Why is it so hard to learn languages?

I had this conversation with a student today. And it was not our first chat about this topic. This is a recurrent topic I have had with many students and that I keep having. There is no simple answer, there are many reasons for this. We’ll go through some of them, and I’ll give you some of my tips to make language learning easier. Here goes.

1. You have never learned languages before.

If you have not learned other languages before, then you do not have any other references than your mother tongue. Knowing other languages will make it easier to understand the grammar and remember new words as you will be able to associate it with several languages. And you are aware of the relativeness of for instance grammar and pronunciation rules.

When you learn a new language, you see it through the filter of the language(s) you already know. If the language(s) you know is/are close to the new one, it will naturally be easier to learn.

Solution: try not to translate literally. Focus on the new language and the deeper meaning, not how it translates litteraly to your mother tongue (in many cases it is impossible to translate literally). When you translate literally from your language, keep in mind that the sentence might mean something completely different or make no sense at all. ALso don’t forget that your own mother tongue is not more logical than the new language you’re learning. It’s just more logical to you. For now. ;)

2. You are an adult.

I’m sorry to say so, but the older we get, the more difficult it gets to learn new stuff. Our memory is more stuck and less flexible, explained easily. But another, maybe more important factor, is that learning a language as an adult creates a lot of fear and insecurity.

Language is about identity. Expressing yourself in a different language can be really scary.

“What will people think of me if I don’t speak right?”

“Did I pronounce that correctly?”

“I speak like a child, I’m making a fool out of myself…”

Ever had these thoughts?

It does not exactly help that in Norway people love to speak English and often switch to English if they hear you struggle.

Solution: Think like a child. Allow yourself to make mistakes, and even to make a fool out of yourself! What is important, is that people understand what you want to say. Look at it like a game, be playful!

Little by little that language muscle will be trained and you will speak with more and more ease. It will take time, but it’s the only way to learn. It’s normal, you’re normal! If you’re not sure if you said it right or if it was understandable - just ask!

Forstår du? Do you understand?

Gir det mening? Does it make sense? ;)

3. Languages have always been difficult for you.

Some people learn languages easier than others. Some people learn math or history better than others. Our brains and preferences are different. And we learn differently.

Solution: Find our how you learn. Do you need to focus more on listening? Writing? Reading? Talking? A little bit of everything? Test it out and see what works for you.

4. You’re learning passively.

With all the fancy apps out there, we become more passive and think learning will happen by itself using an app 5 minutes a day. It works to some extent. It works better if you study with purpose.

Solution: be curious. Look at the details. Discover the new language with awareness. Ask yourself questions. See if you understood it right by writing sentences with what you learned. Use what you learned so that it gets activated and available for you to use. Be focused on what you want to learn, and what is not important to you. Take control of your language journey!

5. You lack motivation.

“I should, but I don’t really want to.” A lot of people feel that way about learning languages. If you only see the language as a tool that would make life easier, but that you can get away with not learning, then motivation might never come. You can always learn it later, right?

Solution: Find something that motivates you. Being motivated will make learning a more joyful experience which in return will motivate you even more. Your motivation can be anything: a goal (a test, being able to chat with colleagues or order a coffee), a way of learning (reading poetry, watching series, listening to music, sending text messages in Norwegian to friends), a reward (study in a café or an environment you like, offer yourself something you like when you have been able to study or while you study).

This motivation might change with time. Very often the fact that you start understanding better and you feel more and more confident speaking will become a motivation in itself. There will probably be ups and downs still, that’s part of the process. See it as a never-ending journey, a lifetime adventure.

Discovering a language is also discovering your own language and a different way of thinking. Speaking in a different language can feel both threatening and deliberating. Enjoy the ride :)

Lykke til!

Vi snakkes! ;)

Silje