If you feel like you’re always forgetting the same phrases on the path to fluency, you need to use the language learning hacks of people who have already made it to the finish line.
That way, you can stop feeling like every minute you spend on learning your dream language winds up wasted.
Before I learned the tips and tricks of the pro language learners who ultimately became my friends, I lived in a constant cycle of frustration.
For example, I started learning German way back in university.
I even took fourth year courses in German literature at York University.
Later, I took German fluency courses in New York and Berlin.
But it wasn’t until I started applying the exact hacks fluent speakers use to pick up languages faster that I was able to start speaking German with ease.
I’ve since applied what I learned to improve my Latin, pass tests in Mandarin and make progress in Sanskrit.
Since you’re putting in the time to study and practice your dream language, you deserve to know these hacks.
And once you learn and start using these 10 hacks, fluency isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable.
Let’s dive in.
10 Language Learning Hacks I Wish I’d Known 40 Years Ago
I attended a French immersion school when I was a kid.
Later, I attended a standard English school and took French courses in high school.
But the tragedy is that my home country of Canada teaches language in incredibly ineffective ways.
My goal is to help you teach yourself any language.
And if you do take a traditional course, make the most of it because you know how to fill in the gaps.
There’s no particular order of importance here.
Each hack matters, so please combine them all for best results.
As the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method and author of multiple bestselling books on language learning I’d love to tell you that my favorite memory techniques alone can do the trick.
But the truth is that you need to bring multiple factors together so that you can succeed without overwhelm.
One: Transform Your Surroundings For Daily Immersion
A few years back, I shared my strategies for immersing yourself in a language without leaving home.
That was during the lockdowns, and I really stayed focused on surrounding yourself in a foreign language without going outside. These tips include:
- Watching foreign language movies with the subtitles on
- Reading books in the language
- Using sticky notes on objects around your house with their names in the language you’re learning
But now that we can roam freely again, make sure to load your smartphone with:
- Music in the language
- Short conversations (there are many great podcasts for this)
- The best available software for language learning (here are my recommendations)
- A properly constructed Anki deck based on my frequently updated Anki tutorial
You might be wondering, “What about podcasts that talk about how to learn a new language as such?”
That’s a great question. Let’s address it next.
Two: Develop a Language Learning Strategy
You’ve probably heard it said that failing to plan is planning to fail.
This is where spending a bit of time educating yourself about how polyglots learn languages can really help you out.
In case the term is new to you, “poly” means “many” and “glot” refers to languages.
People who are polyglots rarely learn languages by accident.
They have strategies.
Ultimately, you do have to develop your own.
But the hack here is that you spend time working out what that strategy is going to be.
I talk about mine in more depth in this video:
To learn from the polyglots who have helped me the most, check out these Magnetic Memory Method interviews with:
Three: Use Principles Like the Pareto Principle Carefully
Many people struggle to follow the advice of language learning experts because they don’t understand the underlying logic.
For example, there’s something called the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule.
The language learning expert Steve Kaufman discusses it in a video called 80/20: learn any language with the Pareto Principle.
Although he’s very successful, not everyone will benefit from focusing on high-frequency words in the same way.
But you should still understand this principle so you can shape it to your needs.
Understand how many words you need to learn in your language. It will help you set milestones you can actually achieve.
Personally, I just use the word-frequency list I created with the help of my polyglot friends years ago in combination with my own lists.
In case you’re not familiar with high-frequency words lists, these are just collections of the words most commonly used in daily speech and newspapers.
The problem is that many of them are constructed based on Zipf’s law.
Although it is true that words like “the” appear more often than “blueberry,” you still need to know both.
And you need to be able to express yourself through conversations based around your interests.
So my suggestion is this:
- Find a reasonable word-frequency list and use my vocabulary memorization tips to master it
- Identify the most important topics you need and want to discuss daily
- Work with a language tutor to learn the words and phrases on your “want/need” list
- Commit them to memory and start using them
This way, you’re benefitting from the general advice given by language learning pros, but also personalizing your journey.
Personalization is so key, and an important part of what memory scientists and learning experts call active recall.
Four: Start Speaking Immediately (Even If It’s Just To Yourself)
I remember feeling like a loser and a winner at the same time when I asked a local cafe owner if she was the boss in Mandarin.
She was completely confused.
But I pushed forward and repeated myself a few times until she understood.
