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Have you ever wanted to have a superpower? What if I told you that you have the ability to create one, and all it takes is twenty minutes a day?
You’re wondering… No way!?
But you can… we all have the superpower to learn another language. The human mind can do powerful tasks, and all you need is the mindset to achieve your language learning goals.
Learning another language can be a challenging task, especially as you get older. When I was in college, I fell in love with the Spanish language and wanted to learn it. I listened to Prince Royce, Juanes, C. Tangana, and constantly thought to myself, “When am I going to understand this? Por y para? The subjunctive?”
When you don’t live in an environment that fosters language practice or growth, achieving your language goals can feel like an uphill battle. I ALMOST quit early on. Instead, I practiced as much as I could.
Now I work in a vibrant community with Craving English that values and encourages me to be the best language teacher AND learner. Our passion for languages thrives, propelling us toward linguistic mastery.
Can you learn another language overnight? No, that’s impossible! But, with small habits every day you can achieve the impossible. You can actually change your brain.
At Craving English, we help you learn English in a fun way, practice with confidence, and give you support for real-life scenarios. So, let’s get into how small habits and mindset shifts can pave your way to learning a new language.
How Can Learning Another Language Help You?
No matter what age you are, you have the ability to learn a language through classes, YouTube videos, social media, and more. The options are endless!
The Benefits of Learning Another Language
- It can help you in your career. With the rise of globalization, the workplace is more interconnected and global. These days you could work with other North/South Americans, Europeans, and more. Especially if you learn English, you gain access to the world.
- You can connect with another culture. Unlock the beauty of Brazilian samba or watch Japanese anime without subtitles. Either way, you expand your cultural awareness.
- Your brain’s structure improves. Learning another language can delay Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. When you learn another language, the nerves in your brain become more interconnected. A bilingual person’s brain shows less severe memory loss and less cognitive decline.
Humans have the ability to create this superpower of language. You don’t need to travel to another dimension or have a radioactive spider bite you. There’s no harm at all learning another language.
Now, what’s the secret to getting this superpower?
A Fixed Mindset Versus A Growth Mindset
Many people give up on their language journey because they don’t know what they want. Their goals are not clear.
How will you set yourself apart from others?
Forty-three percent of the global population is bilingual. If they can do it, why can’t you?
What Someone With a Fixed Mindset Might Think
You’ve always wanted to learn another language, but…
- You just never have any time.
- You don’t have the talent to learn a language, especially on your own!
- It’s too difficult! It’s embarrassing to make mistakes.
- You’re too old to learn another language. You should’ve studied more when you were a child.
These excuses plague our thoughts whenever we do something that seems “impossible.” But, you can reframe your thoughts! Imposter syndrome holds you back from achieving your goals.
What Someone With a Growth Mindset Might Think
You think of your long-term growth. You accept and applaud yourself for minor achievements, and…
- You find the time to study your target language.
- You accept that failure is bound to happen. In fact, does failure exist when it comes to learning languages? Let’s think of it as feedback.
- You study little by little. You spend those five minutes watching a video about a concept you don’t understand yet.
- You accept your current situation rather than wait for circumstances to get better.
When we reframe our thoughts, the impossible becomes possible. Your mindset is EVERYTHING.
Three Reasons Why People Give Up Learning Another Language
One of the best mindset books I’ve read is The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. Let’s take his advice and apply it to your language studies.
- Studying a language feels difficult and painful.
But, it can actually be easy.
Wait a second… you just said learning a language is hard?
I said, it can be hard, but only if you make it hard. It’s easy to watch a video on verb tenses. It’s easy to listen to short conversations on a podcast. It’s easy to write an email in your target language. It’s easy to describe your outfit of the day in English. It’s easy to label your house with vocabulary. See what I mean?
- Your progress feels invisible.
You might keep making the same mistakes in class. Your mouth might feel uncomfortable to pronounce some words. You drag yourself to your desk to study. And then… one day, you catch yourself before you speak.
You forget that it used to be hard to pronounce that word. Your classes, study materials, and books naturally pull you to study.
- Your habits seem insignificant.
You skip a class, no big deal. You forget about your Duolingo streak, eh! You end up scrolling through your phone and tell yourself: What I do right now doesn’t really matter.
