Learning a new language is a great experience. However, many people who are interested in learning a new language don’t know where to begin.

Learning a new language does take a lot of patience, but the good news is that there are plenty of resources at your fingertips that make learning faster, easier, and cheaper.

You don’t have to be a world-renowned traveler or an A+ student to understand the basics of learning a new language.

Actually, with the right tools, you can learn a new language at home on your own—read more here.

You can put away your wallet too! Learning a new language isn’t going to cost you a lot of money.

In this guide, we’re going to go over 4 ways that you can learn a new language at home. Plus, the best online resources to make this experience easier for you.

4 Steps to Make Learning a New Language Easier

Yes, you can learn a new language fast from home. Once you know which language you would like to learn, you can educate yourself by following 4 simple rules.

There are plenty of resources online that can help you along this journey. However, before we get into those, we should discuss how you can make learning a new language easier.

Step 1: Correct Your Pronunciation 

One thing that makes learning a new language wonderful is that you don’t have to know every word to get by.

When you begin learning a new language, there are going to be a lot of new words coming your way. Even if you have a very good memory, you are likely going to feel overwhelmed. 

When you first start to learn a new language, it’s more important that you learn the correct pronunciation of a word than it is to know many words. Experts at language learning recommend that your break your word learning down by 20/80.

• 20 percent of your language education should be focused on learning new words.
• 80 percent should focus on how to pronounce them.

You will have the most success if you begin speaking the language from your first day of learning. This will help your brain memorize the words that you are learning. It will also help you get a better idea of the correct pronunciation.

Step 2: Use the Language at Home

The #1 excuse for not learning a new language is that people aren’t traveling to a country where that language is used.

Stop with the excuses already! If you want to learn a new language, you don’t have to travel anywhere. Actually, there are many ways you can include that language in your everyday lifestyle.

Thanks to modern technology, there are many ways to hear the language you want to learn. Many people use social media platforms or YouTube for listening to foreign speakers. Another great way to pick up on a new language is by watching shows or movies in the language you are trying to learn.

When you are starting to feel more confident in your language training, you can try the phone trick. Switch the settings on your phone to the language you are learning for a more immersive experience.

Step 3: Give Mnemonics a Try

Mnemonics are fun phrases you use when trying to memorize a new word or saying. These can be very helpful when you are trying to memorize words in a new language.

You can start making up mnemonics to learn one or two words, then expand to phrases as you become more familiar with the language.

Step 4: Don’t Ignore Flashcards

Flashcards have been used as a learning tool for decades. They are very useful for language learning as well. It is said that a person is more likely to learn a word if they look at it for 5 days.

Flashcards are a helpful tool, especially when you are ready to start learning more advanced words.

Best Online Resources for Learning a New Language

There are many great online resources to use when you want to learn a new language. All of these resources can save you time and money:

• DuoLingo– free online courses for several languages
• Foreign Service Institute– free online language courses
• Omniglot Intro To Languages– online language index
• BBC Languages- common phrases for over 40 different languages
• ThoughtCo– various posts giving helpful information towards learning new languages
• Anki– flashcard making app
• TuneIn– listen to radio shows spoken in different languages all across the world

Final Words

If you’re ready to learn a new language, the good news is that you can be your own teacher. Learning a new language on your own is now easier than ever before.

There are so many great resources online that assist people who are interested in speaking a new language, and there are even free online courses anyone can participate in to make learning easier.

Anyone who thought they would have to spend a lot of money or commit a lot of time to courses to learn a new language was wrong. Even taking a few minutes out of each day to work on pronunciation can have an impact on learning to speak a new language.

Image by Jason Leung.