10 Big Challenges for Learning a New Language

Learning a new language can be pretty daunting. It’s exactly like relocating. Well, when you move to a new place, you meet new people, experience new culture, learn new facts, and similarly, a new language means learning new words, words that you haven’t used in a conversation. Yes, that’s the advantage of a native language, you know it like the back of your hand. However, foreign languages require not just an effort in learning. You must be passionate about your learning journey.

The process will also include your language skills. For example, if you are an English speaker who has never spoken French in your entire life, then to achieve your language-learning goals, you should be a good language learner. You must understand that what’s probably a waste of time in the eyes of most people, should be a pleasant and healthy activity for you. And if that’s not the case, you’re probably not made to learn a new language.

10 Big Challenges for Learning a New Language

So, now that we have established who can and can’t learn a new language, let’s move on to the next step, the Challenges.

Fear Of Failure

Most of us can relate to this fear. Remember how you never took that dance class because you thought you’d fell in front of everyone? well, that’s quite the same. Going through a new language, even basic grammar, taking notes, noticing differences in your language and the target language, all can rattle you and make you wonder whether it was a good decision at all.

To overcome that feeling, you need to believe that every language is unique, beautiful, and requires real-life practice in basic conversations. It is because you are going to use your newly learned languages in real-life situations after all. Another way to negate that fear is by telling yourself that it’s truly brave of you to try and learn a new language. The appreciation and motivation will help you move on from the first challenge.

Finding Time

Sticking to a schedule is essential in learning a new language. People who are students or have full-time jobs find it hard to take out time from their daily schedules. To solve that issue, you have to analyze a few things, how important is this to you?

If you step out of your comfort level and take that course, will it help you with your job or your academics, or in general you’ll be better at understanding and conversing with bilingual people. When you always have your goal in mind, you will take out time from your busy schedule and take out time for your ultimate goal of learning a new language.

Slow Learning

Well, that’s not you, that’s your brain. The brain of a 5 years old works differently than an adult. The older you are, the slower your learning process is. So, that’s just the way adult learning works.

To address that issue, you can work with a language partner. You can either pick someone at your school who’s taken the same language classes as you. Such a person will be great for conversational practice. You can also take assistance for test practices from the language specialists at your university level.

Inaccessibility to Native Speakers

There is no better way to perfect your speaking and listening skills than to talk with native speakers. Not only are they more proficient in casual conversation, but they are also great for improving your basic grammar. But the problem is, most of the time, these people live far off. There’s no way of talking to them in person.

So, for that, you must pick an audio program. A lesson where you can hear real people responding to your questions. Even if you are taking beginner courses, this is the way to go about your practices.

Getting Used to New Scriptures

Some languages are very different from others. Some even more than the others, especially in the way they are written. For example, Chinese, Arabic, and Indian languages are written in scriptures that are not as same as the English language and that can make you wonder will I ever be able to write them without hesitation? Well, you can only find the answer to that by trying. Consider it a new project. See what works for you and try it again and again.

You never find it hard to write in your native language, that’s because you have been doing it for a long time and you saw it around all through your life. So, start reading books in the language you are learning. Spend more time going through their literature and soon it will become easier for you to read and write in these languages.

Finding Relevant Courses

Another challenge that many linguistic enthusiasts face is finding a course that suits their learning level and area. For example, students who are doing a foreign language study are on advanced levels and they can certainly enroll in advanced courses. However, someone with an average knowledge of a new language should start with a beginner’s course.

The solution to this problem is modern-day language help apps. They are easy to use, accessible all the time, and on top of all, they are available in hundreds of languages. These apps are designed to meet the needs of newbies and language lovers. If you are already proficient in a language and opting to perfect your craft, then advanced courses can work for you.

Grammar

Gaining grammatical fluency and accuracy can be very difficult to achieve. New languages have new rules, some of them are even harder to understand let alone master. But the key is to stay consistent. The only approach to grammar must be a determined one. Remember, learning grammar takes patience and a certain level of dedication but the outcome is also worth all the effort.

Sentence Structure

Sentence structure in many languages is different than in English. Knowing what to place where is the only way to do it right. You can learn the rules of placing them right via grammar and punctuation but it’s going to be a commitment. Again, you can familiarize yourself with the sentence structure of a certain language by reading their books, newspapers, ads, and other literature.

Certification

Finding an authentic institution where you can get certified after taking a language course is a task in itself. If you are associated with an entity that has no value abroad, taking that course might go in vain.

To counter that, you can check the institution’s name on the internet, check if they are acceptable at places where you are going to be employed or where you want to apply further. This can save you from the trouble of spending time and money on the wrong institution.

Fear Of Making Mistakes

Last but not the least, many people don’t muster the courage to learn a new language because they fear that they’ll make mistakes and embarrass themselves. First of all, to be proficient in a language, you must practice speaking it a lot. And while you do it, you’ll make mistakes and without that, you can’t learn it.

Secondly, you’re doing something that’s not everyone can do. You are adding to your language skills and if in that course, you make a few mistakes, you must wear them as medals, not as something to be embarrassed about.