How to Learn a Language in 30 Days
Photo by Olya Kobruseva, Pexels.com
Traveling to a new country can be amazing but also intimidating. It’s especially intimidating when the official language is different than your own.
I believe that you should never let a language barrier prohibit you from traveling to a new place. In fact, I encourage it. Immersing yourself in a new place with a different tongue puts you in the shoes of immigrants in the US every day. It will make you uncomfortable and put you in the space where you must think on your feet. And hopefully, it would break the assumption that people should automatically know your native tongue.
That was my case when I went to Martinique in 2017. In spite of the 9 years of French classes, Google Translate and body language were my main communication tools. I was too shy to even speak the little French I remembered.
I headed to Guadeloupe the following year and like Martinique, Guadeloupe is another French overseas region. I wanted to be more prepared this time, so I created a French lesson plan.
In order to learn a new language before your travel, you have to get the basics down. Here’s a few topics that every traveler should know.
Greetings
Directions & Transportation
Common Places
Money
Date & Time
Weather
Food & Customer Service Conversations
Once you have your basics down, learn the phrases and words based on your travel activities. Take me for example. I planned to learn about Creole cooking while on the trip, so I learned a few advanced cooking terms. If you are going to the World Cup in Brazil, brush up on sports terms in Portuguese before starting a conversation at a game or bar.
Besides learning the language, you should also research the cultural behaviors and manners. What might be a compliment in the US might be offensive somewhere else. Learn cultural behaviors such as tipping, proper introductions, and common body language.
Once you gather the all the topics you need to learn, it’s time to choose your learning programs. Since I’m on the go, I tend to use apps. Here are my favorites.
I was introduced to the Duolingo app through a friend of mine before going to Brazil in 2016. Since then, it’s been my main learning source. What I like about this app is the quick lessons ranging from 5 to 10 minutes. I tend to finish a lesson or two when during my bus ride to work. Another thing I dig, is the format of the lessons. In each lesson, you read, write, listen and speak the language. Besides the lessons, they also have a new Stories feature where you increase your reading and listening comprehension. And all of your learning is rewarded through a points system where you compete with people around the world.
One huge con is that Duolingo doesn’t give you an in-depth lesson on conjugations and other language rules. A quick solution is to research the specific language rules before continuing a lesson. Another con is that you must complete certain levels before learning terms and phrases from a specific topic. Unfortunately for me, I had to learn about animals before street signs and places. However, the first few lessons will cover most of the basics that I suggested.
The Tiny Cards app is the flashcard companion of Duolingo. I think of this app as a extra tutoring session since it helps me review lessons I had on Duolingo. Tiny Card’s huge pro is that it gives you the freedom to roam around the different topics. Similar to Duolingo, Tiny Cards is very interactive. You will write, read, listen, and talk the language on this app.
The Beelinguapp allows you to immerse yourself in a new language through audio books and music. You can dive into your favorite fairy tales all the way to novels. It has features where you can reference a word you don't know, pause, stop, repeat a sentence and more. What was great about this app is that the it also has a side by side feature where you can see English and foreign language versions together. Also, you can listen to the audio book while your phone is sleeping. I was able to read the Ugly Duckling in French and learn a few new words and sentence structures.
Tandem is a cool app that connects you with native speakers around the world. You can basically spark up a conversation in French with someone in France, Quebec, the Ivory Coast and more! And in return, you can help them with their English. Since this is a language learning app, there are features to help improve your language skills such as a translator and a grammar proofreader. But the really cool part is that after exchanging 50 messages with your Tandem partner, you can video chat with them. This feature allows you to get more language practice in real time. I’ve been using Tandem for 3 months now and I’m hooked. I love talking to folks about music, travel, and culture while getting French lessons.
Meetup.com is where you can find different social groups in your local area. I’ve been a Meetup member for over 5 years and used this site to find vegan, fitness, and film lovers in my area. Recently, I found a French speakers group who meet up once a month to practice their French. There are tons of groups like this in the US and Meet Up can help you find them.
Don’t get it twisted. I will always have Google Translate on deck when I travel. With different features like Instant Camera Translation, Storing Languages Offline and more, it’s a great tool to have as a backup. Google Translate helped when I took the wrong bus in Martinique. Who knows where I would be without it.
Just in case you were wondering, all the apps I mentioned are free, with the option to upgrade for a fee. But that’s it! I truly believe that with these resources, consistency, and an open mind, you can learn a new language in a minimum of 30 days. But whether you have 30 days or 172, you will be just fine. Remember to be patient with yourself and have fun!
