10 Reasons Why You’re Not Progressing in Language Learning
Do you feel like you aren’t progressing fast enough, or at all, in your target language?
You are not alone.
We’ve all felt like that in one way or another.
It can be several reasons why you aren’t progressing, and, usually, it’s more obvious than you might think. To help you get out of your stuck, I have listed the ten most common reasons why people experience slow progress in language learning.
1. Lack of consistency
Consistency is one of the most important aspects of language learning. If you aren’t consistent and have no structure in your studies, you will likely experience slow progress.
Imagine that you have 10 new words to learn. Is it enough to study them on Monday for 20 minutes, then 5 minutes on Saturday while you’re in the bathroom and then jump onto the next set of words a few days later?
No.
If you want to learn and memorize these words, you should read and repeat them several times daily, if possible. Even if it means just repeating them for 10 minutes before going to bed every evening.
Make language learning a routine – create a schedule. Make sure that you get regular input. Consistency is key.
2. Not investing enough time
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when learning a new language. They tend to overestimate the number of hours they spend on language learning.
This is why it’s important to create a schedule and routine that you follow religiously. Studying only when you” feel like it” is rarely cutting it. That’s when people think they study more than they actually do.
Make it a habit to study 45-60 minutes daily; don’t just wing it.
3. Using the wrong content
Another frequent mistake I see people make is using content that is either too hard or too easy.
I recommend that you find material that is slightly above your level. By doing so, you will understand most of the content – but it’s still challenging, as you don’t understand everything.
If you understand every single word, phrase and grammar point – then what are you actually learning? Sure, you are practicing and making sure that you remember everything, but you won’t see any progress.
The way forward is to learn new things.
However, you won’t learn anything if the content is too hard. That’s why I don’t recommend full immersion to complete beginners. If you can’t even understand 10% of a video, then you won’t learn much, if anything.
It’s crucial that you use the correct materials and that you progress gradually.
4. You are not enjoying it
When something isn’t fun, you are less likely to engage with it or give it your full attention. Even if you are sat there by the dinner table hammering grammar, it’s easy for the mind to drift off while studying.
Not to mention that it’s easy to “do it tomorrow” or give up when it’s boring and tedious.
Contrary to what many believe, language learning can be fun and engaging. It doesn’t have to be a chore that you avoid until the last minute.
The” affective filter” is a real thing. When you are relaxed and engaged, you are more open to learning. When you feel anxiety, self-doubt, or boredom, it will certainly have a negative effect on your language acquisition.
You can read my 15 ways to make language learning fun.
5. Not repeating and reviewing
It’s not enough to read a grammar rule or 20 new verbs and then be done with it.
To learn and memorize new content, you must revisit, repeat, and review it.
If it was as easy as reading a textbook from page to page, everyone would be a polyglot.
I hardly remember what I ate for dinner yesterday, let alone the new vocabulary pack I added to my Anki deck a few hours ago. It’s essential to go back and repeat things.
6. Using the wrong method
There are hundreds of different methods for language learning, some better than others.
The thing about these approaches is that there isn’t one that is above the rest. We are all unique, with different preferences and styles. What works best for you might not be the optimal approach for me, and vice versa.
Try different language learning approaches to see what fits you and your way of learning. The reason why you aren’t seeing any progress might be because you are using a method that isn’t suitable for you.
You can check our collection of language learning methods to find an approach that fits you.
7. You have no clear goals
I am a firm believer in setting clear and realistic goals. It makes studying so much easier.
Having a clear goal makes it easier to plan and measure your progress. You should know where you are going, how to get there and a clear definition of when you are there.
This means that your goal should be precise.
Here are some examples of clear goals:
- Be able to order food at a restaurant
- Read the first Harry Potter book
- Count from 1 to 100
You see, now you have something to work towards. If your goal is to be able to order food at a restaurant, then it’s obvious which phrases and words you should learn. It’s also clear when you have achieved your goal successfully – when you can order food without translating anything.
Your goals shouldn’t be general, like “get better at my target language”. How do you get there? How do you know when you have achieved your goal?
Set clear and defined goals for yourself.
8. No feedback and guidance
One of the main advantages of having a teacher is that you’ll receive continuous feedback and guidance in your language learning. It helps you stay on course and sail towards your goals.
But when you are studying on your own, you are practically alone on the open sea. You pick which materials to use, how to use them, and what you will do when studying. That’s a great freedom to have, but the lack of feedback and guidance can be challenging.
Learning a language on your own is possible, but don’t underestimate the importance of getting feedback and guidance from others.
If you feel like you are stuck and don’t progress, hire a tutor to get some help, if only for a few lessons. Ask natives for advice or visit language forums to get help and feedback from others.
9. Tunnel-vision and the same old routine
One important aspect of language learning is diversifying your input and output. Language and ways of communication aren’t the same everywhere. The language in a news article isn’t the same as when two natives talk to each other, and the dialogues in movies aren’t the same as interviews in a podcast.
Widen your horizons and get input from several different sources. It doesn’t have to be drastic changes; sometimes, it can be enough to just watch other YouTubers instead of your favorite one.
If you listen only to one person speaking your target language, you are limited to that one person’s sounds, word choices, and structures.
Open up to new resources you haven’t explored before, whether new podcasts, YouTubers, movies, books, or music genres.
We have made a collection of resources for a bunch of languages. I recommend that you check them out:
10. Not paying attention
When you are studying, are you really paying attention?
I think many of us are guilty of “studying” while doing something else. It’s OK to listen to podcasts while driving or watch movies while playing games. You are getting input, and that’s good, but you are not giving it your full attention, making it less effective than if you had been solely focused on studying.
By all means, consume your target language while doing other things simultaneously. It is one way of learning, but understand that it isn’t effective learning. Make sure that you have several sessions each week where you give your language studies your complete attention and focus.