24 Expert Tips to Learn a Language, and the Best Language Apps

What are the best ways to learn a language and overcome common difficulties? Discover the best tips and apps to speed you on the road to fluency.

Learning a new language intimidates a lot of people, and understandably sparks an endless amount of questions:

“How long does it take to become fluent? What are the easiest languages to learn? What are the best language apps? Do I need to do a university course?”

First and foremost, learning a new language takes a LOT of hard work, consistency and a fair bit of external help. It isn’t easy. 

So is it worth the trouble to even learn a language? 

Absolutely! As anyone who has studied them will tell you, the benefits of learning and the change in perspective it brings far outweighs any difficulties you’ll face. 

That said, there is a huge amount I wish I’d known before I chose to study Spanish and Mandarin at university, and which would have made my road to fluency easier…

Like the fact that university courses aren’t always the most effective way to become fluent.

This became abundantly clear for me when I learnt 10x more working in a hostel on my year abroad than in 3 years actually studying. I did learn about super interesting topics like Mao’s rise to power and the Spanish civil war under Franco, but that wasn’t really my priority…

That’s where this article comes in! Keep reading for the best tips and apps to help you learn a new language and become fluent.

Learning a language is a habit… and as with any habit, there is no greater requirement than consistent hard work. You need to be able to come back and build on what you learnt yesterday, not relearn what you did a month ago because it’s been so long. In fact if you take one tip away from this article, let it be consistency.

Learning a language is almost always a long road, with many levels of success. This is why you want to make sure you are clear on what level you want to achieve, and super passionate about the language and culture. If you are asking “what language should I learn?”, you may not love it enough in the long run.

I believe that university is not the best place to hone your language skills. Unfortunately almost many courses include modules on history, literature and other subjects that may be fascinating, but will take up much more of your time than the language itself. There may be some good university courses out there for languages, but the next tip is much more convenient (and affordable!).

Courses are particularly helpful when you have no knowledge of that skill, since they provide an introduction and structure. No course is ever designed to be too difficult for someone to start, and this makes them a great way to start with small, achievable challenges.

Learning a language can be daunting when you think of all the words in the dictionary. However, when you learn that the 100 most common words make up 50% of all words used regularly, the task seems a lot more manageable. Focus on these 100 words and you’ll have a great foundation to build on.

Studying a language for 30 minutes daily is much better than one 4 hour session every 2 weeks. This is not only more pleasant (that 4 hour session isn’t fun, trust me), but you’ll progress and remember more. The language will also become a more natural part of your life and routine, making it easier to maintain.

Funnily enough, learning something new and sticking to what we know are contradicting ideas. Leaving your comfort zone is exactly what you’re signing up for, and in fact the benefits of this are what make the whole process so fulfilling. So throw yourself into it, and don’t look back!

Talking in a new language can be quite anxiety-inducing. After all, you are treading completely new ground, and that is scary. However this is a step you will need to take eventually (if you want to be able to speak fluently with others) – the sooner you take it, the quicker you’ll learn and become more comfortable.

Meeting new people is a great benefit of studying languages, but some people are more… “helpful” to learning than others. Avoid perpetual procrastinators, those who never arrive on time and judgemental “know-it-alls” at all costs! It also helps to find someone who has similar interests to you, so you aren’t stuck talking about the weather.

Another brilliant idea when trying to form a new habit is to enlist a friend to help or join you on the same journey. You can share in the challenges and overcome them with each other’s help… and best of all, travel together! (restrictions permitting)

There is a lot to cover before you become fluent in a language. If you don’t have an idea of what you want to study before you sit down, then this could mean you spend valuable study time figuring it out. Try allocating different study areas to different days, i.e Monday = Grammar (specifically what part), Tuesday = Vocab (100 most common words), Wednesday = Listening practise, and so on.

You will discover quite quickly that dictionary apps are very useful, but also a little hit and miss. The best way to use these websites and apps is for single words, since adding them into a sentence can go horrendously wrong. Check out our list of best apps for learn a language at the bottom of the article.

Do you learn better by physically writing things or using apps and online resources? For the latter, there are endless amounts of cool websites to learn vocabulary, create flash-cards, test you and much much more. Learning a language has never been easier than today.

