How to Learn a Language

Something I have had to become quite familiar with this year is learning the German language. This year my language abilities have become considerably better than they were were I first came to Germany and while I am not yet fluent, I am able to communicate very comfortably and expressively in German. That said, I have come across a few tips for learning languages that I feel are good to share for others looking to study abroad for the purpose of language learning.

One of the most important ways to learn a language is to actually be there in the country where that language is spoken. Unless you lock yourself in your room all day, it is impossible to go through a day in Germany (or another country!) without encountering it to some degree. Road signs, restaurant names, etc. are all in the language. Just hearing the language on a day to day basis can really make a big difference. Not to mention, if you go to the grocery store or to a restaurant, you will have to interact in that language. Living in the country where your target language is spoken can be an important aspect of setting up an environment where immersion is possible

That said, it is also possible to go through your time abroad without speaking the language much at all. Especially in a country like Germany where many people speak English very well, it is possible to fall into the habit of only really speaking German of interacting with strangers at a place like a grocery store and speaking English with friends and roommates. Many Germans will offer to switch to English in order to ease communication, but if you really want to learn the language, it is imperative that you insist on only speaking German with these people. Sometimes it is easy to have people want to speak German with you, but other times people will default to English, with friends, stand your ground and insist on speaking German, but it’s ok to not bother when it comes to strangers.

I am of the opinion that taking language lessons or at the very least, doing self study of a language before you go abroad/at the beginning of your abroad experience is crucial to learning the language. I think it is critical to have a strong base knowledge of any language before attempting to learn through immersion. As you are not an infant whose brain can just absorb information without trying to conceptualize it, it is necessary to have a grammatical and linguistic framework to have a way of making sense of a language. Once you have this, learning a language through immersion is possible as there is a way of comparing the language you are experiencing to what you already know. Continuing to take courses in your target language, even once you live in the country,  is also important as it helps you learn even more.

Even if you are living in the country and taking language courses, to really learn the language, you need to make an effort to consume media in your target language. It’s too easy to go to class and then spend the rest of your free time just hanging out in your room, not using the language. Watching Netflix in the language and also reading in the language is a good way to ensure that you’re constantly surrounded.

It can be exhausting at times to always be using another language, but ultimately, that’s the only way to really learn it and it can be very rewarding in the long run.