposite. You have to mix some hardship in it. You learn and advance much faster, but it is more annoying. Y
You will need a big dictionary around and other references and patience to try to grasp and it WILL be hard but is like it gives you a great bump in knowledge and also confidence improves.
I have a problem though, there is a language I kinda have to learn for family reasons, but no matter what the most basic vocabulary doesn’t enter my head. It goes one ear after the other even if I repeat 50 times. And is even easier to memorize words in Japanese for me than in this language.
I don’t know what to do. Some other friends had similar problem.
Also I don’t enjoy the culture too much or feel passionate about it so it feels like a lost chore. Any suggestions?
Jabo
Teaching grammar is only a problem when the learner has a very poor understanding of their own language’s grammar in my personal experience. Understanding the target-language’s grammar will rapidly accelerate the progression - it’s the instructions of the language. An English speaker would have a very hard time learning an OSV language if the grammar wasn’t explained to them, starting from even understanding the difference between an object and a subject.
Most people go into learning their second language without an understanding on universal grammar basics. Students should be taught these relevant grammar themes in their native languages when necessary. Many English speakers struggle with direct, indirect and prepositional object pronouns when learning Spanish because they simple do not understand the difference between the three - in English the same pronouns are used regardless. In Spanish, that’s a different story. So learners frequently use the wrong object pronouns. This problem can easily be mitigated by explaining to them the difference between the three by demonstrating the difference in their native tongue.
There is a reason why Esperanto learners learn other Romance languages much quicker than those who don’t… and the answer is having a much better understanding of general grammar and linguistics.
In my opinion, the grammar-translation method is great as long as it is accompanied by explanations. One problem with a website like Duolingo, in my experience with it, is the lack of quality explanation. When I was learning Guarani from Spanish on Duolingo, I was learning ad-positions. Ad-positions translate horribly between languages which are not closely related, so the mere “translation” didn’t help me understand Guarani. It didn’t give me any practical way on how to actually use these ad-positions. When should I use this one? When should I use that one? It didn’t even mention that ad-positions in Guarani are post-positions - they come directly after the ad-positional object - which is a foreign concept to both Spanish and English speakers. That being said, if explanations accompanied this lesson, it would have be fantastic and clear.
Furthermore, there is clusivity in Guarani’s 1st person plural pronouns. A bunch of learners had no idea what the difference was between “ñande” and “ore” because it wasn’t explained. I even explained the concept to other learners, and they understood it pretty quickly, because the concept itself is not confusing… but without that explanation they would be lost. An explanation is pretty much the only effective way you’re going to convey the idea of clusivity. You could possibly demonstrate it with a bunch of images, but the learners might never decode the difference because the concept is too foreign to them - they can’t imagine this potentiality.
Another example could be the subject pronouns in a language like Mixteco. You use a different pronoun with a different conjugation based on formality. There are two different 1st person singulars. You would either say “I (formal pronoun) am (formal conjugation) a nice person” or “I (casual pronoun) am (casual conjugation) a nice person” depending on the formality of the situation. This concept is also very foreign to English speakers and even Spanish speakers because the way formality works in Mixteco varies from how it works in Spanish. If you just give translations without explanations, somebody might just assume that they are interchangeable and nothing more, like ustedes & vosotros and usted & tú in Equatoguinean Spanish, there is no difference in that dialect. They are interchangeable. There is no nuance that one is formal and one is casual.
If I am teaching a Spanish speaker, then I will tell him that the simple present in English cannot be used to express progressive actions. This is because in Spanish it can be used for this purpose. I will also let them know that the simple present cannot be used for near future actions either unless it is accompanied by a future time expression, whereas in Spanish you can just say the equivalent to “I call you” to express the idea of, “I’ll call you in 20 seconds”.
With all that being said, for grammar translation to be effective, you need to have a quality understanding of the student’s L1. You can’t just ask for a direct translation and say, “it means this” because you won’t be aware of any the subtle differences.
The Inquisitive One
I absolutely agree with all the points you have made, Jabo! As a 30-year veteran Spanish language instructor, I do apply the grammar-translation method accompanied by repetition and explanation and lots and lots of examples! In my opinion, the knowledge of foreign language grammar is the google map to arrive at one’s ultimate destination: Speaking the language correctly!
Peter Hudson
On my opinion the best way to learn any language is to have constant speaking practice. In such case the best way is to find a tutor and native speakers. All other methods you can use as aditional way to gain new knowledge and practice already completed material.
lyndle
Thanks heaps for these tips. Something I would add is that in the early stages don’t memorize words, memorize dialogues. If you have access to some natural dialogues between native speak ers ( a lot of the UK based materials start this from the beginning, or ask a teacher to record you some) make the effort to learn them by heart. When I first did this in third form French it seemed like a waste of time but that process laid down language patterns and natural phrases that still pop into my head. Of course if you’re living in the target country this happens more naturally.
