Speaking another language opens doors: studying abroad, working in a bilingual environment, richer travel, new friendships. In Belgium, it is also part of everyday life. Here are our 7 tips for learning a language more effectively, at any age.
These tips apply to English, Dutch, French, Spanish or any other foreign language. They come from the experience of our coaches, who have been supporting pupils and adults since 2003.
1. Set achievable goals
Learning a language takes time. To keep going, you need to know why you are doing it: succeeding in a job interview, working with Dutch-speaking colleagues, going on Erasmus, watching a series without subtitles, chatting with a friend.
Once that goal is set, break the path into short steps. An overly ambitious goal quickly discourages you, while a small success makes you want to keep going. A few examples of intermediate goals:
- knowing the 50 most useful words of your daily life;
- being able to introduce yourself and explain your job or your studies;
- holding a five-minute conversation on the phone;
- understanding the gist of the TV news.
To assess your level and measure your progress, the European language scale (the Common European Framework of Reference, from A1 to C2) gives clear benchmarks, used by schools and many employers.
2. Practise a little every day
To learn a language effectively, regularity matters more than duration. Fifteen minutes a day brings more progress than one long session a week: memory retains better what it reviews often, at regular intervals.
In practice, review yesterday’s vocabulary before learning new words, and go over it again a few days later. Flashcards, on paper or in an app, make this rhythm easy to keep up.
3. Bring the language into your home
How can you keep learning a language after class? By bringing it into your daily life. Name the objects around you: first the rooms of the house, then what is in them.
Talk to yourself: describe what you are doing, what you see, what you are eating. This small exercise, a little strange at first, builds automatic reflexes without much effort.
Also change the language of your phone, your computer, your GPS or your sports watch. Every day you will come across dozens of useful words, in a context you already know.
4. Combine enjoyment and learning
We learn better when we are having fun. A language is also inseparable from its culture: make the most of what it offers. Depending on your level, you can:
- at first, watch cartoons, read children’s books or listen to podcasts for beginners;
- next, follow series with subtitles in the language you are learning, then without;
- later, read novels, watch films in their original version, go to the theatre or listen to the lyrics of the songs you love.
Watching the same clip several times is a good exercise: each time, you understand a little more.
5. Talk with others
Learning a language means, above all, wanting to communicate. Create regular opportunities to practise: with friends or colleagues who speak it, during a language exchange, or with a coach.
A language course in a small group or in one-to-one lessons offers a regular setting, where you do most of the talking and someone corrects whatever gets in the way of understanding. Informal conversations remain a valuable complement: if your friends live abroad, video calls and voice messages let you keep in touch in their language.
6. Dare to make mistakes
You have to take the plunge. Waiting until you can speak without mistakes means waiting a very long time. Mistakes are part of learning: they show what still needs work.
Speak with the words you have, even if there are only a few, and make yourself understood. Grammar still matters, especially for writing or for an exam, but it strengthens as you practise. At the start, what counts most is daring to speak.
7. Work on your pronunciation
Rolling your “r” in Spanish, placing the stress in Italian, working on intonation in English: imitating the local pronunciation puts you in the shoes of a native speaker and builds your confidence.
The aim is to be clearly understood, rather than to have a perfect accent. Listen to native speakers, repeat their sentences out loud, record yourself and compare. This effort also improves your own listening comprehension.
What about a child or a teenager?
These tips also work for younger learners, in the right dose. Children discover a language through games, pictures and songs. Teenagers become more fluent speakers before a language stay, an exchange or an internship.
If the goal is to raise a mark at school, support that follows the class curriculum is the better choice: that is what our Dutch tutoring or English tutoring offers.
Learning a language with a My Sherpa coach
To progress faster, regular support helps you keep up these good habits. Our coaches teachEnglish and Dutch to children, teenagers and adults, at home anywhere in Belgium or online, one-to-one or in a small group.
An educational advisor reviews your level and your goal with you, then chooses the coach who suits you. Now all that is left is to put it into practice!
