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Whether you’re looking to make the most of your first trip to a new destination, or simply hoping to feel more at home in a place you visit often, learning a new language can be extremely enjoyable; not to mention helpful, while travelling.
From enabling you to connect with locals in a deeper, more meaningful way; to helping you to order exactly what you want from a restaurant menu, the benefits of learning a foreign language ahead of travelling to a new destination are priceless.
If you’ve ever attempted to learn the local lingo ahead of a holiday abroad, however, you’ll appreciate that teaching yourself a new language is often much easier said, than done – although not entirely possible!
How can I teach myself to learn a new language?
There are lots of different ways to teach yourself how to learn a new language. Here are some of my personal favourites.
- Enlist the help of a language-learning tool
One of the quickest and easiest ways to teach yourself a new language, is to use a reliable language-learning tool, or app. While there are several different options available, I personally recommend Lingopie.
While some language-learning tools can be a little boring and tedious, Lingopie makes the learning experience more engaging, and exciting. Besides booking live lessons with experienced language tutors, you can learn by watching TV shows and movies in your target language. If you have a Netflix account, you can also download Lingopie’s browser extension and connect your account. So, you can even learn Italiani with Netflix while watching Italian movies and TV shows like La Luna Nera, if you like! - Use flash cards
Using flash cards is a popular way to learn a new language as quickly as possible, especially if you have an upcoming language exam to prepare for. Pick up a pack of flash cards at your local stationery store, and jot down the words and phrases you’re trying to learn on them. Carry them with you, and look at them from time-to-time. Alternatively, you could draw sketches onto the cards and then when you look at them, try and think of the word that would describe what you’ve drawn, in your target language. - Go to local language-learning groups
What better to teach yourself a new language, than to spend time engaging with native speakers? While you may not know anyone locally who can speak your target language, many communities have their own language-learning groups, where people can go to meet socially, and converse with, those who are trying to learn a new language, or practice speaking a language they already know. Where I live in Cardiff, for example, there are various local groups offering social events for Welsh speakers and learners to attend, and practice their language skills. - Listen to foreign language podcasts
Listening to native speakers speaking your target language can be a great way to get a feel for how certain words are pronounced, and how different phrases fit together. Besides attending local language-learning groups, listening to foreign language podcasts is an excellent way to immerse yourself in your target language. Try browsing popular podcasts by country, to find shows you can listen to in your chosen language. - Try audio books
Podcasts aside, audio books are an ideal way to immerse yourself in a foreign language. Traditional audio book platforms like Audible offer extensive libraries offering all kinds of audio books, in different languages. For an enhanced experience, consider investing in an Amazon Kindle (if you don’t have one already), so you can connect it to Audible and access the Immersion Reading feature, whereby you can read a Kindle eBook and listen to being read back to you, at the same time. This is an excellent way to discover the correct spelling and pronunciation for different words, and phrases, in your target language. - Practice your language skills while travelling
Having taught yourself the basics of your target language with the aid of language-learning tools or apps; flash cards; local language-learning groups; podcasts; or audiobooks, it’s time to put your newfound skills into practice.
Visit a destination where you know you’ll be surrounded by native speakers of your target language, and immerse yourself in conversations and interactions with others. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone, and try using the different phrases you’ve learnt while speaking to locals. Even if you don’t get it quite right on the first attempt, no doubt they’ll appreciate you making the attempt to interact with them in their mother tongue – and they may even teach you a few new phrases, too.
How long does it take to learn a new language?
The question of how long it takes to learn how to speak, write and read a new language will ultimately depend on different factors, for example:
- How much time can you devote to learning a new language each day, or week?
- What language are you trying to teach yourself? Some languages are notoriously harder to learn than others, like Mandarin Chinese, for example.
- Individual characteristics, e.g. older people may need to practice longer when learning a new language, as our brains ability to adapt and change can decrease as we age.
According to the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), it takes 480 hours to reach basic fluency in group 1 languages (French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili), although other languages could take as much as 720 hours to master. So, if you spent four hours every week learning your target language, for example, it would probably take you around two-and-a-half years to become fluent.
Learning a new language is a wonderful way to get the most out of a holiday or trip abroad. While it’s no easy process, and it clearly takes time, there’s nothing to stop you from learning a few new words and phrases before your next getaway. Who know – in time, you may even grow to become a fluent speaker!
Have you ever taught yourself a new language, and can you offer any additional advice for anyone looking to learn a new language? Comment below to let me know.
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