How To Learn A Language At Home: 11 Easy And Fun Strategies
How To Learn A Language At Home: 11 Easy And Fun Strategies
Photo Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock
Affiliate Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I will earn an affiliate commission if you click and/or make a purchase through the link (at no extra cost to you). And of course, I only recommend products I’ve used from companies I completely trust and love. For more information please see my disclosure.
How Do I Start Learning A Language At Home?
Are you thinking about learning a language but don't know where to start? Maybe you have tried taking classes before and it just didn't stick. Don't worry - there are plenty of ways that you can learn a language from the comfort of your own home!
Learning a foreign language doesn’t have to be intimidating or expensive – you can do it right from home with ease!
Nowadays, more and more people are realizing that learning a language can be fun, easy, and rewarding.
Whether you want to travel the world or communicate better with family members who don’t speak your native tongue, there are now a plethora of strategies available to help you reach fluency without having to enroll in traditional language classes.
With the right strategies and resources, anyone can learn a language in their own time, for minimal cost.
RELATED: How To Learn A Language By Yourself: 20 Helpful Tips For Success.
To make things easier for yourself, I’ve compiled 11 easy & fun strategies that will help anyone who wants to learn at home without breaking the bank.
Whether you're an absolute beginner or have some experience with the target language, by using these strategies you can learn a foreign language at home with ease.
So let’s cut right to it - keep reading if you want to find out how to get started on learning a new language from home today and become fluent in your target language without needing excessive amounts of time or money!
Why Learning Languages At Home Is Much Easier
It’s affordable
Learning a language at home is much cheaper than taking classes or hiring private tutors. For example, there are loads of online courses, books, apps and websites that you can use to learn at home without breaking the bank.
It’s flexible
You don’t have to follow someone else’s set schedule – you can learn at your own pace and when it suits you, no matter what time of day or night.
You have complete control over what you learn
Learning a language at home gives you the freedom to pick and choose how (and what) you want to learn. You can find free books, e-books, podcasts, videos—the list goes on.
You can focus on the language elements you need
Instead of attending a traditional class where everyone follows the same syllabus, you can tailor-make your own course focusing on the topics that are most important to you, such as different topics and categories, vocabulary or casual conversation.
You can learn more than just the language
By learning a language at home, you can also pick up knowledge about the culture and history of your target language.
No commute necessary
No more waking up early, catching trains and buses or having to find parking spaces when you have classes.
You already have access to all language apps and courses at your disposal
You don’t need to go out and take a class or buy a dictionary and language books, they are all available online and on your mobile device.
The internet brings people around the world to your desktop
You can find native speakers from around the world to practice with online and get help on those tricky grammar rules.
The 15 Keys To Learning Languages At Home
1. Set a goal and make a plan
Before you start learning, set a realistic goal and make a plan to achieve it. This could be attending an event where you will speak the target language or passing an exam in the language.
RELATED: Why Learning A Language Should Be Your #1 New Year’s Resolution.
2. Get immersed and make it a habit
Make language learning a part of your daily routine. Listen to a podcast, watch movies or TV shows in the target language. Find ways to make it convenient and enjoyable.
3. Incorporate learning in everything you do
Turn your day-to-day experiences into a language learning session. For example, when you watch movies or read books in the target language, make sure to look up unfamiliar words and try to use them in a conversation later.
4. Multitasking in your target language
Do things in your target language when you can. For example, read blog posts or watch movies with subtitles in the language you are trying to learn.
5. Practice speaking & listening as often as possible
These two skills are important for mastering any language, so commit yourself to practicing conversations and listening to native speakers as much as possible.
6. Embrace the weirdness factor
Learning a language means making mistakes, and it can be awkward and embarrassing. But embracing the weirdness factor is essential if you want to make progress.
7. Learn the language as it’s really spoken
Avoid using textbook phrases or memorizing words; instead, try to speak like a native speaker.
8. Don’t try too hard
Learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t need to pressure yourself too much or feel like you need to learn something new every day. The important thing is to stay motivated and consistent in your learning efforts.
