Challenges in Language Learning

When people learn a new language, there are always many obstacles and challenges that people need to overcome in order to reach a good level. These obstacles come in many different forms and today we are going to look at what we can do to overcome them so that we can fulfil our potential.

Don’t be embarrassed!

More often than not, many people are terrified of having to put the language that they are learning into practice and speak to people- the thought is petrifying. One thing that is a certainty when learning a language is that you have to realise that you are going to make mistakes because if you don’t, how do you plan to improve?

In order to combat the fear of embarrassment, you have to make the first move. If this fear is too much to begin with then practise in front of a mirror first until you are confident of your ability or in private with a friend.  It is recommended to look for a local language exchange if you are able to. By doing this you will have the opportunity to practise the language you are learning with someone (who is most likely in the same situation as you) but in a private environment. These local language exchanges can often be found through social media like Facebook with groups dedicated to it.

Memorising vocabulary can be tricky

Some people have problems when it comes to retaining information that they are studying. There are many different ways that we can try to memorise the information including the following:

  • Record your pronunciation and listen to it until memorised
  • Ask a friend to test you to see if we remember vocabulary we have studied
  • Use post-it notes to label items so that you can see their names without realising you are studying

These are just some of the ways that you can memorise vocabulary but it goes without saying that there are many more ways which can also be adopted.

Integrating into society and getting a native sounding accent can be difficult

People who learn languages know just how difficult it can sometimes be to get a firm grip on a native accent which is why it’s a good idea to seek out the natives. Practising with natives on a regular basis is excellent for your skills. This is because without realising it we start to imitate and copy the interlocutor’s accent which if done on a regular basis will start to develop into our own accent in the language which we are learning. Think about it – Nothing screams more integrated in a language than hanging out with people who speak it.

In addition to your language skills improving, hanging out with native speakers will improve your knowledge of the culture as well as giving you a better, more rounded understanding of the language and culture in general. This is very important because it is vital and very beneficial to know what a culture surrounding a language is like.

Self-belief is key

One of the most, if not the most important aspect is how much belief you have in your own ability and the drive you have to succeed. This is paramount because if you do not believe in your own ability to retain the information and practise the language, then you have already accepted defeat.

You can sign up for free to the ABA course to continue practising but remember to always make sure you set your own bars and challenges rather than someone else doing it for you.

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6 comments

  1. I loved the post, I am learning and seeking help on the Internet

  2. Many thanks for the great guidance you posted!I ‘m also developing my language skill .To be honest sometimes I feel a bit shy (stress) while talking to native speakers !!!But since learning about your website and going through the lessons I have changed positively …. 🙂

    • George Talbot

      Hi sohaila,

      Many thanks for your comment. We are really glad that our blog has helped you to feel more confident in your ability and feel more relaxed when speaking. Keep up the good work. If you have any more questions, you know where we are to help 🙂

  3. I read the post about challenges in language learning and some useful ways to overcome them which was published in “ABA English” blog. It was clear for me that this blog is for those learners who want to learn and use English in real life.
    The main message of this post is sharing some useful tips with learners who come across with obstacles and challenges while learning not only English but other languages as well. The first tip is called “Don’t be embarrassed!” , so author mentioned that majority of learners does not completely realize and even sometimes terrified to use the language in practice as they afraid of making mistakes. But it is obvious that without making mistakes we could not correct or improve ourselves. So as in my point of view the author gave really useful recommendation for learners who feel fear or be shy while speaking with other people in foreign language. Frankly saying, I myself many times tried the method which he recommended. Staying in front of the mirror I felt myself much more confident, I were able to observe the mimics and gestures and correct myself in any time. So this method works well and I recommend it to others.
    Another problem which learners can face to is memorizing vocabulary. From my practice of learning new vocabulary I can say that these 3 tips which author recommended can not be appropriate or useful for each learner. For instance, through recording my voice and listening, I can’t memorize as effectively as when my friend tests me asking different questions. If learners don’t satisfied with these ways there are many of others as author mentioned.
    Learning new vocabulary and just speaking are not enough to be fluent speaker. The accent has a great role on your speaking as well. So this is also can be a big problem for learners who have poor pronunciation. For these learners the author advice to hanging out with native speakers and imitate and copy their accent. I realize that this way is interesting and effective. Firstly you will be able to speak with good accent, secondly you will be surrounded with their culture and learn many new things from them. And the last and important way that author gave is self-belief. I agree with him, as if you believe on yourself even big obstacles can be overcome by you easily.
    The post can be useful and necessary for learners with a such kind of hardships in language learning. And I really hope that they will learn something necessary from your tips.

  4. I read the post about challenges in language learning and some useful ways to overcome them which was published in “ABA English” blog in 2016,July. It was clear for me that this blog is for those learners who want to learn and use English in real life.
    The main message of this post is sharing some useful tips with learners who come across with obstacles and challenges while learning not only English but other languages as well. The first tip is called “Don’t be embarrassed!” , so author mentioned that majority of learners does not completely realize and even sometimes terrified to use the language in practice as they afraid of making mistakes. But it is obvious that without making mistakes we could not correct or improve ourselves. So as in my point of view the author gave really useful recommendation for learners who feel fear or be shy while speaking with other people in foreign language. Frankly saying, I myself many times tried the method which he recommended. Staying in front of the mirror I felt myself much more confident, I were able to observe the mimics and gestures and correct myself in any time. So this method works well and I recommend it to others.
    Another problem which learners can face to is memorizing vocabulary. From my practice of learning new vocabulary I can say that these 3 tips which author recommended can not be appropriate or useful for each learner. For instance, through recording my voice and listening, I can’t memorize as effectively as when my friend tests me asking different questions. If learners don’t satisfied with these ways there are many of others as author mentioned.
    Learning new vocabulary and just speaking are not enough to be fluent speaker. The accent has a great role on your speaking as well. So this is also can be a big problem for learners who have poor pronunciation. For these learners the author advice to hanging out with native speakers and imitate and copy their accent. I realize that this way is interesting and effective. Firstly you will be able to speak with good accent, secondly you will be surrounded with their culture and learn many new things from them. And the last and important way that author gave is self-belief. I agree with him, as if you believe on yourself even big obstacles can be overcome by you easily.
    The post can be useful and necessary for learners with a such kind of hardships in language learning. And I really hope that they will learn something necessary from your tip

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