She repeated the question I was asking and I learned to pronounce it much better as a result.
It’s for this reason that language learning experts encourage you to speak from day one.
Benny Lewis is one of the most vocal polyglots about this recommendation. That’s why his Fluent in 3 Months is included in my list of best language learning guides.
He’s right.
You need to start developing the courage to speak early.
And it’s useful to just let the feelings roll over you. Just like I did in the elevator.
As a result, I later passed a major exam in Mandarin. For more tips related to that language, see my guide to learning Chinese.
If you really can’t find anyone to speak with in the beginning, or don’t yet have the courage, make sure you still speak what you’re studying out loud.
It will help get the sounds of the language into your ears and the muscle memory of your mouth.
Try This Right Now:
- Think of one phrase in your target language that you’ve been forgetting
- Look it up
- Say it out loud while recording yourself
- Listing back and notice where your pronunciation or recall falters
- Listen to the original and compare
This one minute of practice will help you understand the power of speaking.
Five: Listen with Laser Sharp Focus
Passive listening can help you learn a language.
But for best results, try this instead:
- Take a series or podcast in your favorite language
- Listen to one phrase you’d love to learn
- Get out your phone and record yourself speaking it
- Then compare your pronunciation against the original
Some language learning experts call this process “mirroring.” Others call it “chorusing.”
It works because you’re listening to both a native speaker and yourself.
Your brain will compare the two pronunciations for you, but you’ll also be able to consciously make corrections.
Although you will need some feedback from native speakers, you can practice mirroring on your own and keep up momentum.
If you like, you can also visualize the sound of your voice.
When the Chinese Language Institute in Guilin China invited me to teach memory techniques, the co-founder Bradford Fried showed me how his students were recording their voices and looking at graphic readouts of how they sounded.
Then, they could see those readouts next to the look of how the software visualized the sounds of native speakers in comparison.
Using a software like Audacity, that’s easy to do. Alexander Arguelles has even more tips for you as well using this software for the listening aspect of language learning:
If you read the comments on that video, there’s another great tip for using Audacity as part of your listening:
Rather than speed up files using “change speed,” use “change tempo” instead.
It’s a small difference, but one that allows you to go through familiar material faster without creating the “chipmunk effect.”
Six: Carry a Language Learning Kit Everywhere
Most of us have more spare time than we think.
But more and more, we’ve compressed all our learning tools into apps on a phone.
Due to digital amnesia and a failure to manage dopamine, many of us are burned out too.
That’s why I have a language learning kit I take with me everywhere.
It carries a few things related generally to memory training and combating brain fog.
And it always includes a foreign language book so I can keep practicing.
In this video, I show you what I carry and how simple and easy it is to incorporate a bit of language learning throughout your day. Even when you’re at the gym:
Seven: Read the Right Kind of Foreign Language Books
Many adult language learners pick books for kids because they seem like they’ll be easier.
Wrong.
Kids learn languages so fast that many of those books are far more obscure than you might think.
They often use compressed, poetic language as well.
You wouldn’t hand a person new to English a Dr. Seuss book, after all. No one speaks like he writes.
Instead, pick a kind of book designed for adult learners.
They’re called “graded readers.”
You can get simple and fun versions of Sherlock Holmes stories, or The Hobbit in Latin, etc.
The key is that they have examples of the kinds of words and phrases you’ll actually want to use.
Although it can take some time to find something you’ll want to read, it’s worth the effort.
Eight: Read Your Foreign Language In Optimal Ways
One of the best tips I ever received is to just get started reading and keep reading.
“But what if I don’t understand a single word?”
Read anyway.
I know it sounds like madness.
But in reality, you’re immersing yourself in the language.
Even just a few minutes per day in the beginning will help.
Soon, as you keep reading, writing, speaking, memorizing and listening to the language, you’ll find yourself understanding the language.
One of the best additional tips around reading I can give you is to practice what Jones and Sidwell call “anticipatory reading” in their Latin textbooks.
This means that instead of stopping to look up words you don’t know, take a second to guess what it probably means in context.
Even if you get the answer wrong, you’re training your brain to try and work out the answer.
This will strengthen your skills at interpretation. And save you time because you’ll be able to figure out what things mean without looking them up soon enough.
