How to Learn a Language by Self-Study

---

You’ve decided you want to learn a language. Good call!

When you start a new language, you can find yourself with a lot of questions about where to start. Should you buy a textbook? Enrol in classes? Book lessons through a service such as Preply? Should you get help, for example through the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp, or go at it alone?

When I got serious about learning Spanish, I asked myself questions like this. In the end, I tried a bit of everything – enrolling in courses, studying every day and speaking at every chance I got.

It was a lot of effort!

Then I realised something. In my classes, I was following methods of language learning that, put simply, just weren’t meant for me. I wasn’t excelling at all in an academic setting, so what was the point of persevering with this type of study?

So, I resolved to strike out and tackle language learning on my own.

I haven’t looked back since. All my languages are self-taught, and it’s what works best for me.

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.

Self-Taught Language Learning: What’s So Good About It?

I’ve found self-study to be the best approach for several reasons:

• You can go at the pace that’s right for you. Courses are typically taught in a group setting and come with set lesson plans. With students learning at different speeds, some may find themselves frustrated, wanting to speed ahead, while others struggle to catch up. Self-study means you can learn at the pace that’s right for you.
• You can sit on the couch and study. The beauty of self-study is that you can do it anywhere. At home, during a coffee break, on vacation. Wherever you want to. When I knew I’d be spending time in Japan, I dedicated a few months to learning the language even though I was living in Spain at the time.
• You save money. Language courses with a tutor can be pricey – some running at thousands of dollars per module, or tens of thousands of dollars per year. With a self-study approach, you can find the resources that suit you best, and invest in those. Even if you spend a few hundred dollars on resources, you’ll have saved thousands compared to taking a taught course.

Self-Study Can Build Useful Skills

Self-study makes you more self-sufficient, as you learn you can get better at a skill without the help of a paid expert.

I really like the DIY ethic, which is similar to self-study. It starts from the idea that many skills become more approachable when we take time to find good instructions, practise and ask for help when we need it. I strongly believe that far more adults can learn a foreign language than assume they can.

A DIY approach still needs suitable resources, regular practice and feedback. Self-study does not have to mean studying without other people.

Luckily, we live in an age where pretty much any kind of information you’d ever need is a few mouse clicks away…

Self-Study – Where to Find Resources

The Internet has been a game changer when it comes to self study. If you were looking to learn a language in the years before the web burst into existence, you would have had a pretty hard time going at it on your own.

Now, there are many courses and resources online at a range of prices, from language-learning podcasts to pronunciation programmes.

The Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp combines independent study with a community, milestones and speaking practice.

Self-Study and the Growth Mindset

Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research helped popularise the terms “fixed mindset” and “growth mindset”. They describe beliefs about whether abilities can develop, not permanent types of people.

It’s all to do with mindset, and here’s what she discovered.

A fixed-mindset response treats ability as largely unchangeable. When a new skill gets difficult, that belief can sound like: “This isn’t for me; I’ll never get any better.”

When it comes to languages, one fixed belief is that anyone who did not learn as a child has no chance as an adult. As you might know, I disagree with that.

What about people who are good at learning?

A growth-mindset response treats ability as something that can develop through effective strategies, practice, feedback and support. It does not mean effort can erase every barrier.

That response can make a mistake feel like useful information rather than a verdict on your identity.

As J.K. Rowling (herself no stranger to failure) once said:

Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing.

The good news is, you can change your mindset. Even if you have a fixed mindset, you can adjust it to a growth mindset.

That’s a good idea if you’re planning to learn a language by self-study.

Where is the joy in living, if you don’t embrace the opportunity to continue on learning for the rest of your life?

I Learned so Much More When I Started Self-Study

When I first took a self-study approach to language learning, I had no idea what I’d end up getting out of it. It turned out to be a lot more than I imagined! I got not only what I hoped – the ability to have real conversations in another language – but many more skills besides.

I began looking for people to practise speaking with, which pushed me out of my comfort zone and improved my social skills. My confidence increased when I learned to laugh at my mistakes and not take myself so seriously.

Being an engineer, I was already pretty good with technology, but my knowledge of computers improved as I transformed my laptop into a language-learning machine.

I spent hours researching language resources on the Internet to find the very best ones.

And eventually, I started a blog, and learned about sharing my approach to language learning with an audience. My blog has become a business, which has meant learning a whole new set of skills.

Who knows where your language learning will take you!

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start learning!

If you’d like to combine self-study with community support, take a look at the Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp.