Learning a language is not easy for most people. It requires discipline, time, and dedication. But is there also an easier, more enjoyable way?
Doing fun things—watching films or TV, reading the news, books, comics, texting, having conversations, and so on—can make the process more enjoyable. I, for example, develop language learning apps in new languages because that makes learning them more fun for me.
As someone who has studied linguistics and learned multiple languages, my most important tip for language learning is this: discover what you love about that language.
There are books, films, and music in almost every language—but what makes this language special to you? Find the elements in the language that you love. Is it the alphabet? The etymology? The literature or poetry? The grammar? The sentence structure? Word order? Is it the metaphors or idioms?
Once you know the answer, focus on and enjoy that part of the language. And just like that, you’ll start to enjoy interacting with that language more and more. That’s because you’re appreciating it more and because it’s always easier to learn something when you love it.
But finding what you love isn’t always easy. Not everyone is drawn to the same things, and you need to know the language somewhat before you can recognise what stands out to you. Still, once you discover what you love about a language, learning it becomes so much easier—and far more rewarding.