3 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages

3 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages Were you one of the kids in school who just couldnt grasp language classes?No matter how hard you tried, you just werent ever sure exactly what you were doing or why you were doing it.Rote memorization of grammar tables was boring.And fill-in-the-blank tests were stressful.It’s memories like these that can keep adult learners  from trying on a language on their own.After all, we keep telling ourselves were bad at languages.But were wrong! No one is bad at  learning languages, and anyone can learn any language.Schools traditionally have catered to  one  basic type of learning style, and that learning style simply doesnt work for everyone. Classroom-style language learning can be a bit misleading when it comes to different learning methods or individual talent.Language, in fact, is natural, and adults can (and do!) learn as easily as children do.There are plenty of different ways to learnâ€"again, no one is bad at learning languages.Still dont believe me? Here are three reasons why, along with some real, practical ways you can make language learning work for you. h13 Inspiring Reasons Why No One Is Actually Bad at Languages1. Traditional classes just dont work best for everyoneMost of us look back on our schooling with memories of strict classes, grades and stressful competition. A lot of the time, the classes were boring, too. Boredom  plus pressure? That does not make for a productive learning experience for a lot of people.Moreover, plenty of successful language learners sucked at their classesâ€"check out Khatzumoto from All Japanese All The Time and Ramses from Spanish Only. These guys figured out that they could learn differently, and set out on an immersion-heavy endeavor that got them to fluency!But even in the classroom, a lot of teachers and researchers are taking a second glance at how things are run these days. Ive had language classes that put some emphasis on native media and immersive, colorful textbooks.Some are even doing away with grammar m emorization and are teaching grammar in an organic way through exciting materialsâ€"students end up picking up grammar mostly through exposure.So if youre looking into language classes, see if your city has Total Physical Response (TPR) method classes, which teach vocabulary through using the target language alone, along with ample context. My first Spanish classes were taught in this style, and its a breath of fresh air when compared with traditional classes!And if TPR doesnt interest you, check out the textbooks the professor is using before signing up for the class. Look for colorful, fun textbooks that have large amounts of text in the target languageâ€"lots of reading samples. You need context to learn, so the less your native language appears in your target language textbook, the better.Just goes to show that old-fashioned, traditional classes are only one way of doing things. If classes arent working for you, feel free to switch to or supplement with exciting textbooks, nativ e materials or conversation partners!One place where you can look for textbooks that meet your needs is VitalSource. They have e-textbooks that you can rent or buy, along with a convenient reading app, and they carry books for many world languages.Another great option is taking an online course like polyglot Olly Richards  Grammar Hero or Conversations courses, which are designed to help you set up workable, step-by-step systems for learning your target language. Either course can act as an excellent bridge between learner-oriented and authentic material.Which brings us to our next point:2. Immersion is key!As already mentioned, a lot of learners feel like they dont get very close to proficiency or fluency from their high school or college classes. They then take the logical leap and conclude that theyre just not good at the language.Immersion, however, can help anyone get good at learning languages.In other words, try using native media right from the start. Movies, music, TV, anyt hing you can find. You can use Amazon third-party sellers, YouTube and FluentU.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks and more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what you’re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.Native materials are fun. They give you more opportunities to come into contact with the language. Traditional classes fail students  when they only provide cold, textbook dialogues and grammar tables.With inherently entertaining content like sitcoms and hip-hop at your disposal, exposure will ensure you cant be bad at the language. Language learning is oftentimes  a function of quantity, and classes oftentimes just dont provide enough.If you dont know exactly where to start, I recommend media made for kids, like cartoons and comics, if you can find them.My standby method is to YouTube search for [target language] cartoon and see what I come up with. You dont have to worry about understanding everything (or anything!) when you first start to use native media, but if this worries or frustrates you, kid media is the answer. Cartoons and comics are heavy on visual context, visual humor and simple storylinesâ€"this allows you to piece together what youre hearing with