As a language lover who canât possibly afford all of the language lessons I would love to take, over the years I learned the best ways to self-learn them. This introductory phase doesnât even require a textbook - I am sure everything here can be found online for free.
Disclaimer: this is the method that works the best for me, and Iâm sharing it with the intention of helping other people who are stuck. Thereâs a million different ways to self-learn a language, so if this one doesnât work out for you, donât lose motivation!
Disclaimer 2: this method might not work with all languages. Iâm sharing this knowledge keeping in mind my experience with Latin (in particular French, Spanish, etc) and East Asian (in particular Korean and Japanese) languages.
Without further ado, here are the steps:Â
1. If youâre learning a language that uses a different alphabet, make sure thatâs the first thing you learn
Relying on romanization is fine at first, but further down the path it will only serve to confuse you. Romanized words of these types of languages can be written in many different ways, so often they donât even provide an accurate way of pronouncing them. Furthermore, as you make progress, you wonât be able to access a lot of content in your target language since you wonât find it romanized.Â
2. Learn your first words
Before actually getting into all the grammar rules and whatnot, learn your first words! These include, among others:
Answers (yes, no, maybe, etc)
Practice their pronunciation to get used to the languageâs sounds, and how theyâre written (especially if you have to use another alphabet - itâs a chance to practice your calligraphy!).
3. Learn essential vocabulary and grammar
I call these âessential vocabulary/grammarâ because they are words you must know to build sentences (other than verbs). These include:
Articles (definite, indefinite, partitive, etc)
Basic pronouns (personal, possessive, etc)
Depending on the language, basic grammatical particles
Sentence order! In many languages, the subject/verb/noun order is totally different. Make sure to know how your target language orders that.
Make sure to also learn their rules and remember the exceptions. The latter are always annoying, but donât worry - as you progress, you will learn these by heart, and they will eventually come to you naturally!
4. Learn the most basic verbs in the present tense
Like the vocabulary of the previous step, verbs are also essential when building sentences. Now that youâre only a beginner, you donât need to learn difficult verbs or tenses, so stick with the most used ones:
Now that you know your verbs, complement your knowledge by adding more basic vocabulary. Here are some ideas:
Knowing these in addition to the grammar points youâve learned will allow you to construct simple sentences, such as I am going home or This is my sister.
6. Practice for your level
Like many other people, Iâm guilty of jumping straight into watching movies and shows in my target language, only to get frustrated with myself when I donât understand anything despite everything I learned until then. Of course, Iâm not saying you shouldnât do it, since it does help you develop your listening skills (especially if you do it with subtitles!), but I have a tip for the ones who prefer an easier activity.
Look for childrenâs content! I know this sounds silly at first, but books, movies, shows, etc made for children usually use basic grammar and vocabulary. If you think about it, the listening exercises you find in language grammar books made for beginners often seem like theyâre made for children for that reason. Therefore, if you canât find clips and texts for your level easily, try following this tip!
A few more tips for self-learners + resources
Write a diary in your target language. Even if you donât know that much, try describing your day the best way you can (even if that means you have to write everything in the present tense). Thatâs a way of understanding what sort of vocabulary is useful in your daily life and what are your weaknesses.
For you listening skills, other than Netflix, listen to music as well! Seize the opportunity to also learn the new vocabulary you find in the songs.
For speaking skills, if you donât have anyone to practice with, read texts out loud and record yourself to check your pronunciation. If youâre up to it, finding friends online that speak your target language is also a great way of practicing dialogue!
Most used words in every language
Random tasks to practice your target language
My blogâs langblr tag for more helpful posts
