The Truth About Learning a Language as an Adult Its Not that Scary

The Truth About Learning a Language as an Adult Its Not that Scary 3 Things You Should Know as an Adult Learning a New Language Do you still have a monster living under your bed?When we become adults, most of us leave behind the irrational fears and superstitions we had as children.That usually includes saying goodbye to the imaginary monster under the bed.However, most of us adults still approach learning a new language by treating it like the monster under the bed that scared us when we were young.Thinking about it freaks us out irrationally and were sure well never survive it.I hear you, but I have good news for you:  learning a new language as an adult doesnt have to be scary! The Truth About Learning a New Language as an AdultThe truth is, adults can learn languages as easily as those in their younger years. In some ways, adults even have a leg up on those little whippersnappers since adults better understand their personal strengths, weaknesses and learning styles.Its easy to be jealous of children who grow up in bilingual atmospheres, but you better believe that becoming a bilingual adult can be almo st as easy as becoming a bilingual child.If you feel like you need a pep talk every time that you open a language-oriented textbook, pay close attention to what Ill tell you today.And, most importantly, remember that you’ve got this.Seriously, you’ve got this! Have confidence in yourself in all things that you pursue.The fact alone that youre fluent in your mother tongue is proof enough that we all possess the intelligence to pick up a language.No matter your personality or preferred learning style, there are some things that you need to know and understand when learning a new language.3 Things You Should Know as an Adult Learning a New LanguageBelow youll find three things that you need to do if you want to successfully learn a language as an adult.These arent either/or suggestions, though. You pretty much have to do each of these things to at least some degree, otherwise it will be much harderâ€"if not impossibleâ€"to succeed in your language learning quest.1. Immerse Yourself in the Language Youre LearningNearly everyone agrees that if you want to truly learn a foreign language, you need to do so in an immersive environmentâ€"or at least create a learning environment thats as immersive as possible.Its often hard to find or create that immersive environment, to say nothing of the challenges of moving to a foreign country to learn a language! Fortunately, this is where adult language learners have an advantage.Adults have the ability to choose their surroundings on a day-to-day basis. Its up to you to recognize these opportunities in your everyday life and take advantage of them.For example, spending time at restaurants that serve food associated with the language that you aspire to learn can factor into your cultural immersion and language learning experience. You might just find a new favorite if youre open to trying different cuisines.Next, you need to learn the slang. We all aim to sound like a native, right? Knowing the proper slang words will make y our new language skills more practical and guide you as you assimilate into a new culture. Slang words are the difference between conversing in the classroom and in the real world. As you can assume, slang words will give your conversations excitement and authenticity. It creates common ground, and mastering a few slang phrases in your target language will help you manipulate the language and create your own phrases.Now that youre hopefully sold on the importance of “slanguage,” its a good idea for you to listen to music in your target language. Take the time to do the research, pick a few favorites, create your go-to playlist and grab your headphones.Listening to music in your target language will allow your mind to become familiar with the nuances that you may not read about in your textbook. Music is catchy and you wont even realize that youre learning!Podcasts are another great resource to foster success in your new endeavor. Some podcasts are even made specifically for thos e learning the language, but you can also learn a ton from podcasts geared towards native speakers, as long as you choose something that interests you. For example, most languages have some podcasts that discuss topics in the news, and as you rise through the ranks to become an advanced speaker, itll be important for you to stay in the loop with current events.As an adult, you take in a vast amount of information every day. Use this to your advantage and be sure that youre gaining your new knowledge bilingually.2. Integrate the Desired Language into Your Everyday LifeA perk of being an adult learner is that you have control over your schedule. As an adult youre able to organize your own life, and this is a huge win.As weve already seen, its important to immerse yourself by putting yourself into situations where you can have as many opportunities  as possible to speak the language. However, just because you hang out near people speaking a language doesnt mean youll automatically lear n the language through osmosis. A lot of the time, youll need to actively do things to help you learn.If you crave language immersion but are unable to spend a significant portion of time in the native land of the language, it’s time to get creative. Think out of the box and transform your home into a language immersion paradise.For example, many of us study a language in school when were young. However, we often dont learn anything, or we forget what weve learned immediately after weve regurgitated the answers for a test (lets just blame that bad habit on the monster under the bed). Still, why not