When you look at your actions as single incidents, it feels like they don’t make an influence on your life. But when you think long-term, they have a HUGE impact on your success.
Here’s an example from my own life:
I studied abroad in Spain for a year. I spent every day during the first semester speaking in Spanish. During my month-long break between semesters, I feared I wouldn’t remember anything. It wasn’t common to find Spanish-speakers in my hometown.
I decided to spend 15 minutes a day reviewing Spanish. I went through vocabulary lists one day. Other days I watched a YouTube video on grammar structure. When I was feeling lazy, I watched an episode of a Spanish-speaking show.
Even though I was speaking primarily in English at home for a month, I exercised my brain daily in Spanish.
By the time I came back to Spain, my mind felt sharper. I spoke with my new host mother with confidence and ease. I didn’t feel desperate to return to English nearly as much as I did when I first arrived in Spain.
Our Systems Help Us Reach Our Goals
Now is your time to create the most effective language learning path for YOU. Your simple daily practices result in massive successes!
Creating a system depends on each individual. Think about if you are a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner. There are multiple ways to study a language and find what works best for you.
The Steps You Can Take to Master Your Mindset
Knowing your why is essential. You don’t have to do impossible tasks to make your dreams come true!
- Why are you learning this language? Do you want to learn to improve your career? Do you have a partner who speaks the language? Are you interested in another culture? Are you learning for the fun of it? Do you want to travel to another country that speaks that language?
- What kinds of vocabulary do you want to know more about? Are there specific topics you struggle to understand or talk about? You can apply this question to grammar as well.
- What time of the day is the best time to study for you? Are you more productive in the morning, afternoon, or evening? If you’re a parent, could you study when your children are asleep?
- What accent do you want to focus on? English is the official language of over 67 countries and 27 non-sovereign entities. Plus, every country has its own unique set of vocabulary. Which one appeals to you the most? Or which one is the easiest to study?
Check out our podcast on accents and pronunciation!
- What will you do when you don’t feel like studying? What’s a passive way to practice your target language? Watching an episode of a show? Listening to music and reading the lyrics? Listening to a podcast?
Just like identifying your why is important because it is your foundation, figuring out your goals is also crucial to putting your motivation into practice. Let’s dive into exactly why that is.
Establishing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Let’s say you’re a complete beginner in your target language. You start as an A0 level learner. You decide your long-term goal is to be at the A1 level in 6 months.
What are some short-term goals you can complete to reach this long-term goal?
At the A1 level, you should typically be able to…
- Use common everyday expressions and basic phrases
- Introduce yourself and ask basic questions
- Talk about where you live, people you know, and things you have
- Speak slowly and clearly
Your short-term goals should enable you to:
- Read an entire children’s book in your target language
- Learn the alphabet of your target language
- Speak with clear pronunciation of basic words
- Order food in your target language (if possible)
So, you can apply the same idea to whatever level you are at in your target language.
Start Your Journey Learning English Today
Online resources provide one of the quickest ways to get started. It’s up to you to take those steps. Learning alone provides many benefits.
- You have the freedom to decide what to study.
- You can study whenever you want. Go at your own pace.
- You can engage with your material more and develop a deep understanding of a topic.
But, many other challenges could arise with self-taught language study. Finding the right order of materials to study can be overwhelming. Knowing if you’re using the right pronunciation can also be hard.
Maybe you need more structure and accountability. Classes are a fantastic option for this instance.
- A teacher could provide you with applicable materials and resources.
- You get direct practice with a native speaker.
- You could adjust your pronunciation immediately.
- You get more comfortable faster!
Remember, consistency is key. If you’ve tried and tried again on your own, then a class might be your best bet.
If English is your target language, consider taking classes at Craving English! With a personalized approach, Craving English offers classes with native speakers. You even have access to other resources like conversational clubs and DAILY challenges.
It’s time to finally invest in yourself because you deserve it.
As a last piece of guidance, remember that millions of people worldwide are in your shoes too. You’re not alone in this journey.
Craving English uses a dynamic, fun, and engaging methodology to empower you. Plus, you have access to a thriving community who are going through the same process as you. Learn another language here to learn more about the programs we offer. Find out which program works the best for you so you can start your journey to fluency today!