9 Language-Learning Walls and How to Work Through Them

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Hello, Language Hackers! I was very happy to receive this guest post from Cher Hale.

When this article was published in 2014, Cher Hale wrote The Iceberg Project, a blog about learning Italian and connecting with Italians through their language. Here she explores the brick walls that may be holding you back from your own language-learning projects. Over to you, Cher!

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It’s the feeling of stagnation, like sitting around and waiting for something to happen because you know you’ve been putting in the work.

It’s what happens when you feel a rush of demotivation because you’re tired of studying every day without seeing much of a return. Benny Lewis has hit language-learning walls too.

Brick walls. Some learners get through them, and some don’t.

So what makes the difference?

What separates the language learner who breaks through these walls and becomes fluent in their target language from the person who just keeps plugging along, hoping to make progress “someday soon”?

I had the same question as I was learning Italian and Mandarin Chinese. Jack C. Richards’s Cambridge paper Moving Beyond the Plateau gave me a useful framework. But not everyone wants to sift through an academic paper, so I’ll give you my practical take on the question: what can keep intermediate learners from progressing? It turns out that there isn’t just one wall, but several.

This is something we may feel instinctively, but it is easy to miss when we keep hearing about one proverbial wall. If we expect one breakthrough to solve everything, several smaller obstacles can catch us by surprise.

That, my friend, sets us up for serious expectation problems.

Here are nine common walls you might encounter in a language project, along with practical ways to work through each one.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

1) My vocabulary is too basic to hold a conversation

The problem: Your vocabulary is made up of surface language.

What do I mean by “surface language?”
I mean that you're stocked up with basic language, like “That is a chair,” without being able to make deeper distinctions, such as “That is a dining room table chair,” or “That is a rocking chair,” or “That is a recliner.” You know the words for basic things, but you can’t distinguish between finer shades of meaning.

An example I remember learning in Italian was the difference between words for bells:
• la campanella: a school bell
• la campana: a church bell
• il campanello: a doorbell
• il campanellino: a small bell, such as one on a pet’s collar

Your fix
Play a game in everyday life: describe what is around you in your target language, adding as much useful detail as you can.

Don’t just say, “I’m looking at a park.”

Say, “I’m looking at a park, and I see weeping willow trees. There are six ornately decorated, white benches that seem to be antique. There are red rose beds in a hexagon, and a fountain that has a dolphin carved in marble.” Go into serious detail, and look up words that you don’t know. Keep note of these new words as flashcards (in a good system like Anki), in a notebook, or any way that you can continuously revisit them.

2) I learn a new word but miss it when someone else uses it

The problem: You can't distinguish between the multiple meanings of one word.

There’s a term for this: polysemy, when one word has several related meanings. Richards uses the English word “head”, which can refer to part of a person, the head of a pin or the head of an organisation.

Your fix
Learn words in chunks so you have a better idea of how a word functions in context. As you progress, you might also add a dictionary written entirely in your target language. Its examples and definitions can show you how different senses of a word are used.

You can find many of these online for free. For example, WordReference offers dictionaries for several languages. You can also search for a monolingual dictionary in the language you’re learning.

3) I can't speak fluently, even though I understand the language when I hear it

The problem: You might understand more complex grammar tenses, but you’re not using them.

You might be conversational and able to hold your own, but you’re not fully aware of how to use the more complex grammar tenses that are necessary for more in-depth expression.

This varies by language. Mandarin Chinese does not inflect verbs for tense in the same way Italian does, while Italian learners may need to become comfortable using the subjunctive mood.

Some courses introduce the subjunctive after learners have spent a long time using the indicative. That can make it harder to turn recognition into spontaneous use.

Your fix
Choose one grammar pattern at a time. Notice it in clips, films, songs and articles in your target language, then practise producing your own examples.

Write short pieces and ask a tutor or trusted language partner to correct them. If you use Preply, you can book a tutor for focused feedback. This is an affiliate link, which means Fluent in 3 Months may earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you.

Have “shower conversations” (a term coined by Sid Efromovich) with yourself with an intention to use those tenses.

In these personal conversations, you can spot what you do not yet know how to use. Take those gaps to your teacher or study materials, then try again.

4) I don't know how to stop making the same mistake over and over again

The problem: You are continuing to make errors that you learned as a beginner but that were never corrected.

When you start learning a new language, especially on your own, there is a lot of new information to digest.

This marathon of learning that often happens at the start of a language journey can result in many mistakes that become “fossilized” over time.

If you work with a tutor or teacher, they may focus on the mistakes that most affect understanding and leave smaller ones for later. That can be useful, but recurring smaller errors may eventually need focused attention too.

Your fix
Consider one-to-one or small-group lessons with a teacher who understands the language well and gives the kind of feedback you need.

Be clear about whether you want corrections immediately or after you finish speaking. Ask for time to write them down if that helps you. If you learn well through listening and repetition, ask the teacher whether you may record the lesson. Record only with everyone’s clear consent, and store or delete the file as agreed.

Most computers and phones include an audio recorder, but your teacher’s platform may have its own recording and privacy rules. Check those before you start.

