Practice patience

Be patient with yourself.

Why?

Because language absorption takes a fair amount of time. There's no getting around that fact.

If you try to rush it, or force it, then you'll put yourself under pressure. That works to your disadvantage, because stress slows down the learning process.

Be in the mindset of enjoying the journey. Savor it. What's the hurry?

Something happened to me when I was 15

In my 16th year, at school, something happened to my brain. I learned to learn. 

It was only a small change, I admit, but it brought about a huge change. Within a term I leaped effortlessly to the head of the class in those subjects that dealt largely with concepts—Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and to a certain extent Mathematics.

I figured out that all I had to do was listen. I would listen to the teacher with the aim of understanding what he was talking about. I asked questions until I did. And then I sat back, satisfied, and relaxed. That’s all I had to do, and it worked.

I never did anything else. I didn’t memorize information. I didn’t complete the exercises. I hardly did homework. I didn’t study, although if I was interested I might do a little reading around the topic.

Since then, this approach has always succeeded. The only times I’ve ever done poorly with my academic work was when I strayed from those principles and tried to learn via conventional methods. If I treated the subject ‘seriously’ and formally, then it wouldn’t go well. I’d stress out. I’d fail. I’d quit.

Now then, what if I was to use this approach with learning a new language? (At school I’d dropped Latin and French the previous year . . .)

Instead of trying to memorize rules and vocabulary, I would just notice patterns and see how the language worked. I’d expose myself to it in a light, wide and shallow way. I wouldn’t analyze, study or try to learn in any way. I’d just express interest.

Therefore, I wouldn’t feel the slightest strain. I wouldn’t put any pressure on myself.  I’d avoid all stress. It would be fun. It would be easy.

And I'd go to the top of the class again, I’m absolutely certain.

A daunting prospect

Most people can’t contemplate learning a new language simply because the prospect of doing so is too daunting. And of those who try, only 1 in 20 succeed. Why should that be?

Is it the time that’s required?

Is it embarrassment at the thought of making mistakes?

A little, perhaps. But I feel that the biggest impediment is the tedium, frustration and hard work that they imagine such a project would involve.

And that’s fair enough. Who would willingly endure such stress? Who’d try, unless they had a damn good reason? And no means of escape?

But if there was a way to eliminate, or to bypass, all of that hardship, what then?

Why then, the sky would be the limit!