9. Don’t overload your brain
Too much information can be overwhelming, so take breaks and switch between topics to keep your brain fresh.
10. Don’t waste time learning pointless stuff
Focus on learning words and phrases that you’ll actually use in a conversation rather than memorizing lists of vocabulary. In fact, Bluebird Languages teaches you the 2,000 most commonly-used words in the language, with lessons neatly organized by category.
RELATED: Bluebird Languages Review: A Proven Method To Reach Expert Fluency In Record Time.
11. Work on tasks that match your skill level
If the tasks you choose are too difficult, you’ll get discouraged. Similarly, if they’re too easy you'll get bored and you won’t make progress. Find activities that will challenge but not overwhelm you.
12. Actually review what you’ve learned
Learning a language is a long-term process and you need to build upon your current knowledge. A review session every week or two will ensure that the new vocabulary and grammar points stick in your brain.
13. Make sure to have fun
Language learning should be fun! To keep your motivation high, make sure to include activities that you really enjoy. Try to find creative and enjoyable ways to learn such as playing language-learning games, singing along to music or watching movies in the target language.
14. Don’t give up
Learning a language takes time, so don’t give up if you don’t see results immediately. Learning a language takes practice and patience, but it can be done.
15. Have faith in yourself
Learning a language is not as difficult as it may seem. With the right strategies and resources, anyone can learn a language at home with ease. Have faith in yourself and your language-learning skills, and you’ll be speaking a new language in no time!
11 Strategies To Learn A Language At Home
1. Get an online tutor
Finding the right tutor is key to ensuring that you can learn a language at home. With online tutors, you can get one-on-one lessons tailored to your needs and skill level.
RELATED: How To Find Your Perfect Language Tutor Online (12 Simple Steps).
How to use italki
Italki is an online language learning platform that provides access to professional language tutors from all around the world. It is an easy and convenient way to learn a new language in the comfort of your home.
With italki, you can find qualified native-speaking language teachers who specialize in teaching the language you are trying to learn. You can book private lessons or take group classes, and you can also find language learning partners who are at a similar level to you.
RELATED: Italki Review: Is italki Worth It For Learning How To Speak A Language?
2. Use a self-guided language learning textbook
If you prefer to learn at your own pace and on your own terms, then a self-guided language textbook could be the perfect option for you. This type of textbook is great for those who want to learn a language without relying too heavily on an online tutor.
3. Read foreign language books
Reading is one of the best ways to learn and retain new vocabulary. Reading a book in the language you are learning is a great way to improve your understanding of grammar and pronunciation, as well as to build up your reading speed. A great way to get some reading time is before going to bed at night.
RELATED: 9 Effective Strategies To Make Reading In A Foreign Language Easier.
Read short stories by Olly Richards
Olly Richards is a well-known language learning expert who has written a series of short stories in multiple languages. The stories are tailored to different levels, from beginner to advanced, and they’re a great way to get comfortable with reading in the language you’re learning.
RELATED: 15 Powerful Reasons To Read Short Stories For Learning A Language.
4. Listen to audio
Listening to audio recordings is a great way to improve your listening comprehension. Start by listening to audio recordings of conversations between native speakers and then gradually increase the difficulty level.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn a language. Not only do they provide interesting audio content, but you can also find podcasts that are specifically designed for language learners.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are another great resource for language learners. They provide interesting content and allow you to listen at your own pace, so you can easily pause to look up any new words or phrases that you encounter.
Music
Listening to music is a great way to learn and practice new vocabulary. Pick up some tunes in the language you’re learning, and sing along as you go!
5. Use language learning apps
There are many language learning apps that you can use to learn a new language. These apps provide targeted lessons, interactive activities and quizzes, and other fun ways to practice your language skills.
RELATED: Pimsleur Review: How To Learn Any Language With This Super Easy Method.
6. Watch movies and TV shows in your target language
Watching movies or TV shows in the target language is a great way to improve your listening comprehension and learn the nuances of the language.