As you take care of mistakes that interfere with meaning, you can ask the teacher to focus on smaller recurring errors too. Tutors are available at a range of prices on services such as italki and Preply. For in-person lessons, try a reputable local language school or community group. Check qualifications, reviews, safeguarding and payment terms before booking.

5) I can understand the language, but I just can't speak it

The problem: You've spent your time practicing reading and listening to the target language, but you’re not confident in speaking.

As Benny often says, speak from day one if conversation is your goal.

Your priorities may be different if you are learning mainly to read literature or research. But if you want to converse, speaking practice needs a place in your routine.

Your fix
If you want your speaking skills to catch up with what you understand, combine attentive listening with regular chances to produce the language.

Pay attention to how speakers phrase ideas, then try those patterns in your own conversations.

Start by noticing how specific vocabulary is used, then practise it in situations where you have a reason to speak. You do not need to move abroad. A weekly conversation with a tutor, partner or local group can give you useful repetition. Meetup is one place to look for public groups.

If your target language has fewer local learners, look for a moderated online community dedicated to it. You could also organise a recurring video call or an in-person group, with clear expectations for level, format and safety.

6) The language I'm learning has too many words that all mean the same thing

The problem: You can’t tell the difference between verbs that have seemingly identical meanings.

As with vocabulary more broadly, learning the distinctions between similar verbs helps you express yourself more precisely.

For example, in English we have the verb “to tell.”
We can:
• Tell a story
• Tell something to someone
• Tell two things a part
• Tell a lie
• Tell your name

Other similar verbs for tell might be:
• Chronicle
• Describe
• Explain
• Narrate
• Recite
• Recount
• Report
• Reveal

But since English is a first language for many of us, we know that we wouldn’t use all of the verbs above interchangeably with “tell” in every situation. Some sound outdated, and some are a bad fit. It’s the same thing in your target language.

Take the Italian verb dire, which usually means “to say” or “to tell”:
• dire la verità: to tell the truth
• dire addio a qualcuno: to say goodbye to someone
• dire bugie: to tell lies
• dire di no: to say no
• dire di sì: to say yes
• dire parolacce: to swear
• dire stupidaggini: to say silly things
• non dire niente: to say nothing

Related Italian verbs include:
• comunicare: to communicate
• esprimere: to express
• dichiarare: to declare
• manifestare: to express or show
• narrare: to narrate
• raccontare: to tell or recount
• parlare: to speak

For example, if someone told us a story in Italian, we would normally use raccontare una storia rather than dire una storia.

Your Fix
Go on a synonym adventure. When reading books, note verbs that are similar but different in context. Make note of these and make it a goal of yours to use them in conversation.

If possible, ask a proficient speaker which verbs are common, context-specific or old-fashioned. A tutor, language partner or the WordReference forums can help.

7) I want to sound smoother and more natural

The problem: You do not yet have many everyday phrases or idioms at your disposal.

You probably use familiar phrases and idioms in a language you know well. Your target language has its own, and learning the ones people actually use can make your conversation more natural and expressive.

Your fix
Learn one useful phrase or idiom at a time. Try it in a “shower conversation”, then check with a proficient speaker to learn whether it is current, what register it belongs to and when it sounds natural.

For example, there’s a Chinese expression about a close understanding between people:
心有靈犀一點通
xīn yǒu líng xī yì diǎn tōng

The full line comes from a Tang-dynasty poem. Today the expression can suggest that two people understand one another intuitively, but its tone and context matter, so check an example before using it.

Or this one:
百聞不如一見
bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn

It means that seeing something once can be more useful than hearing about it many times, much like “seeing is believing”.

8) I learned a language in school, but my speech sounds too formal

The problem: You use a formal register even in casual situations.

Some university students mainly encounter academic language. In a relaxed conversation, their speech may be correct but sound more formal than they intended.

That does not mean there is anything wrong with a formal register. The goal is to notice how language changes with relationship, setting and region so you can choose appropriately.

Your fix
Learning a few everyday phrases can help, but register is about more than slang or idioms.

When it is appropriate, notice how peers speak with one another. Films, series, podcasts and real conversations can all provide examples, though scripted dialogue may not match everyday speech exactly. Pay attention to how relationships shape word choice and tone.

Notice:
• How do they speak to each other at work?
• What do they say to their family members who are older than them?
• What do they say to people who are older than them, but are friends?
• What do they say on holidays, birthdays, or during festivals?
• How do they speak to children?
• How do they write letters/emails?

Become a detective of social situations.

9) I've been learning a language for years, but I'm not getting anywhere

The problem: You are not comparing your output with clear examples from proficient speakers.

I’m not usually a fan of comparing yourself with other people. Here, the useful comparison is between two ways of expressing the same idea, so you can notice a specific gap and practise it.

Your fix
Find a tutor or proficient speaker you can practise with. Say a sentence in the target language, then ask how they would naturally express the same idea. There may be several good answers, so ask what changes with context or region.

Then try it in reverse. Have them give you a sentence in a language you share and express the idea in your target language. Treat this as a prompt for discussion, not a test with one perfect translation.

Jack C. Richards describes carefully structured output as one way for intermediate learners to extend their language resources. The key is to get feedback and use it in another attempt, rather than simply comparing yourself with someone else.

So there you have it: nine common brick walls and nine practical ways to start working through them.