6 Tips for Learning Languages
Growing up, I was always surrounded by languages.
As I think of my early years, there are so many fond memories that sparked a desire in me to learn more about languages, like getting together with my mom’s side of the family and singing the hymn called “Por Estos Favores” before sitting down to eat. Or my dad listening to bossa nova and introducing me to songs in Portuguese from musicians like João Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto. Or watching a Bollywood film with subtitles to sing along.
Languages and the influence they carried were all around me.
I am fascinated by the ability of language to build bridges between people. It wasn’t until I was graduating high school that I decided that I wanted to fully challenge myself, learn French, and study abroad for the summer with my siblings. At the time, I didn’t have the ability to join classes or get a tutor, and so I had to use the resources at my disposal.
As of now, I’m on a continual journey to learn and grow my confidence to speak Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Italian. My process for learning languages has changed slightly throughout the years but there are six key elements that remain the same.
Sing
My favorite way to learn languages is by first learning through music. I start by creating playlists of songs that I love in each language; the songs should be somewhat slow to ensure that you can follow along without getting complicated. For example, I first listened to “Hier Encore” by Charles Aznavour when I was teaching myself French in high school. The key is to listen first, before singing along. The goal is to listen for how words are pronounced and how each word sounds within the sentences. Another example could be “Para Machuchar Meu Coracao” by João Gilberto, Stan Getz, and Antonio Carlos Jobim for those learning Portuguese. I’ll throw in a final Spanish example - “Si Tu Supieras” by Alejandro Fernandez. These are all perfect starter songs because they’re slow, manageable, and are sung really clearly so that you can begin getting a grasp of how a language is spoken. It also helps if you have the lyrics in English and in the specific language side by side, to correlate certain words that you don’t know.
Read (out loud)
Reading in a language is such a cheat code, because you’re essentially getting a preview of how words are conjugated and formatted within sentences. You also get insight into new words that you can keep track of in a notebook, along with the translation. My favorite thing to do is get a book in the English version and in another language. I then read the book in the language I’m learning, and reference the English version if I get stuck. It’s helpful for me to underline, make notes, or annotate as I go. It’s important to read out loud, because you need to hear yourself speaking this language and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. To ensure that I’m pronouncing words correctly, I’ll normally use Google Translate to translate portions of the text that I need help with and listen for how words are correctly pronounced.
Watch (with subtitles in the language you’re learning)
Movies offer a perfect educational approach to learning languages, because you’ll be introduced to slang and dialogue that you may not get through just songs or books. A movie that I thought was funny and cute in Spanish is called Soltera Codiciada on Netflix. The reason that you should not have English subtitles is because you want to look out for how words are spelled as you listen. If there’s ever a moment that you don’t understand, I would pause, and utilize Google Translate to translate the specific subtitles that you don’t understand.
Speak (with guidance)
The best way to learn a language is to speak, even if you aren’t fully fluent, confident, or ready. You just have to start. From my experience, finding support to speak at your own pace happens naturally in 1:1 lessons. That’s why I recommend taking classes on Preply, an online language learning platform connecting tutors with learners in over 180 countries. I joined the platform last year to learn French and since then I have connected with kind, supportive, and helpful tutors. Whether you want to learn French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean, or another language, Preply connects you with over 30,000 tutors who are ready to support your language goals. On Preply, my most recent French tutor became a friend. I share this to say that there are great people on this platform to support you and help you learn, grow, and speak confidently. When you’re ready, click here for 50% off of your first lesson.
YouTube
Before traveling to a new destination, I always check videos from locals on how to order food / coffee, pay for items, or ask general questions. In 2023 when we traveled to Italy, I prepared for conversations by watching YouTube videos and it was so helpful. The benefits of this is that it’s going to give you an authentic approach that you can benchmark against your Google Translate phrases, to see which versions to use in formal or informal scenarios. Below are snapshots of moments when I utilized knowledge gained from watching “How to Order” videos on YouTube prior to traveling to Italy in 2023.
Google Translate
There is no shame in Googling a phrase or word that you need to learn, especially when you’re already at your destination. This is truly a tried and true method for me. While in Brasil with my husband, I wanted to ask how to request almond milk in my coffee; however, it wasn’t something that I practiced before traveling. I then went on my Google Translate app while getting ready in my hotel room and typed in what I wanted to say. I practiced how to say it before heading out for breakfast and ordering a drink. It was a success and this small step of preparation prevented me from speaking in English, which is something I try my best to avoid when visiting new places. If you’re learning Spanish, I really like Spanish Dictionary to translate words and provide additional information, like conjugation, pronunciation, examples, and synonyms for words.
You might be wondering, what about grammar? Yes, I know. The granular part of languages that we all dread but it is still very important.
I find that when you start getting familiar with how a language works and is spoken through songs, books, movies, and tutors or friends, you’re more likely to begin understanding the intricacies of grammar and formal structures of sentences. It’s easy to get stuck on grammar by writing out all possible conjugation options and never actually speaking a language from fear of conjugating a word wrong.
The last thing? It’s okay not to be perfect. I think we have a weird obsession with perfection as a collective and it prevents us from making progress. It’s important to remember that languages unite us and having a part in that is so powerful. If you’re truly invested and doing what you can to speak a language, then give yourself grace and stay courageous. It’s a hard thing to learn a language, but you’re a strong person.
Have other language learning tips that you’d like to share? Comment below and let’s all become polyglots in 2025.
