1. Connect to the culture.

Like with anything what you want to learn, you first need a emotional experience with the subject matter in order to gain a deep interest in it. To learn languages it is therefore useful to connect with the culture of the place where the language is spoken. This can be done via music, food, films, products or other means. Without a deep interest in the culture you will hardly learn its language.

2. Be a kid again.

Children allow themselves to make mistakes, that makes it much easier for them to learn a new language. Adults often come with a sense for perfections and hence never really get to learn the language. you should ask “bathroom where?”, before “excuse me sir, would you point out me the way to the washroom please”. So allow yourself to be a kid when learning languages.

3. Believe.

It was difficult for others, it will be difficult for you. You however can still do it so don’t tell yourself, “I don’t have the ideal person”, “I don’t have the time”, “I am not talented”. If you do that you just follow a self fulfilling prophecy of those who tell themselves they cant learn a new language. Or as Henri Ford said: Whether you think you can, or think you cant, you are right.

4. Find your own technique.

Some people want to use a study based approach, other learn better by interacting with locals verbally or improving their skills through writing. The importance is that find your way and then consistently continue to learn it. To find your own style, we recommend to try different techniques, then track your own progress and see what style makes most fun and brings you furthest. Here some of the most popular techniques with a small summery of how they work: