I’m not talented at learning languages.
The only things that set me apart is that I:
Am willing to spend as long as it takes to reach an advanced level. For example, I’m at an upper-intermediate conversation level in Mandarin and 9 years have gone by
Have taken the time to figure out how to learn languages by experimenting personally and researching the topic of foreign language acquisition
Here’s a humbling story that demonstrates how effort and patience are the main keys to fluency for me.
I have a friend who started learning Mandarin at the same time as me. We both dedicated about the same amount of time learning every week using similar methods. Mandarin was her first foreign language ever, whereas I’m “Mr. Azren the Language Nerd.” Lol.
In theory, I should have progressed faster than her.
In the end, we progressed at roughly the same rate.
I was stronger than her when it came to pronunciation and casual speech. She was stronger than me in terms of vocabulary, reading, writing, and grammar. Our conversational fluency was about the same, but she was more fluent when it came to deep discussions. I, on the other hand, was better at casual, day-to-day interactions.
I’m not special. Reaching fluency is all about:
Time and effort
Still be sure to enjoy the process! Don’t make it a chore. Effort does not necessarily equate to dull or unenjoyable
Patience
Being knowledgeable about how to learn a language
I’d recommend a book called Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner as a starting point
This page on my website is also a great starting point
Checking in every 4-6 months on your progress to ensure you’re actually getting better and not just spinning your wheels.
Book a level assessment with me or any other instructor that has a standardized level assessment process
Good luck on your language learning journey! Contact me here if you have any comments or questions on this post.