Language Learning as An Adult – One of My Best Investments

Have you ever met someone and thought, wow that person knows so many language and is so worldly.

I work in education, and I am fascinated by how people learn.

Language learning is something that I struggled with at school. Only when I was older did I start to believe I could learn a language, and realise the gifts it can grant you. If you learn languages as an adult, you will

My Language Learning Journey

The first language that I started learning was French, alongside Latin at school. In French, I felt I was particularly lacking. Many of my peers had already acquired a bit of a grounding in the language, and that made me feel inadequate. In Latin, things were much better as everyone was starting on an equal footing. I enjoyed and excelled in the language – despite no spoken element. I realise now that my lack of belief in my ability to learn French was where my language learning both started and ended.

With German, I approached the subject with a more open mind, partly because I no longer felt as behind as I had with French. I was more engaged, and the logical structure of the language resonated with me. However, despite making steady progress, I still fell short of the fluency I had aspired to achieve.

Perhaps my struggle lay not in the languages themselves but in my mindset. The initial self-doubt I experienced with French had planted a seed of hesitation that followed me through subsequent attempts at language learning. I became more focused on my shortcomings rather than celebrating the progress I was making.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I took a long break from language learning. However, I soon found myself wanting to engage in something meaningful, so I enrolled in Japanese classes at Morley College. I progressed steadily and eventually reached a proficiency level comparable to my German.

A year abroad in Korea reignited my passion for languages, leading me to take up Mandarin Chinese. Over three years, I achieved an intermediate level, roughly equivalent to HSK4-5 on the Hanban Proficiency scale. This experience made me reflect on my earlier language studies, and I came to realise that the methods used in school were not the most effective for developing true fluency.

How I Learn Languages Now

When I study languages now (at the moment I am learning Romanian), I always remember that it takes time to get going. My main aim is to get used to the sound, spelling, and basic sentence structures of the language. An audio course such as Pimsleur, Teach Yourself, and so on serves well at this point.

Then I like to start reading basic texts. If there are audio tracks I can follow along to simultaneously, this makes it even better. Stories are a great way to learn. One of the reasons why I got along so well with Latin is because the Cambridge Latin Course had a story we could follow. This kept sessions enjoyable, and we built up a relationship with many of the characters, such as Grumio the cook, and Caecilius. In Chinese, I could push my reading further.

Getting to the point where reading becomes more fluent is really is the most important point in my language acquisition. Chinese graded readers helped my language learning take off, and I imagine that my Romanian language learning arc will take a similar trajectory, and explode once I’m able to read more confidently.

10 Essential Tip for Language Learning as an Adult:

• Find a reason to learn the language in the first place.
• Concentrate in the early stages on building familiarity with the language – its sounds, pronunciation, and how it looks on the page.
• Practice making simple sentences with basic constructions. Learning 25 or so questions and answers in the target language is a useful first point of call.
• Write things down to cement them in your mind – expose yourself to the language in multiple ways.
• Don’t worry about doing more than one course at once – learning in multiple ways enhances your learning.
• Get into reading quickly as this will boost your understanding and fluency quickly.
• Employ a tutor as you build confidence to get more exposure and to help you refine your skills. Talking to native speakers of the language also has a profound impact on your fluency. Try apps such as Hellotalk to find native speakers.
• A little often, is better than loads of learning at once.
• Take more time developing the skills you want to learn. For instance, if you want to master conversational skills, practice speaking out loud, and listening. However, if you want to develop writing skills, you need to spend dedicated time to writing.
• Use tools such as ChatGPT to create basic resources using target vocabulary in the language. These AI tools will get better as they develop.

Why English Speakers Have Trouble Learning Languages

Aside from the fact that many people who come from countries with English as a first language tend to start studying languages later, a lack of motivation is massive factor.

Think about it this way, someone who is from another country, has a massive reward for learning English. Even acquiring a basic fluency in English can result in significant benefits. However, an English speaker often will have to learn another language to a high level to experience the same benefit.

Paradoxically, the massive success and proliferation of English as a language makes it challenging for English speakers to motivate themselves to learn other languages.

The Fruits of Language Learning as an Adult

Learning a new language as an adult can be challenging, but it offers remarkable rewards beyond expanding your vocabulary. Every word or phrase mastered boosts your confidence and proves that with consistent practice and genuine motivation, you can acquire any skill. By challenging yourself in this way, you reinforce a growth mindset that carries into all areas of life.

Moreover, even a small effort to converse in someone else’s language fosters deeper connections. People appreciate the willingness to learn their culture, and this empathy can open doors to friendships, professional opportunities, and rich cultural experiences. In the process, you also hone cognitive skills like memory and problem-solving, staying mentally agile well into adulthood. Ultimately, taking on a new language reaffirms that at any age, you have the power to learn, adapt, and thrive.