5 Things I’ve Learned While Learning a New Language
Learning a new language can feel super intimidating, and whether it’s a language similar to your own or completely different, there’s no doubt that it can be a shock to the system when you’re trying to learn a new one. However, learning a new language has been an amazing experience for me, and it’s now something that I believe everyone should do.
I’ve been studying Spanish for about the past 6 months, and even though there have been some moments where I’ve felt like crying because I didn’t understand what someone was trying to say to me, I feel like a totally different person since learning the language — and for the better. There is so much I’ve learned about myself, other cultures, and the language itself that has been invaluable to my life. At the same time, there was a lot I didn’t initially expect or prepare for. Here are some of the main things I’ve learned about language learning that, hopefully, can help you when learning a new language.
- Be prepared to be a little overwhelmed at first… and at other times, too.
I already knew some basic Spanish prior to committing to studying it, and it’s also a language that’s similar to English in some ways, so I thought I would be able to flow into the language learning process pretty easily. But just because Spanish is similar to English does not mean that they’re the same, and there have been times where I’ve wondered if I really wanted to keep going when it got difficult. But I did, and I haven’t regretted it.
I think it’s normal to be a bit overwhelmed when you have a new language in front of you with different grammar, vocabulary, and words than you’re used to. And even though I feel much more confident in my Spanish abilities now, there are still times where I get overwhelmed while studying it. But interestingly, I think that pushing through this overwhelm has not only helped me to learn the language, but it’s also helped me in my personal life as well. I’ve never been one to give up easily, and learning a language has instilled that even further in me.
2. Duolingo isn’t enough — you gotta speak the language, too.
I’m actually a huge proponent of apps like Duolingo for studying the grammar and vocabulary of a language. But if you’re expecting to get fluent in the language through just using an app like Duolingo, that’s pretty unlikely. This is because Duolingo isn’t going to help your conversational skills since you’re just learning sentences that won’t always even be applicable in real life (well, at least I sincerely hope you never need to use a sentence like “the cat is smoking”).
Instead of just relying on a language learning app, practicing your skills through conversations with real people allows you to actually get comfortable speaking the language — which is one of the biggest points in learning one! I really like using Duolingo to help me learn some new phrases, grammar, and vocabulary, but I’ve found that speaking the language is undeniably essential to learning it.
3. Learning the language’s culture is just as important as learning the language itself.
If you don’t learn the culture of the country in which your target language/dialect is spoken, you’re probably going to feel a little lost speaking it with natives. Personally, I’m trying to learn the dialect of Mexican Spanish in particular, and watching videos explaining Mexican culture has helped me to better understand the slang and specific words used in the conversations that I have and listen to. Think of it like this — it would be similar to if someone knew nothing about the culture behind your native language and the dialect of it that you speak. To put this into perspective, my native language is English in the American dialect. We have some pretty interesting phrases that would probably confuse someone who didn’t know much about the culture of the U.S.
In other words, I think that culture helps to provide better context and understanding of the language itself. I think that another good example of this is that while certain words in one’s own language might sound natural, they could be perceived as something different in another. For example, in a recent lesson with my tutor, I kept saying “lo siento”, or “sorry”, when beginning to ask the meaning of a word I didn’t understand. Now, when we say this in English, it’s not that we’re necessarily sorry about asking a question — it’s just a more polite way to begin asking someone something.
While this would be a common way to begin a question in the U.S., my tutor explained that Spanish-speaking countries tend to have a more direct culture, so she found it a bit strange that I kept saying I was sorry. So, the moral of the story is that if you want to better learn how to speak the language naturally and fluently, I’ve found it’s super important to learn the culture behind it as well.
4. Learning languages can be seriously useful.
I’ve needed to use Spanish in my everyday life several times since learning it, and if I hadn’t known any, I would’ve been screwed. Now, I live in the U.S. and in a state where Spanish is a very commonly spoken language, but I’ve seen my sister speak French, my mother speak German, and my stepmother speak Polish in situations that I wouldn’t have at first suspected they’d be useful.
I’ve found that it pays to know as many languages as possible, especially if you live somewhere multi-cultural. The ability to communicate with someone in another language can open up so many doors in business, relationships, and life. Definitely don’t discount the possibilities that can exist when you take the time to learn languages.
5. Learning languages isn’t just practical— it’s a way to see the world through a different lens as well.
I’ve had some amazing conversations with people in Spanish, which not only allows me to realize the beauty of the language, but has also helped me to better understand the people who speak it and the cultures within the different countries that speak it.
Language learning gives you a broader understanding of the world and a different perspective of it, which is an amazing way to open your mind up further. Because when you learn a new language, you open yourself up to worlds that you didn’t even know existed before — and I think that’s amazing.
Learning a language can be scary, exhausting, and super frustrating, but it’s awesome. Even though it can be intimidating, I find that it’s also exciting knowing all of the possibilities that come with it as well.
I also want to mention that a lot of people have been wanting to learn a language during the pandemic and then joking about not actually doing it. But as I’m sure you can guess, I highly recommend you actually do it. Like, don’t wait until next month. Start now. Learning a language has helped my mental health by not only giving me a hobby, but connecting with people from around the world has also helped me to feel less alone. Many of us know by now that working or studying remotely in a pandemic can get pretty lonely, so I’ve found that having opportunities to connect with other people on a daily basis is super beneficial.
Though I’ve only just started my language learning journey, I’m excited to see where it continues to take me. Don’t be afraid to learn another language — you never know where it can take you.
