3 Tricks to Learning a New Language from A Man Who Knows 20!

Learning a new language can be extremely intimidating, especially if you’re older than a teenager. Adults usually don’t have the patience or the mental flexibility to start learning a new language from scratch.

On top of that, trying to learn a new language requires hours and hours of practice, which can be pretty tough if you have to balance your job and your life and you have no one to practice the language with.

But there’s good news!

Learning to speak French or Japanese or Spanish or Russian isn’t impossible if you have the time and patience. Just ask Matthew Youlden, a language expert who knows 20 languages!

1. Do something passive and active in the language.

You can actively try to learn the grammar, pronounce words, or seek out new words to learn. As for passive activities, those are when you’re watching a film or listening to music in that language. This helps you get accustomed to the new language as you’re learning.

2. Surround yourself with the new language at all times.

You know how children learn to speak because they’re mimicking what they hear from adults? This is something like that. This helps to train your mind to pick up new phrases, words, and pronunciations. On top of that, if you always hear others speaking the language, trying to speak it yourself will feel a little more natural.

3. Learn the language wherever and whenever you can.

Got some time to spare while riding the bus, driving to work, or waiting for someone? Whip out your phone and listen to a language module. Or you can have a little book handy to help you with spelling these new words. Squeeze learning your new language into your schedule as often as you can, because those hours are crucial for learning!

It’s admittedly harder as adults to learn a new language, but with all the available technology around us, it’s actually much easier than ever!