Pavel
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Tara H
I have mixed feelings about grammar, and admittedly I’m probably biased because I had a bad experience with a teacher who wanted to use the communicative approach when I really never had any experience with the language. I don’t think grammar can be studied by itself without more exposure, but at least in a classroom environment, the communicative method seems to work the best when none of the students are really starting from zero. I don’t think it’s a “bad” method, but for me the only way I finally understood German cases was by writing out overly-literal translations of several different sentences. I really agree though that only focusing on grammar isn’t going to help you understand how the language really functions.
Mary
I have absolutely no grammar knowledge at all of my own language. I have been struggling to learn spanish and German (currently) and you have given me hope that I can learn them. I get so frustrated that over the past 2 years when I should have learned a lot, I have quit and restarted again and again. I am taking you up on learning how you have mentioned. Hope it helps. I wish you were close by to help me. : ). Thanks!
Kate
Try learning Russian language without basic grammar. You would not move far without it.
Mason
Thanks a lot for these helpful tips. I’ll keep in mind these 19 don’t and do’s while learning a second language. I’ve heard learning a foreign language is very tough and hopefully such tips might come in handy for me.
Zirien
20th “don’t”: Keep living in your native language and put the foreign one on top of that. A very common mistake. Leave the safety of your textbook and use the language in your life asap. Want to watch a tv series? Why not in your target language. The same can go for books, googling etc. Sure, it is possible only from intermediate level up but your skills will improve much faster than expected. It worked for me
One thing I don’t agree on entirely. The grammar learning. Some people just like to know how the language works as they meet the examples. I do not memorise charts or things like that but I do practice grammar right away because it helps me. It makes me stumble in my practical skills much less. I have met teachers who were all about the “communicative method” but their students often sucked at speaking because they lacked basic grammar and vocab.
Lizzie @ GEOS
This is a great list - so many articles focus on what you SHOULD do, that it’s easy to overlook some methods that are actually detrimental to the learning process. I particularly agree with #6 - reaching an end goal can seem really overwhelming, especially at the start, so breaking it up into bitesize, ‘doable’ chunks is a great way to make the process more manageable. Speaking from the start - or throwing yourself in at the deep end - can seem daunting and scary, but once you realise that no one is going to laugh if you mess up the grammar or get a word wrong, it can really boost confidence - great point!
Susan Girelli Hill
At last, someone who speaks some common sense!
I’m so pleased to have found this and I shall share it on my Facebook page
Many thanks
Susan Girelli Hill
languagewanderer
An interesting article with a good insight into studying languages:) i like especially 19 don’t rely on teachers. That’s totally true since you must learn a language by yourself, no one can make you study:-)
mezzoguild
Thanks very much :)
Sara K.
Evidence for #19
The first foreign language I studied was French, in high school, with a terrible teacher (though it took me a while to realize how terrible he was, since I didn’t have anybody to compare him to). If he had been a competent teacher, I might have just relied on the in class lessons. However, the lessons were so ineffective that it because obvious early on that I would have to take responsibility and do my own studies on the side, which were much more effective than what we were doing in class. This made me a much more independent learner of foreign languages from that point on - and even though he was a terrible teacher, I still managed to learn some French from him.
I suppose this is also evidence for, if you’re determined to do something (i.e. learn French), you’ll find ways around the obstacles.
David Hutchinson
I agree with many of these, especially #12 regarding speaking. But I have some partial disagreement on a couple, namely #5 and 13. Memorization of words / Grammar study isn’t all bad. Although I appreciate the communicative method, and actually use it myself for the most part when teaching, memorization of words and grammar study is very effective when done in moderation and in conjunction with more meaning-focused activities.
It depends on learning style, of course, but I found when I started learning Korean that a little grammar went a long way. Of course it would’ve been useless if I weren’t using it, but since I kept speaking when I had the chance, I found it accelerated my learning quite a bit.
The main fault with the outdated methods of old is they completely focused on only one aspect of learning. But we needn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater - a balanced approach can be very effective.
koyami
I really enjoy this post, and agree with most of it, especially number 17. I used to use google to find out everything I wanted to know about Japanese phrases (proper usage, natural sounding alternatives, etc.) I recently started writing down all the questions I have and going to a Japanese teacher to ask them instead. What used to be a five second search on the internet is now a 15-20 minute conversation with a native speaker.
Loving Language
I’ve got to chew on these awhile. They’re great suggestions. I have to figure out how I’ll do them. I’ve already got #19 down! I see that fluency in a language may make us of a teacher, but the teacher won’t grant fluency.
DiAnne Johnson
I don’t think there is any one way to teach foreign language. All kinds of techniques have validity and a variety of them is required to get results with older students. The most effective way to teach foreign language is to start when children are still in the years of language acquisition and not wait until they have crossed over the bridge where they have to learn it. It’s time for this nation to get behind the teaching of foreign languages from the earliest age.