Beyond that, make sure to:
- Read in short doses so you don’t burn out
- Read regularly over the long-term so you don’t have to start from scratch due to forgetting what you’ve learned
- Stop when you feel frustrated
- Write or draw words that interest you using my “Magnetic” Flashcard method
Finally, as a sub-topic related to reading, sometimes you really do want to consult a dictionary.
For that, I prefer to use monolingual dictionaries as soon as possible.
This is the kind of dictionary you see me pictured with in the feature image above for this tutorial.
It has German words described in simple definitions written in German.
These dictionaries are specifically designed to be simpler for people learning a new language. I talk more about how to use them in The Story of How to Learn and Memorize German Vocabulary, my first bestselling book.
This type of dictionary can be hard to source, but your language tutor should be able to help you find one.
They are worth working with if you’re serious about learning a language faster.
Nine: Leverage Learning in Small Doses
Many people think they have to spend hours on a language every day.
Although that might help some of us, it’s rarely necessary.
No, breaking things down into smaller amounts is a proven learning strategy.
Some people call it “micro-learning,” but far better is to understand the chunking memory strategy.
It tells us that when we group what we need to learn together in small batches, we will remember more.
Although this Barefoot TEFL Teacher post is directed at instructors, it’s an excellent resource for anyone learning a new language too.
Pay extra attention to the warning that chunking can create the illusion that you’ve learned more than has actually entered your long-term memory.
And please don’t use chunking on its own.
Make sure to add spaced-repetition. Carefully timed revision of chunked language material will ensure better results.
And that’s why the next hack is incredibly powerful.
Ten: Use Memory Palaces Optimized for Language Learning
Okay, what I’m about to suggest is a bit more advanced than your average memory hack.
But the Memory Palace technique for language learning is a tool well worth your consideration.
That’s because it lets you rapidly commit words, phrases and grammatical principles to memory.
You can even apply the technique to various grammar rules.
To learn it well, check out my full tutorial on how to build a Memory Palace and use it properly.
Eleven: Use Handwriting Instead of Just Tapping & Typing
Writing is one of my favorite fluency hacks.
That’s because it lets you get in more reading practice.
You have to read what you’ve written, after all.
Plus, you get more of your muscles involved.
We’re not entirely sure why writing helps you remember more, but this study shows that when you write, your brain engages more deeply with the material.
As a result, you enjoy deeper encoding.
The best part?
When you bring it all together, you can practice the Memory Palace technique in combination with spaced repetition and active recall to speed up your progress.
The motivation and momentum keeps things fun as you enjoy a steady rate of progress.
Frequently Asked Questions About Language Learning Hacks
As a lifelong language learner who teaches memory techniques, I’ve answered dozens of questions since my first book came out.
Here are some rapid-fire questions and answers that will help you out.
How can I remember vocabulary faster?
The best way is to combine strategies.
I suggest learning the linking method in combination with everything discussed above.
It gives you memorable associations for any word you want to learn.
Do language learning apps really work?
They can, but it depends on your strategy and the quality of the app.
Check that the person who created it has learned at least one other language using the app.
And make sure to combine it with other proven language learning strategies, like speaking with a native.
What if I have a bad memory?
Most people don’t have memory issues. They just haven’t trained their memories.
That, or they don’t use their memory enough.
But language learning provides great memory exercise. That’s why studies in bilingualism show increased cognitive reserve amongst language learners later in life.
Start where you are now and soon you will feel a variety of benefits from studying languages beyond fluency.
How long will it take to become fluent using these hacks?
As I wrote in How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language, basic fluency takes 600-2200 classroom hours.
Those hours don’t have to take place in an actual classroom, but that’s a good indicator.
If you have doubts about your discipline or focus, consider tackling those issues.
Your Next Step Toward Lifelong Fluency
Every fluent speaker I’ve ever met uses memory systems in one form or another.
And every fluent speaker has found that the journey is not linear.
It’s rotational.
That’s why I suggest you make sure your strategy takes you through a scheduled plan of:
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking
- Memorizing
My speciality for the past fifteen years as the creator of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass has been to show people how to use memory systems in a step-by-step process.
If you’d like to give my techniques a try, register for my free memory improvement course today:
You’ll complete your first Memory Palace, practice active recall and finally start retaining the language you want to learn. For life.
Remember:
Your next breakthrough in language learning isn’t another app or grammar drill.
It’s in your strategy and in how you use your memory.
And your memory is waiting to be trained.
Make it happen!
