Struggling to Learn a Foreign Language? Here are 5 Reasons Why.

Have you ever heard the myth that someone either is or isn't a "language person"? If so, strike it from your memory. We're all born with the mental machinery to learn languages—it's just that there are successful and unsuccessful ways to learn them. 

But what if you’re struggling to learn French, Mandarin Chinese, or some other foreign language? Here are five reasons why, plus what to do about them.

1. Searching for a “why” 

Why are there four grammatical cases in German? Why are there two verbs that mean “to be” in Spanish? Why is French so hard to pronounce? 

These are all normal questions that foreign language students have. In fact, it’s a good sign that students entertain these queries because it means they’re thinking critically about the material. However, it’s important to recognize that these questions may not always have a clear answer. 

It’s also important to recognize that in some cases, when there is an answer available, knowing it won’t always be useful. For instance, what if you discovered from researching that certain French sounds are hard for English speakers because they simply don’t exist in English? Would knowing that information help you improve your French pronunciation? Probably not. 

Sometimes it’s better to accept that each language has its peculiarities and that you just have to learn them as best you can. When you’re feeling frustrated, just tell yourself, “It is what it is,” and look for resources that will show you how to learn the concept as opposed to why the concept exists.  

2. Constantly translating phrases or words

Translating can take a lot of effort and bear little fruit. Andrea Byaruhanga explains why: “Your target language is entirely different from your first language, and you should treat it that way. It grew from different cultural norms and contexts. Truly learning and understanding how to use a language goes far beyond translation.”

When you first start learning another language, you may feel the need to translate everything because you still don’t know many words. While translating is convenient at times, such as when you want to check your comprehension or when you encounter a totally new and perplexing word, it can turn into a counterproductive habit that eats up time and keeps your first language, rather than your foreign language, in the spotlight. 

Yet another issue with translating is that it often leads you nowhere. Literal translations are rarely useful, as anyone who works in translation will tell you. Imagine, for instance, you encounter the German expression “Die Daumen drücken.” You copy and paste the expression into an online translator, which indicates the meaning is “to press the thumbs.” Now you’re more confused than you were before.

“Die Daumen drücken” is an expression that means to keep one’s fingers crossed (i.e. to wish someone luck) but you wouldn’t know this if you only considered the individual words. Because there’s rarely a one-to-one correspondence between words and meanings, translating is a technique that only works a fraction of the time. Instead of translating, try to get a sense of the idea being conveyed, based on the context surrounding the word or phrase. 

3. Memorizing isolated vocabulary words

Memorizing vocabulary lists is not only boring, it’s also highly ineffective. Have you ever studied a list of 20 or so words for a test, which you aced, but then you forgot half of them by the following week? It’s been shown that, “Rote memorization of words and definitions is the least effective instructional method resulting in little long-term effect.”

Another issue with vocabulary lists is that they are often studied in isolation. What good is it to know that “vacío” means “empty” in Spanish, for instance, if you can’t use the word in a logical and grammatically correct sentence? 

Vocabulary words should always be studied in context—that is, in phrases or sentences that make their meaning clear. For instance, instead of just writing that “vacío” means “empty,” you could create a simple sentence with it that you can remember: “El refrigerador está vacío. Debemos ir al súpermercado.” (The refrigerator is empty. We need to go to the grocery store.) 

4. Working silently

Students who study foreign languages in silence are probably not learning to their full potential. To improve your pronunciation and comprehension of a language, get in the habit of reading all instructions, texts, and other course materials aloud. (Students who worry about how they might sound are encouraged to do their homework in a private space.) 

Talking to yourself is an especially helpful technique for auditory learners, or those who learn best by listening. According to Molly St. Louis, “While many of their classmates and coworkers struggle to get through a lengthy lecture, an auditory learner will soak up the information they hear and remember up to 75 percent of it.” Imagine, then, how much auditory learners can benefit from listening to themselves during a study or homework session!

5. Listening only to class materials

Listening is one of the four language skills students must practice regularly. In fact, listening is frequently ranked as the hardest or second hardest skill area (after speaking) for foreign language students. Part of the reason is that language classes and textbooks are highly structured and curated, so students become accustomed to hearing the language spoken in its clearest, slowest, and most proper form. 

A foreign language outside the classroom is much less “perfect.” Just ask anyone who has studied abroad. Out in the world, many people speak without pauses, use slang and abbreviations, and pronounce words in non-standard ways. To get your ears used to the language as it’s spoken by natives in real life, you must expose yourself to the language in everyday contexts—on the news, in movies, etc.

But listening to just any material is not a great idea either. Choose your sources carefully—start with kids’ shows if you’re a beginner or news programs if you’re more advanced. 

Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.