Q&A for How to Learn Any Language

It's already hard enough for the average adult to master one additional language! There's a certain point where you just can't learn any additional languages on the same level as a native speaker. I don't think it's necessarily realistic to expect you'd be able to learn every language.

Choose a few topics that are going to come up really often. Common greetings, restaurant menu terms, and normal questions. Start there. It's going to make picking up on other vocab terms and phrases as you start practicing.

Adults learn in a different way and a lot of linguists agree that after a certain age, you lose the ability to truly become a native speaker. You can recognize this and try to get better, but you should also accept that you can't pronounce certain words due to your accent. That is not something to be embarrassed about, because people will still be able to understand you.

Building a strong base of vocabulary will help you apply your grammar better, so if you're going to focus predominantly on one or the other, start with memorizing vocabulary. Typically, though, students of new languages learn the two concurrently.

Practice. Try and converse with native speakers using the language you have learned and ask them to help you practice speaking. Watch movies or TV shows in your new language to practice listening.

You can be a linguist, studying different languages and writing about them. You could also have a career in teaching or translating. Depending on the language, there could be a lot of work for you.

For remembering, try memory tricks such as associating words with objects or places. However, you're not going to learn a language in a day, so give yourself plenty of time to learn the words and grammar.

Write down important words and phrases, and speak them as much as you can out loud. It's easier to learn a different language if you can constantly apply it to your real life.

Duolingo and Memrise are the best free websites available. Duolingo is good for both grammar and vocabulary, while Memrise is mainly vocabulary.

It depends on the language - some are more complex than others. If you know the proper way of saying everyday phrases such as "Hello", "Thank you", "Goodbye", "Please", etc. then you'll probably be fine. Be aware that some languages use different words depending if you are speaking to someone you know personally versus someone you don't.

Yes, of course. Find and download a suitable app. For example, there is an app called hellotalk and it allows you to talk with native speakers and in return you teach them your native language. This sort of app can help you to learn well and quickly.

You can't learn a language in days, weeks, or even months. You must learn it correctly in the process of being able to speak it fluently later on. The first thing you should do is learn the alphabet. Once you're really good at that, learn easy and common things like the numbers, colors, family, months of the year, days of the week, and so on. Make sure to learn the words before the sentences. It will make it easier, faster, and way better.

If it's going to help you be more organized, certainly. However, a better way is use your smart phone or some sort of online notebook keeping software so that you can access it from any device. Another thing you can do is to separate vocabulary from grammar and make the grammar notebook as a short reminder for the grammar you learned. For example, you can write the structure of the grammar and beside this, write its use. This should be no longer than two lines.

It's normal to sound like the people you learn a language from.

Start with the alphabet. It will be easier to learn the language if you can read it well.

It's not impossible, but also not likely.

Just because you don't live near any native speakers of the language that you want to learn doesn't mean you can't learn the language. If you really want to learn a language and are willing to take the time and effort to learn, then go for it. You never know, it may come in handy in the future when you least expect it.

It is not a "problem" per se, but it would be difficult because you could mix vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Learning two languages like German and Korean at the same time might not be as difficult as learning Korean and Japanese together due to the sound of the words. It is all about what you think you can handle.

Watch movies. They help you to keep in touch with that language. Talk to people over the phone (who ever knows that language) often so that you will retain it after some time. Listen to music in that language and try to sing along. Practice by yourself by learning more or different dialects and/or more advanced vocabulary words.

It depends on how you're learning. If you immerse yourself in a language and culture, you might become conversational in a month and fluent in a year. If you're taking an intensive course, it would take perhaps twice as long. If you're taking a casual, occasional class, it could take much longer.

Kids can actually learn new languages very quickly. You should study the language every day and it shouldn't be too hard.

Pronunciation is key. Once you get used to the pronunciation, it won't be that hard to write the characters.

Latin is a very hard language, however it is the basis to most European languages, so it would help you learn French and Spanish if you wanted to eventually learn all three. Keep in mind that Latin is a dead language, no longer spoken anywhere in the world today. From a practical perspective, Spanish is probably the best bet.

You can always find a website or download an app to find speakers of Japanese or any other language with whom to practice. There are some apps like HelloTalk and Tandem that work on a smartphone, or Conversation Exchange, which is best on a PC.

You can get the basics of a language there.

Learn one first than learn the other one but take it step by step and don't rush it.

Yes! It's possible for anyone to become fluent in a language at any age as long as they're willing to put in the work.

I would recommend spending at least 30 minutes to an hour per day practicing your language.

Yes. There are a lot of apps. You could get an app that focuses on pronouncing specifically. Or one that teaches you the language and pronounces the words at the same time.

According to the FSI, Italian is a level one language; 23 - 24 weeks (575 - 600 hours) to become conversational and fluent. 587.5 hours (average) divided by 365 days is a little more than an hour and a half every day! I recommend being relaxed and focused; never overwhelm yourself with too much; maybe do 60 minutes a day.