Easy Language Learning Hacks to Try Today for Faster Results

Moving up the learning curve when taking on a second language can quickly become an overwhelming challenge. Practicing pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure or increasing vocabulary quickly becomes a mouthful.

Rather than finding the motivation with all these focus points, you end up doing nothing. nothing.

But what if you could jump that plateau for when things get difficult or boring and take an easy simple step closer to fluency?

You’d probably drop your old textbook and get on it asap.

Luckily, we’ve prepared hacks and methods for learning a second language that you can do today.

Let’s start simple and pick your favorite.

Content:

• Language Immersion
• Use Movie Scenes on Youtube
• Goals to Fluency
• DISSS by Tim Ferriss
• Music for Understanding and Vocabulary
• Mistakes Crush the Learning Curve
• Combine Reading and Listening
• Exercise Your Language
• Actively Learn

How to Mimic Being Dropped in a Language Immersion Zone

One of the best ways to climb the learning curve is being put in a sort of adapt or die scenario. For that, language immersion is likely one of the most effective ways to learn a new language. This is assuming full immersion of being placed into an environment where using your native language won’t be possible.

Typically this requires traveling to that physical location where people mainly speak in the language you want to learn. By then you won’t have any other choice but to use whatever knowledge you have and constantly adapt and progress in your new environment as quickly as possible.

Now, unless you’re a backpacker or someone who can just leave work and other obligations behind tomorrow, this is not really an option most people can commit to. Luckily there are ways to mimic language immersion and hack the learning curve in the comfort of your own home.

Labeling Every-Day Things in the Second Language You’re Learning

Labeling Every-Day Things in the Second Language

A great way to expose yourself to a new language is by labeling food items in your fridge. This way whether you’re cooking, snacking or packing lunch for work it will be on your mind several times a day.

Step 1: Say you’re learning Spanish. You could take a cucumber, tomato, or a stick of butter from your fridge.

Step 2: Get a piece of paper, a pen and some tape or sticky notes.

Step 3: Get a dictionary or just look up the items online. You’d write down ‘pepino’ and stick that onto the cucumber. ‘Tomate’ for the tomato, ‘mantequilla’ for the butter and so on.

[Tip: Write the phonetic spelling underneath to pronounce it out loud every time you grab something from the fridge or freezer. This is especially important if you are learning languages where the alphabet is very different from your own, (English), like Russian, Mandarin or Japanese.]

The reason why this is great for food items is that it’s simple and applies to everyday situations. This means it’s super useful in real-life situations for ordering at a restaurant or finding your way around a supermarket. You can even take this one step further and label kitchenware, furniture or really any items around your house. But consider whether or not you want your entire house or apartment covered in sticky notes.

Hack Motivation and Language Exposure Using Movie Scenes

Hack Motivation and Language Exposure Using Movie Scenes

Take your favorite movie scene and turn it into a super prescription for language learning. Notice I say movie scene and not a whole movie because when your brain obtains new information doing something you’re more captivated by, it sticks better.

Step 1: Find your favorite movie scene on YouTube. Type into the search bar: [movie + scene + in “language”]. Disney movies are great too since they often have simple monologues.

Step 2: Watch it on repeat and practice the monologue out loud. You can have real fun here with accents too.

Step 3: Be aware of mistranslations. It’s more about the context of the scene which is why you pick something you already know.

[Tip: If you can find a scene that’s dubbed in the language you’re learning and has subtitles both in that and your native language, you’ll make the connection faster.]

Set Goals That Bring You Closer to Fluency

Set Goals That Bring You Closer to Fluency

Defining specific smaller goals can be helpful in focusing your learning for better results. It’s even been shown how focusing on one single task makes your brain perform much better.

Your schedule: Your newfound love for learning needs some precedence. Start small so you don’t overestimate time.

Choice of resources: Find out what’s available. Invest in a course, or use a free language learning app.

The timeframe: Can your goals be achieved in days, weeks, or months? Short time frames are more motivating.

Be specific: Instead of "learn French in 6 months", try: "I want to read the Little Prince in French, 2 months from now, by practicing 30 minutes every day using an audiobook and flashcards."

Use the Field-Tested Method by Tim Ferriss to Break Through in Your Second Language

Use the Field-Tested Method by Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss calls his method DISSS: Deconstruction, Selection, Sequencing and Stakes.

Deconstruction: Break the language into smaller LEGO blocks. Identify what has made you fail before. Interview polyglots vs failed learners to see what works.

Selection: Apply the 80/20 rule. Focus on the 20% of blocks that give you 80% of the outcome.

Sequencing: Build the blocks in the right order. Practice in low stake situations like music or movie scenes before risking a grade or a real encounter.

Stakes: Put something on the line to ensure you follow through. Money or mini-challenges with friends work well.

Make the Music for Your Ears the Language of Your Brain

Make the Music for Your Ears the Language of Your Brain

Step 1: Find a genre you like in your target language. Listen to it in the background to store sounds unconsciously.

Step 2: Translate the lyrics. Write them down for better retention. Songs help you recall words through context and sound.

Step 3: Be aware of mistranslations. Disney songs often change meaning between dubbed versions; stick to original songs where possible.

Crush the Learning Curve by Being Wrong

Crush the Learning Curve by Being Wrong

Failure fuels success. Embracing failure is one of the most effective ways of learning. Solving problems outside your knowledge field shows better future results. Mistakes are prerequisites for becoming fluent.

Use an App to Combine Reading and Listening Subskills

Use an App to Combine Reading and Listening Subskills

Option 1: A good old fashioned story. Find a book like The Little Prince, which is translated into 300 languages. Read it in your target language; you already know the context, so you'll identify words faster.

Option 2: A modern program. Hack the process using the Beelinguapp language learning app. You get split-screen audio and text, allowing you to see your native language on one side and the target language on the other.

Exercise Your Language

The link between higher brain activity through exercise has long been attributed to better performance. Pair exercise with listening to audiobooks or music in different languages. Even taking a walk will boost performance.

After your session

Tie an Activity to Your Language Learning

Try cooking with a recipe in your target language. Translate "lasagna recipe" into your target language, pick a result, and follow it. Figure words out as you go rather than just getting the answer—it ties the language to the physical experience.

How Will You Hack Learning Your Second Language?

Are you going to move outside of the ‘best practices’ and use one of these hacks? Try out our audiobook + reading app. We’d love to hear about your approaches!