Tips to Teach Yourself a New Language in 2023

Learning a new language is not easy, but it’s not hard or impossible either.  It’s just like learning any other skill: You have to put in the time and effort on a consistent basis to achieve success.

Today’s technological innovations have made it easier than ever to teach yourself a foreign language.  There are a variety of apps, YouTube channels, podcasts, and websites that provide free resources to help you on your language learning journey.

Personally, I’ve used Duolingo and Babbel.  I subscribed to a few YouTube channels for French and Italian content.  I really enjoy listening to Français Authentique’s podcast, and I like that Johan, the creator of said podcast, includes a free PDF transcription of each episode on the podcast’s website.  Reading a transcription of what you’re listening to is a great way to learn a language because it enables you to put words to sound, or is it sound to words?  And I love watching films and shows in my target languages on Netflix.

It’s quite something to see how advancements in technology have facilitated language learning and how economical it is now.  I remember when learning a foreign language required purchasing an expensive Rosetta Stone CD pack or enrolling in a class at a language school.  Not only did technology help lower the cost of language learning, it increased its accessibility.

If one of your goals for 2023 is to learn a foreign language or improve upon your existing language skills, I have some tips that will help you start and stay on track to help you achieve fluency.

Mindset

In my A Guide to Setting Goals: SMART Goals vs Winging It, I talked about having the right mindset when setting goals for tasks.  It’s important to start off with the right mindset because it will guide you through the language learning process.

In that post I asked readers two questions:  Who are you doing this for? And are you willing to put in the time and effort to see this through?  When it comes to language learning, I’m not as concerned with how you answer the first question as I am with how you answer the second one, perhaps because the benefits of learning a new language are too great, rendering the first question somewhat irrelevant.

Fluency in speaking, reading, writing, and listening all come down to how much time and effort you put in and the consistency with which you do this.  So how much time should you be dedicating to language learning every day?

According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the easiest languages require “480 hours of practice to reach basic fluency.”  FSI places French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and Dutch, the easiest languages, in Group 1.  “At an hour a day’s practice, a native English speaker could learn a Group 1 language in two years.”  For languages in Group 2, you’d need to dedicate 720 hours to reach basic fluency.  Groups 3 and 4 would require 900 hours and 1100 hours, respectively, to attain a “professional working proficiency.”

Don’t let this information discourage you from learning a language!  By having the right mindset, which means understanding that it takes time to learn a new language, you’ll begin to see your language learning journey as a marathon, not a sprint.

Strategy

Steve Kaufman, a super polyglot (he speaks twenty languages), emphasizes increasing your inputs.  Inputs are the ways in which you consume content in your target language.  Listening and reading are very important inputs no matter your level, and these activities should take up a majority of your time as a beginner.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend a 90/10 rule where 90 percent of your time is spent on input (reading and listening) while the remaining 10 percent of your time is spent on output (speaking and writing), moving closer to 50/50 as you increase your fluency.

A great input for beginners is the graded reader.  These books contain short stories, and a list of vocabulary words and maybe some questions at the end of each story.  You can write down the vocabulary words in a notebook and review them at the end of the week to refresh your memory.  If you’re up for a challenge, try to create your own sentences with the highlighted vocabulary words in the books.

Sidenote:  I would not consume children’s stories or shows.  You’re an adult, and you want the content to be relatable.  Check out Olly Richard’s books or Learn Like Natives for graded readers for adults.  There are free downloads available on the Learn Like Natives website.

Schedule

You have the right mindset, and you have a strategy in place.  Now, you need to figure out how much time you have to dedicate to your language learning goal.

Beverly Baker, an associate professor and director of language assessment at the University of Ottawa, recommends “an hour a day five days a week” rather than cramming in a five-hour study session during the weekend.  Shorter but consistent practice will help your brain make the necessary “connections between new knowledge and your previous learning.”

Lindie Botes, another famous polyglot, recommends habit stacking.  Habit stacking consists of adding, stacking, your language learning onto an existing habit.  For example, you can listen to a podcast while you make breakfast or while you brush your teeth; it works when the existing habit is a low cognitive activity, what many in the language learning community call “dead time.”

If you’re really serious about learning a foreign language or improving your existing language skills, sit down every Sunday evening and plan out your week (a good rule of thumb in general).  By looking at your week in advance, you’ll be able to spot the days and times you can dedicate to language learning.

Advanced planning will help you build the consistency you need to stay on track to achieving your goal.

Putting It All Together

So what does a language learner’s schedule look like?  It depends on your work/life schedule and what you want from your language learning journey.

One of my French language goals is to watch a French movie without English subtitles, so I’m dedicating more time to language learning than someone who wants to learn a few phrases for their vacation.

During the week, I dedicate one hour and fifteen minutes to studying French on Monday (active), Tuesday (active), and Thursday (passive).  On the weekends, I dedicate one hour and thirty minutes on both Saturday (active) and Sunday (passive).

Notice that each day has a job assigned to it (thanks to Lindie Botes for the idea).  On the days that I’m actively studying French, I’m using a textbook to review grammar rules and complete the exercises in each section of the chapter I’m currently in.  On the days that I’m passively studying French, I’m listening to Français Authentique’s latest podcast episode and following along with the accompanying PDF.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend focusing on passive studying because I don’t want you to feel like your language learning journey is a homework assignment.  You want to enjoy the process.  You’ll have plenty of time to get into the nitty gritty of grammar rules when the time arrives.

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You don’t have to follow my or any other polyglot’s language learning plan to the tee.  Use our respective methods as a guide to create your own.

Take advantage of your “dead time” by stacking your language learning onto an existing habit.  Use your time wisely.  If you reach for your phone to check social media, listen to a podcast in your target language or pick up your graded reader instead.

Your brain requires consistency in order to retain information, and consistency over time will produce results.  Don’t rush the language learning process, and don’t expect to become fluent overnight or in a few weeks.

Take your time and enjoy the journey.