whats on the screen or page.Again, dont expect yourself to understand anything right off the bat. Native media provides exposure,  which works really well when combined with other methods, like classes and textbooks. Using different tools together allows each of them to support the other.When you first start using native media, simply try to pick out vocab words youre learning at the moment. Really easy things, like and, or the or because. And then take wild guesses as to the rest of the meaning!Dont worry about being wrongâ€"languages are  big  and require mistakes to learn:  As you get more exposure and experience, youll figure out your incorrect guesses and adjust along the way.Finally, native media helps you get addicted to things in your target language. When youre having fun, you keep coming back for more. Language exposure simply takes care of itself! It helps fix the issue a lot of solo language learners struggle withâ€"how to stay committed to a long-term project.If you cant stop listening to a certain band in your target language, well, your project has a lot more hope of staying afloat!3. Self-testing for memorization = amazing linguistic talentFinally, language learners (and students of all subjects) often have problems with memory. This is what made those darn grammar tables so difficult. And how does anyone remember new vocab words, anyways?The answer? Test yourself.What? That doesnt sound like fun? Well, its more fun than it sounds once you start to realize that youll get results. By quizzing yourself over time on new information, you sol idify that knowledge in your mind.  Think flashcards or covering up answers in your notes. No more staring at grammar tables or word lists until your brain turns to mush!Here are a few neat ideas you can benefit from.Spaced Repetition SystemsTo rev up your memory even more, use a  spaced repetition system (SRS). Youll no longer have the excuse that your memory just isn’t made for foreign languages. An SRS  is a flashcard program that uses an algorithm based on how quickly human memory forgets information. To start using an SRS, you can download apps like Anki or Mnemosyne, and you can take advantage of the built-in SRS on FluentU.If you start using an SRS, believe me, youll think yourself a linguistic genius. No more forgetting! Simply plug in your target language vocab and a translation on the back, and youre golden. Let the algorithm do the rest while you rack up a sizeable vocabulary. Learning vocab isnt something you just need to muddle through. It can be fun, easy and painles s. If youre considering learning a language with a new script, like Russian, Hindi, Chinese or Korean, dont be scared! You can easily learn new scripts and even characters by using resources like Remembering Kanji  /  Hanzi  by James Heisig (which uses mnemonic devices to help you out, and SRS is a great support for that). Anki has a huge library of user-made decksâ€"you can easily download a  pre-made Anki deck that teaches you Hangul or the Cyrillic alphabet.SRS can also solve all the grammar trouble you ever had in school.  How? Instead of entering solitary words into your flashcards, enter sentences in, perhaps from your textbooks so that you have a reliable translation to put on the back. By seeing and understanding the same sentences and sentence patterns over and over, youll absorb complicated new grammar more easily than you ever imagined. Tell me youre bad at languages now!Wordlists and paper quizzesWhat if you’re a low-tech sort of person? Well, paper flashcards can be e xtremely helpful in and of themselves. It doesnt have to be like your grade school classes, either. Context is important, so use flashcards for fun words youre learning from your TV shows and music, and include quotes and lyrics as examples. Since you already enjoy the media youre consuming, youll be more motivated to try to understand it!The same principle applies to the vocab you can learn with wordlists. If you have an aversion to flashcardsâ€"and they dont work best for everybodyâ€"wordlists are your friends! Check out the Iversen methodâ€"Iversen is an accomplished polyglot who is active at the How To Learn Any Language forum. And he is decidedly a paper-and-pencil language learner, so let him inspire you.Playing games!One more way to test yourself to solidify knowledge is by playing games. A quick Google search will lead you to grammar quizzes in the most popular languages. You can also  Google search in your target language to find games kids play in your target language itse lf.For example, when I was knee-deep into learning Japanese, I played around with kanji games  aimed at Japanese first-graders. El País, the popular Spanish newspaper, recently made a Spanish accents quiz (aimed at native speakers!) that can help learners identify the differences between different accents.Most of the time, when people think theyre just bad at something, theyre dead wrong.Students and solo learners alike only need to find learning methods that work for them and excite them.Thorough experimentation can even reveal  learning methods that are more efficient for everyone.Just because one method doesnt work for you, it doesnt mean nothing will.Dont write off language learning and all the wonderful fun and benefits that come with it. Just try something else!