The Road Map of Language Learning

Everyone and their brother has their own method of learning languages (as an adult) and all of them are valid. I have no intention of writing a definitive guide on the best way to learn a language because that really depends on you and how you learn. What I can do, however, is help guide you towards the way you may best be suited for learning. As such, this article isn't specific to any particular language and is more of a catch-all guide.

Let's begin.

Why You Haven't Been Able to Learn a Language

There are a lot of myths about language learning that discourages people from even attempting, and because of these myths, people tend to seek out awful ways of learning.

Myth 1: You have to be smart to learn a foreign language. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have a tendency to look at people who speak multiple languages and attribute some sort of genius to them, especially if you already tried learning a language and didn't get far in it. All people can learn a foreign language. If you want proof, just look at yourself. If you're reading this, it means you know at least one language; and you weren't born with it, you learned it. If you can read this or engage in a conversation at all, then you have the potential to learn languages.

Myth 2: Adults can't learn new languages. There's a lot of bad science here, and many successful language learners have already debunked it over and over. Basically, there is a window in your very early childhood where your brain is primed and ready for human language – any human language. If you miss that window, you won't be able to learn any languages at all to any really competent degree. However, if you've managed to hit that window, it means your brain is capable of understanding human language. It doesn't matter how old you are when you start learning, you can definitely learn. If you want real inspiration, look up Steve Kaufman.

Those are our two biggest myths to tackle, as they are the reason why people have a poor mindset to begin with. In fact, the first reason why you haven't learned a new language could be because your subconscious has been poisoned by these myths. You need to realize that you can learn a new language, no matter what it is.

The first foreign language I tackled was Japanese, which isn't exactly easy for a native English-speaker to learn. Just looking at any bit of Japanese writing is enough to make one's knees buckle from overwhelm! But if I can do it, so can you. Your first foreign language will always be more difficult for you than any subsequent ones you learn, regardless of what it is, so don't be discouraged by it.

It could also be because you tried learning in school or through an ineffective program that just didn't suit you. I'll have a section here for classroom learning, as there actually are people who excel at it, but most people just don't do well with the classroom approach.

How to Learn a Language

The first thing to do is decide where your forte lies. There are three major approaches when it comes to learning a foreign language:

The Academic

This is where most people first start learning a language, and once that semester of Spanish you took is over, you'll probably forget most of what you learned. The classroom presents language in the same way it presents math, which isn't effective in my opinion.

However, that's not to say that some people don't learn best this way. Some people enjoy the competitiveness of a classroom and the pressure to do well quickly so you get a good grade.

Classrooms also have teachers, so you'll be guided throughout the entire learning process and not left wondering what the next step is, as self-taught learners often do. You'll also be able to get immediate answers to your questions.

Unfortunately, this isn't an organic way to learn. Language is presented as something that you don't use in your everyday life but as a puzzle that you solve through grammar and vocabulary. Most learners from a classroom environment have difficulty with real-world conversation.

There's also the problem that if you fall behind, it can be difficult to catch up, but if you're learning well in class, it may feel frustratingly slow. The vocabulary you're learning might also not actually be that relevant to you.

Pros: A teacher to guide you, someone immediately available when you have questions, and a competitive edge that some people find motivating.

Cons: You don't learn grammar and vocabulary organically, and what the teacher thinks you should learn and what's actually useful to you might be two separate things. You may also find it difficult to catch back up if you fall behind, or maybe the class is going too slowly for you.

The Input Learner

The input learner is someone who likes to absorb language before producing it. They don't want to be put on the spot to construct sentences right away, much preferring to learn through context instead.

An input learner will pull out his trusty dictionary and grammar book and use them to help him understand real-world language. He'll probably be absorbed in a book, watching a movie or TV show, playing a video game, or listening to a podcast or some music for most of his language learning. Using a dictionary, a grammar book, and the Internet, he'll pick up the language in an organic way. He'll probably also be engaging in what's known as sentence mining, but that's for another article.

The downside is that starting out can be frustrating, as it takes forever to work your way through a single paragraph or a few minutes of a TV show with closed captions in the target language. Some input learners also get stuck, refusing to actually write or speak in their target language because they're afraid they don't understand enough yet.

I'm an input learner, myself. I can sit and pick my way through all manner of media, but I often find myself getting frustrated about knowing what will be a challenge for me but something that still doesn't feel overwhelming.

Pros: Input learners have a massive passive vocabulary, which is words that you know even if you don't use them in everyday life. They also tend to enjoy their language learning experience because they can partake in activities that they like.

Cons: They can be painfully shy when it comes to conversation, refusing to speak until they're fluent, which turns into an ever-moving goalpost. If they shun formal studying of grammar, their writing style may be dampened. It's also a bit overwhelming at the start.

The Output Learner

Benny Lewis is well-known for this style of learning. These are people who want to talk to people ASAP. They're energized by conversation and tend to be a little bit extroverted. Their goal is to speak from day 1, and their number one tool is typically a phrasebook when starting out. They absorb the needed grammar, vocabulary, and phrases to speak to people right away, even if their speech is incredibly basic to start with.

These people are usually very motivated. They see the results of their efforts quickly, which is the most encouraging thing you can get as a learner of any skill. They can also develop a nice network of native speakers fast, getting critique on their pronunciation and other aspects of speech early on.

The downside of this is that your early conversations will be short, focused on what you can say instead of what you want to say. It's almost necessary to tell your listener that this is your first day, week, or whatever with the language so they don't drag you into a conversation over your head or become frustrated with you!

The other downside is that, while output learners have a massive active vocabulary (words you use often or every day) quickly, they are slower to develop their passive vocabulary, making listening to the other speaker somewhat difficult.

Pros: Obtain relevant vocabulary quickly, see dramatic results early on, meet lots of native speakers, and get helpful critiques before any bad habits start.

Cons: Slow to acquire passive vocabulary and frustrating early conversations.

A Note Before We Move On

Please note that no one is going to learn a language to fluency using just one of these methods. If you're learning in a classroom, you'll have to supplement with other material or you won't get far beyond your textbook; if you're an input learner, you'll still have to practice output and study real grammar at some point or your speech and writing may seem clumsy; an output learner will also have to take the time to sit and read and study grammar or their passive vocabulary will remain stunted.

All that this guide does is point you in the way you'll be spending most of your time and what will make the process most enjoyable to you!

Other Factors That Will Affect Your Method

From the descriptions for each style, I'm sure you know which you feel personally drawn to. However, there are other factors that might play into how you ultimately decide to learn your language.

Time: If you're learning a language as a hobby, you have all the time in the world to master it and can choose whichever style suits you the best. If you're set to travel abroad, however, time will definitely play a factor. If you're going to be casting off within a month, for example, the academic and input methods won't do you much good. The output method will serve you best.

Goal: Your ultimate goal might be a contributor as well. For example, if you want to learn Spanish to speak to the immigrants who just moved in and make them feel more welcome, then you might want to go with output. However, if you want to dive into literature and read Don Quixote, you would be better off with academic or input methods.

The Language: While I'm primarily an input learner, I've changed it up a bit depending upon the language. For example, I spent a lot more time doing academic things by using a textbook (no teacher) for Japanese on account of the complex written language. Also, if you're learning an ancient language (e.g. Babylonian), the output method is probably out.

Ultimately, you'll be sailing your own ship on this journey, but I hope I've given you some sort of compass.