15 Ways to Make Language Learning More Fun
No matter how much we love languages, there are times when we want to do anything but study. It has become boring.
Every page, dialogue, and flashcard becomes a chore.
If anyone claims otherwise – they’re lying.
That’s true for everything in life, no matter your hobby or passion. I doubt Jimi Hendrix felt like playing guitar every time he went up on stage or that Lionel Messi wants to kick around a football anytime his schedule tells him to.
I have been studying languages for over 30 years, and with that experience, I have found ways to make language learning more fun.
Here are my top tips:
1. Take a week off
Nobody mentions taking breaks when talking about studying languages, especially not when they list ways to make language learning more fun.
But taking a week off is critical for me. It makes language learning so much more enjoyable.
If you are like me, you study your target language for 1-2 hours per day. During the weekend, I might get 30-40 minutes per day.
That’s a lot if you have a day-job or go to school.
When you come home from school or work, you are probably tired, either mentally or physically. Adding an hour of studying to that will take you from tired to exhausted rather quickly.
Sometimes, we just need to shut our brains off. No more pressure, no stress, and no activities that require a lot of brainpower.
As they say, your brain is a muscle. If you train your bicep seven days a week at the gym, it will not grow; rather, you increase the likelihood of injury and inflammation.
Your muscles recover and get stronger during your off days when you are resting and not lifting weights.
Your brain is no different.
When are you giving your brain off days? How often do you let your brain recover? Probably not enough.
If you constantly push your brain to store and memorize vocabulary you will exhaust it. Nothing is fun or efficient when you are exhausted and overdriven.
Take a week off and let yourself recover. Once you return, you will be in a completely different mood, with more energy and perspective on things.
2. Choose content that YOU enjoy
If you are learning by yourself and are free from the pressure of school curriculums – then you are the leader of the ship. You decide what you study and how you study.
The great thing about self-study is that you can discard all the boring material and focus only on what you enjoy.
Do you want to improve your reading skills? Read news articles, books, and dialogues about topics that interest you.
Are you practicing your listening comprehension? Listen to things that you enjoy.
There is no strict system on how to learn languages; you are free to study however you want to. Watching movies might not be the fastest way, but if keeps you motivated to keep on going – then why not?
Find learning materials that you like. You can check out the language-section to find resources for your target language.
3. Learn IN your target language
One of my secrets to making language learning fun is by learning in it, not about it.
Sounds familiar?
That’s because the idea comes from the CLIL method. Basically, it means that you study a subject in your target language. It combines language acquisition with content learning.
In school, the teacher will teach a subject other than language, in the target language. But it can also be done when studying alone, like I do.
For example, you can learn about French history only using content in your target language. If you want to study geography or mathematics, do so in your target language.
How many times haven’t you deep-dived into a specific topic? Probably loads of times. Next time you want to read about an old president or a historical event, read the Wikipedia article in your target language instead of your native language.
4. Watch movies and TV-shows
I know, it’s a boring and generic advice – but it is effective and fun.
Some days I simply don’t have the patience for endless drills and grammar studies. So, I put on a movie or a TV-show in my target language instead.
Do not overwork yourself. Allow yourself to consume media passively from time to time.
5. Change up your applications
Everybody raves about Duolingo, and I agree – it’s fun and somewhat addictive, as it gamifies language learning.
But sometimes, even Duolingo can become a chore.
So why don’t you switch up your applications a little bit? There are loads of different apps out there to choose from. Some of them have completely different content and methods, which can feel refreshing.
You can check out our language resources to find applications for your specific language. Here are some direct links to our most popular resources:
6. Play games in your target language
I advocate for learning languages through games, whether video games or traditional board games.
I mean, how many people around the world have learned English through video games? Probably millions.
A lot of modern PC games have been translated into different languages. There are also physical games like French Vocabulary Bingo and card games like Race to Madrid.
7. Use graded readers
A lot of people use children’s books to learn their target language. But their language levels can differ quite a lot, and you never know exactly what you get.
Graded readers provide you with a systematical and entertaining approach to language learning. It also makes it a bit of a competition when you “level up” to graded reader 2, 3, or 4.
8. Youtube, Youtube, Youtube
I think a lot of teachers lost portions of their income to Youtube.
There are so many great Youtube channels to learn from. Some are explicitly aimed toward students of the language; others are just for pure entertainment.
There are thousands, if not millions, of native speakers in your target language to learn from on Youtube. This also comes with the benefit that you can follow channels whose topics interest you.
9. Find podcasts
I admit it: I was late on the podcast-train. When I started using platforms like Spotify to find podcasts, a whole new world opened.
You can, for free, sit and listen to native speakers holding hour-long conversations about anything from finance and art, to movies and politics. The sky is the limit!
10. Local meetups
If you live in a big city, chances are that there is a community of language learners.
I live in a fairly small city, but even here, there is a café where people meet to teach and learn new languages. Usually, they have Facebook groups where they announce meet-ups.
11. Get old school – find a penpal
I guess this is where my age shows.
When I was 7 years old, nobody had Internet at home. Youtube did not exist and neither did Google.
My school collaborated with a school in France, which meant that every student received a penpal from France. We wrote in French, and they replied in English.
I was so excited when I wrote a French letter to this boy in Paris. I wondered what his life was like, what they learned in school, and if he played football like me.
Super-exciting!
The French school never replied, so, yeah, it wasn’t a great learning-experience. But it was fun to write, and I can only imagine how exciting it would have been if they had replied.
Constructing your own words on paper is completely different from typing them on a keyboard. Some studies even suggest that it triggers a different part of your brain.
Nevertheless, find a pen pal!
12. Keep a diary
On the topic of writing, I recommend that you write a diary or journal.
Write about your day, take notes, or write about your ideas. Write about whatever you like, as long as you write something. It’s encouraging and fun, even if nobody is ever going to read it. Become one with the language and play around with it.
13. Use recipes in your target language
If you enjoy cooking, I suggest you use recipes in your target language.
By doing so, you will not only learn and use the language but also get familiar with traditional foods.
Plus, your partner can be more forgiving if you used eight eggs instead of three because you misunderstood the recipe.
14. Books and audiobooks simultaneously
I often read a book while playing the audiobook simultaneously. It’s an immersive experience and really helpful for grasping pronunciations.
Many years ago, a friend recommended that I do this, and I remember thinking that it could be interesting to try. But I didn’t expect it to be as fun as it is. It really amplifies the reading experience.
15. Join forums and chats
According to some research, there are 5.35 billion Internet users worldwide. That’s around 66% of the world population.
A lot of those people communicate through their native channels, groups, and forums. Nothing stops you from joining those forums, either to participate actively or just to read and listen.