Why Language Classes Don’t Work

Have you ever taken a college or high school language class and felt like you weren’t actually making any progress toward fluency?

Or maybe you felt so discouraged with the difficulty level of the course that you didn’t even make it past the first couple weeks. . .

Why Language Classes Don’t Work

We’re not prepared to learn language through a largely mathematical process of memorizing grammar and vocabulary - although this is a necessary part of language learning.

Is it possible to learn as a complete beginner to fluency using college classes?

Of course, it is - for those of us with exceptional study skills and experience with language learning. But even I wouldn’t endeavor to rely entirely on a college course for acquiring a new language.

We need prior exposure to the language we’re learning before we delve into studying its grammar and structures, an experience we can only get through listening and speaking - but feel free to throw a bit of reading and writing in there too.

How to Get Prior Exposure to Your Target Language Before Classes

Self-studying and tutoring is like the equivalent of the amount exposure we have to a language before we start kindergarten in our native languages. Except, unlike when you learned your native language, you already have the ability to read, writing, speak and listen in your language well - or at least better than when you were five years old.

So how do you go about getting this exposure?

You can work with a tutor if you’re really unsure where to begin. This is an excellent option for those who want the structure and instruction they would normally get in a college course but without the stress of mandated vocabulary and a strict timeline.

But what if I really, REALLY want to be an independent learner and self study?

Working with a tutor doesn’t mean you’re not an independent learner. In fact, it’ll help you become better at self studying. All you need to do is practice what you learn with the tutor on your own in between sessions as well. Practice this, and as you find areas that are unclear or exceptionally interesting, take time to explore these topics.

The more you practice and explore, you’ll naturally find your own learning style and process leading you to become more and more of an independent language learner. And most importantly, you’ll develop the skills you need to be successful at learning your target language.

How this Prior Exposure Helps with College Classes

Aside from having developed more advanced study skills, you’ll be more prepared for your college classes because you’ve now already learned some of the language. You may not have had any formal tests - you may not even be able to speak or write well - but you’ve learned some vocabulary, simple sentences, and gotten an overall feel for the language. This’ll make the class feel easier because you’re learning the grammar and vocabulary sets for a language you’re already somewhat familiar with - like you did with your native language.