RELATED: How To Learn A Language By Watching TV: The 13 Best Tips & Resources.
RELATED: LingoPie Review: The #1 Streaming Service To Help You Learn A Language.
RELATED: Language Learning With YouTube: 10 Steps To Improve Fluency Learning Languages With YouTube.
7. Board games
Board games are a great way to practice your language skills in an interactive and fun way. Scrabble, Pictionary, and Bananagrams are all popular board games that can be adapted for language learning.
RELATED: 30+ Best Language Learning Games That Are Actually Fun & Effective.
8. Foreign language cooking recipes
Cooking recipes are a great way to practice your language skills in an interactive and fun way. Try searching for recipes online or buy a foreign cookbook to get started.
Take your language learning to the next level by exploring a new culinary culture! By cooking dishes from regions where your target language is spoken, you can taste and learn at once.
9. Change your surroundings
One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to change your surroundings. Place post-it notes on objects around your house with their corresponding words or phrases in the target language. This way, you can get used to seeing these new words on a regular basis.
10. Use flashcards
Flashcards are an easy and effective tool for mastering new vocabulary words. With flashcards, you can create your own personalized deck of words to practice and review.
This will help you to commit the words to memory so that you can use them with ease when speaking or writing in the target language.
11. Incorporate social media into your learning and change your settings
Social media platforms can be a great resource for language learners. Change your language settings on desktop and mobile phone to the target language, so you can read posts and comments in the foreign language and practice your skills with native speakers.
Additionally, take advantage of all of the resources available online such as websites, blogs, forums or even native speaker communities.
Conclusion
All in all, it's clear that learning a language at home is definitely doable and much more efficient than attending classes in formal environments.
Through techniques like setting goals, consistent practice and regularly utilizing apps, audiobooks and film & television to learn a language at home can be easier than you may have initially presumed.
The key is to take it step by step and challenge yourself gradually. A few minutes every day will take you far and each step along the way becomes a reward that brings you closer to understanding one or several other languages.
So the next time you're wondering if you should give up trying to learn that new foreign language you've been eyeing for so long - don't! All you need is patience, time—and the 15 keys and 11 strategies outlined throughout this article to help you on your journey.
By going through the process outlined here, you’re arming yourself with all of the skills necessary to successfully learn a language—so get started now!
A TINY REQUEST: IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, PLEASE SHARE THIS?
Ready to have some fun learning a new language? Then take action on what you just learned - you’ll be glad you did! Be a good friend and share this post on social media.
Also, share this post with anyone you know who’s looking to learn a foreign language! Just think how good you’ll feel when your friends thank you for bringing them insight and some surprising discoveries about language learning!
I know most people don’t share because they feel that us bloggers don’t need their “tiny” social share. But here’s the truth…
I built this blog piece by piece, one small share at a time, and will continue to do so. So thank you so much for your support, my reader.
A share from you would seriously help a lot with the growth of this blog.
Some great suggestions:
Pin it! (I even made a pretty pin for ya!)
Share it to Facebook
Tweet it!
Flip it on Flipboard
It won’t take more than 10 seconds of your time. The share buttons are right here.:)
Thank you so much!
Question:
So, here’s the question: Have you started learning a language at home? If so, how has your experience been? Is there any strategy on this list that I missed that you use to learn a language at home? Do you find it easier to learn a language at home? Or are you distracted and procrastinating? Let us know in the comments section down below!
P.S. I want to hear from you today. No for real, get out from behind that keyboard and tell us more about yourself! Use the comment section down below and introduce yourself.
Hey, I’m Mara.
I am the founder and blogger of Sololingual helping anyone at any age, from any place, who wants to learn a new language. You can learn how to reach fluency in your chosen language fast, fun and easily studying a short amount each day and spending very little money using different language learning techniques, programs and resources at your disposal. Fluency isn't difficult to achieve. In fact, it’s easy when you find a solid method that walks you through every step of the way, and believing in yourself so that you can achieve your goal at becoming fluent in any language.