turn that experience into something positive? Dig out your flashcards or word lists from primary school and get to labeling! Repetitive viewing of these labels throughout your home will help work vocabulary memorization into your everyday life.And if youre a newbie to your language (or if you threw out your old class notes), you can even find pre-made vocabulary stickers that you can st ick all over your house! Use your advantage of being the adult in control and re-decorate your home with bilingual notes. As an added perk, the time that you spend labeling your home counts as studying!As you look around your well-labeled house, youll realize that you can hack nearly every aspect of your life and your surroundings to help you learn more effectively.For example, theres no need to push your Netflix habit to the back burner to create more time for studying. Instead, keep watching your favoritesâ€"only change the audio language or add subtitles! The same goes for TV shows and movies. Far from being merely a distraction from your learning, they can be amazing tools to help you learn quickly.If you prefer stationary words to moving pictures, picking up a written publication in your target language from your local bookstore is a great way to learn. Reading in a foreign language can be intimidating at first but if youre persistent, youll thank yourself later. Find a genre t hats your jam. Especially when starting out, it helps to choose fun things that youve already read or are familiar with in your native language.Whether youre reading a magazine or the subtitles on your TV, save new words and phrases that you find and review them later. This can be done easily when reading digital materials so its a good idea for you to check them out as well.The next part of creating your own learning environment is perhaps the most effective: find someone to share your new passion with. Whether its a coworker, a friend or a dear family member, its likely that someone near you also wants to improve their lives through the power of language.Adults also have a leg up in terms of mobility and increased social possibilities. Take advantage of these opportunities and connect with someone who also wants to learn a new language.If theres already someone in your life who speaks your chosen language, great! Connect with them and commit to speaking. Even if some interpretive dance is required, the fluent you from the future will thank the present you for reaching out to your language partner.If you dont happen to already have a speaking partner, seek out communities of like-minded aspiring language learners. If utilized properly, social media sites and apps  like Facebook and Twitter can be huge assets. Type your new language into the search bar and get to scrolling. Before long youll find an account or group that you can confidently learn and grow with.When you find yourself surrounded by others who can encourage as well as challenge you, theres less of a chance that youll fall behind or, worse, abandon your language commitment. Even from a distance, the group mentality is proven to work.Its important for you to not be shy about practicing! No one expects perfection, but everyone is appreciative when they know youre trying to learn to communicate with them. Nobodys perfect, and thats OK!Which brings us to our next topic.3. Understand that You Exist on a Language Learning CurveOur brains are like muscles and, just like the ones we have in the rest of our bodies, if you practice enough, muscle memory will start to kick in. Practicing a new language engages your brain and requires you to listen, think and process new information, but after a while those processes start to become automatic.However, it doesnt become automatic immediately.  Theres no doubt that learning a new language is tough stuff. The consistency of the time that you put in will ultimately dictate how quickly youre able to pick up your new language.So while you may not get there immediately, youll get there eventually. Learners exist on a language learning curve, and thats a positive aspect of the process. I guarantee youll reach a point when it begins to click in your brain. Just like magic, youll find it easier and easier to make word associations and retain information in your target language.As mentioned before, youre an adult, so you can do what you want! The a bility to be in charge of your schedule is key to fitting language learning in when its best for you. On that note, set some short-term and long-term goals for yourself. Its also a great idea to include them as part of a broader goals system, to ensure that youre held accountable.Your long-term goals will enable you to plan where you want to be in a year or several months. Your short-term goals will help you concentrate on integrating the language into your everyday life in the here and now, while also breaking your big goal into more chewable bites.  As youve gathered from reading this post, the control that you command over your own life as an adult is an asset and luxury that children dont have. Take advantage of this fact! Youve earned it.Youre never too old to expose yourself to the joy of learning a new language. Nobody ever said that it was going to be easy, though.But if you want to learn a language, the time that you put in will be worth it. Keep your eyes on the prize! Sta y motivated.Now that youre equipped to conquer a new language, go out and do it! Theres nothing that can stop youâ€"not even a monster!Katie Reese is a freelance writer with a passion for languages. She has a love for cultures that differ from hers and believes that every person has something to offer the world. Language is a superpower that serves to open others up and learn from their life experiences.