If you're learning a foreign language, I'm sure there are things you've
always wanted to know but don’t know who to ask,
especially if you’re an independent learner like many MosaLingua users are.
Over the past 12 years, our team of polyglots, language lovers, and teachers
has helped millions of people learn foreign languages.
And we’ve noticed that, while every learner is different,
there are a few questions that pop up again and again.
Today I’m answering the most common questions asked by language learners,
so get ready for a bunch of useful information and tips!
from MosaLingua users and language learners in general!
I’ll try to keep my answers short and sweet in this video,
but I’ll include resources where you can get more info
if you’re interested in doing a deeper dive into certain topics…
1 - Where do I begin?!
There are many paths you can take to start learning a new language.
Based on our 12 years of experience, we know for sure that our path,
the MosaLingua method, works.
So here’s how I’d suggest you get started:
Start learning the most common words and key sentences,
and review what you’ve learned every day:
we usually tell learners to memorize 10 words/phrases per day.
Little by little you’ll build your vocabulary foundation.
Immerse yourself in the language for at least 10 minutes a day:
I recommend that most people do the majority of their immersion with audio rather than texts.
Learn correct pronunciation from the very start:
to avoid picking up bad habits that you’ll later have to correct,
always learn how to pronounce new words right when you learn their meaning.
And start speaking as soon as possible:
speaking a foreign language is a skill
that you only develop with practice,
so the sooner you dive in, the better.
Luca recently talked to a few successful polyglots,
who agreed to share how they go about starting to learn a new language.
It’s a really cool video,
I’ll link to it on the screen and in the video description so you can check it out.
2 - When can I start speaking?
Like I said, try to start as soon as possible.
In our method, we suggest a step-by-step process.
Start with self-conversation from day 1:
repeat the sentences and words you learn out loud
and simulate dialogues with yourself.
This will prove to yourself that you can actually speak, without the fear of being judged.
Then start chatting with other learners and send voice messages:
there are lots of language communities out there where you can find language partners
and start language exchanges, called tandems.
Using text and voice messages will help you break the ice
and take a step forward in terms of your confidence.
Next: schedule a 15-minute conversation with a language tutor:
once you’ve worked up some confidence, schedule a short conversation
with a native-speaking tutor.
Here’s some important advice:
if you don’t feel ready, that’s perfectly normal... you’ll never really feel ready.
Starting small is key, and if you prepare for the conversation beforehand,
it will be a pleasant and encouraging experience.
Finally, schedule longer conversations:
gradually increase the length of your conversations
as you learn more vocabulary.
No worries if you make mistakes and struggle:
the more you speak, the better you’ll get!
3 - How long does it take to learn a language?
The quick answer to this is: it depends on…
your level,
the languages you already master,
the language you want to learn,
and the amount of time and motivation you have.
To give you a rough idea,
if your new target language isn’t too different from the languages you already speak,
then you can expect to reach a “survival” or tourist level after 3 months
and become conversational after 6 months.
But it really depends on many factors, so these are just ballpark figures.
Luca dedicated a whole video to this topic, so you can watch that for a more detailed answer.
4 - What can I do to understand people better in conversations or TV shows?
One of the first barriers you’ll need to overcome
is not being able to understand what people are saying,
both in real-life conversations, and later on in movies and TV series.
From our experience, you need hours of consistent exposure to audio to improve.
This means that every single day, you should listen to your target language.
Even if you understand very little at the beginning,
doing this will help you get better.
There are plenty of resources out there for listening practice
such as podcasts, audio books, and YouTube videos,
but if you want to take the fast track,
have a look at our MosaSeries course,
which is 100% focused on
improving your listening skills, fast.
5 - I’ve lost my motivation to learn. How do I get it back?
Among the most frequent questions we get asked is about lack of motivation.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of... it happens to the best of us!
Here are some tips:
1 - Write down why you want to learn that specific language.
Be as specific as possible.
A good example is: I want to make the most of my trip abroad in 3 months
and have basic conversations with the locals.
2 - Put that piece of paper with your specific motivators somewhere visible
so you’ll never forget them.
3 - Be sure to celebrate your small wins...
4 - And accept that some days you’ll feel more motivated than others.
5 - And finally don’t rely too much on motivation in the first place.
Build strong study habits to ensure that you dedicate
at least 15-20 minutes each day to your target language.
6 - How should I learn grammar?
As for grammar, here at MosaLingua we have a pretty strong opinion,
which is that you should not learn grammar at the beginning...
at least not the traditional way.
At school, you learn grammar rules from day one
and you rarely have the chance to put them into practice right away.
And by the time you do, it’s too late—you’ve already forgotten the theory.
Grammar rules can also be a burden for those of us who want to start
speaking early on, like we recommend.
They’ll always be in the back of your mind,
and since you’ll want to avoid making mistakes,
you’ll think twice (or more) before you open your mouth, hindering your expression.
In our method, grammar comes a little bit later
and it’s learned through examples and practice.
For beginners, we think that the first 3 months should be grammar-free.
Once you’ve learned lots of sentences and subconsciously
understood the way sentences are constructed,
we start explaining the rules and provide flashcards and mnemonic devices
to help you harness the full power of grammar.
Best of all, with our method you learn a rule only when you really need it,
so you can put it into practice right away.
This "learning by doing" approach has proven extremely effective for our students.
7 - I understand almost everything I hear, so why can’t I speak?
The last question often comes from students who are at an intermediate level.
If you understand most of what you hear, then congratulations!
You’ve already reached a really important milestone.
Also your path is simpler because you know what to focus on from here on out:
speaking practice.
I already shared our tips to help you improve your speaking skills,
but if you are in this situation,
chances are you’re running into a barrier that’s stopping you somehow.
You can and you must overcome these barriers.
Without practice, you’ll never make progress
and never be able to confidently speak your target language.
To overcome the most common barriers,
watch Luca’s video about the most common language obstacles.
So, there you have it.
Those were the 7 most frequently asked questions we get from language learners.
Of course, that list could have been much, much longer…
if you want another video like this with other questions, let me know in the comments.
You can also add your own questions!
Don’t worry—there are no stupid questions. ;)
Take care and happy learning!
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See you next time!