We all want to be good at everything as soon as possible, but realistically learning any new skill will take lots of time and work. Be patient with yourself and the speed you progress. No, you won’t be fluent in a month… However, learning a language is a really fun experience and valuable exactly because there is no shortcut. So enjoy it, and take your time.

One of the more costly options, finding a good tutor can help you learn a new language quickly and understand concepts you may be struggling with. The wealth of experience they are bringing is focused on you, rather than an entire class, making tutors very effective for learning. Keep in mind that eventually you will need to progress without their help though.

When you first start having conversations, you’ll likely get stuck a lot. Learning some sentences like “how do you say …?” or “I’m not sure how to say this” allows the conversation to continue to flow. Ask your partner for the words you are missing, so next time you know how to say it and don’t get stuck as often.

Having conversations is incredibly effective as a learning strategy. Why? Well, you are exposed to loads of new words, you are practising thinking on your feet, thinking IN your new language, and generally improving your communication skills. You also practise words and sentence structures that you find natural to use, which is what fluency is all about. 

At a certain point, language courses tend to lose their way. After the initial “honeymoon” progress they send you on, courses tend to become less challenging and useful. A better solution is to teach yourself, focusing on the areas you want to improve on and finding relevant resources to help. 

Leave post-it notes on your desk. Listen to music or podcasts. Change your phone language. Get creative! All of these actions keep that language present in your mind, and help you absorb new information on a subconscious level. 

The first time you realise you are thinking in a different language is a surreal and wonderful moment. After all, you’ve unconsciously cut out the middle-man translator, and this will allow you to use this language with the speed of thought required to be fluent… When this happens, nurture this new voice and continue what you are doing!

Reading grammar books is fun and all, but my guess is there are things you prefer doing. Watching a show on Netflix with the original audio for example can really help you learn the language (shout out to “Money Heist” for those studying Spanish!). You can even just turn on the subtitles. You may discover some incredible bits of entertainment you wouldn’t have tried, and at the least it breaks up your learning.

The news is one media that is intended to be approachable and understandable for all ages. As such, the language used is generally very well articulated (there is nothing worse than a mumbler when you are practising your language listening) and the vocab isn’t too complicated. The window into that country is also useful and beneficial for context when you are learning. 

Even in our mother tongues, we’ve all been in a position where we can’t find the word we are looking for. In a different language, it’s not as easy to find a like-for-like replacement. How you navigate these sentence blocks is a massive part of becoming fluent. Don’t be afraid to reverse and try the whole sentence again, or choose a word that isn’t perfect but gets the meaning across.

One thing you’re guaranteed to hear while learning a language, is that nothing can quite improve your proficiency like travel. When travel is actually realistic again, going abroad is a super-charged catalyst for all of the tips in this article. You are constantly talking with others, having to express yourself in different ways just to get from A to B. Your brain is constantly seeing visual cues and trying to understand new things. Travelling is incredible for our health… but when it comes to languages, there is no better teacher or course than learning-by-doing in a new place.

Learning the basics: Duolingo (Price: Free | Android, iOS)

All-round knowledge: Memrise (Price: £70/year | Android, iOS)

Online courses: Babbel (Price: £72/ year | Android, iOS)

Grammar: Busuu (Price: £62/year for premium | Android, iOS)

Vocab: Drops (Price: £24/year in NY Sale | Android, iOS)

Finding a language partner: Tandem (Price: Free | Android, iOS)

Google Translate (Android, iOS, Desktop)

Say Hi (Android, iOS)

Microsoft Translator (Android, iOS)

Linguee (Android, iOS, Desktop)

Word Reference (Android, iOS, Desktop)

Pons (Android, iOS, Desktop)

Mondly (Android, iOS)

Mango (Android, iOS)

Rosetta Stone (Android, iOS)

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Kyri Rousou

Kyri is a multi-lingual marketer who uses his connection with wellbeing and travel to help others make the most of their experiences. Day-to-day, Kyri works as a Growth Marketing Manager (and Mental Health Responder) at Raconteur.

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