Have you always wanted to learn another language? You probably are one of those people that took two years of French or Spanish in high school but can only remember how to ask where the bathroom is. Why is that? Here are some mistakes you probably made:

1. You stopped learning.

Learning a language is not a one time accomplishment that will last for the rest of your life. You have to maintain that ability. You probably can’t remember any of what you learned in high school because you stopped learning when you got your grade. It’s like a muscle. If you don’t work out regularly you aren’t going to have much muscle mass. Learning a language is an everyday task.

2. You focused on memorization.

While memorizing words is helpful, it’s not going to benefit you in the long run. You have to learn to understand how a language works. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. When they see a table, what word comes to their mind? Obviously the word for table in their own language. When learning a language, people will often associate the word they are trying to learn with the word in their own language rather than the actual object it is describing. Memorizing is OK, but you have to learn to see the world through the other language’s eyes.

3. Your goal was to get a good grade.

When you focus on doing well on flashcards and tests, that’s all you’re going to be able to do—flashcards and tests. Learning a language is extremely difficult and requires a lot of hard work and if your only goal is getting an A, then you won’t really learn that language.

4. You gave up when it got tough.

You are going to make mistakes, but it’s from those mistakes that you really learn. Learn to be patient and show yourself grace. It’s OK to say something wrong; laugh about it and move on! I’ve seen so many people who struggle more than necessary because they are too afraid to take a chance and use what they have learned. They let the fear of saying something wrong or embarrassing hold them back from a learning opportunity.

5. You viewed your own language as superior.

You may not mean to do this, but viewing other languages as inferior or wrong can greatly hinder your understanding of how the language works. It’s not wrong, it’s different. It’s not better or worse than your own language, it’s just different. Learn to stop basing everything you learn about the other language on your own language. Start seeking to learn it as if it was all you knew.

You can do it!! Now that you are aware of some behaviors to avoid, you can start working that muscle again! Remember to show yourself grace and keep pushing every day!

What tools and strategies have you found helpful in learning a language?