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Writer's pictureFederica Lupis

Can I learn a language on my own?

Updated: Jul 29, 2023


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Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash


By Federica Lupis, https://www.federicalupis.com/

Language trainer, interpreter and translator.


One of the most common questions I get when talking to someone who wants to learn a language is about the choice between teaching themselves or hiring a teacher.

For some learners, the answer is straightforward and comes down to preference. For others, it may require some thought.


Let’s see what factors you should consider before making a decision.


Are you an active or passive learner?


Think about the last time you learned something. It could be a recipe, changing your car’s oil or playing an instrument. Did you learn on your own or did someone teach you?

Learning a language cannot be compared to any of these activities. However, your past behaviour can be a good indication of which learning style you may enjoy the most.


When learning a language:


Active learners take care of the whole learning process. They find their learning resources, decide on the best learning strategies, and usually have a clear plan to achieve the result they want.


Passive learners are committed to learning a language but prefer not to take care of the learning material and strategies and enjoy having the guidance of a teacher.


Personally, I started out as a student and it took years of experience as a teacher before I decided to teach myself Japanese. However, many people out there have successfully learned a foreign language on their own without any previous experience.


I think the choice comes down to two factors: your discipline and how much time you have on your hands. Simply put: can you see yourself researching different learning material, coming up with a plan and sticking to it without the help of a teacher?


If you’re still not sure what to do, it might be worth trying both strategies. You may find that a teacher makes your life easier or that your will is so strong that you could teach yourself more than one language!


Good luck with your studies and thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed my article, you can discover my tried and tested language learning strategies in my books:


How to learn a language fast

How to learn a language fast

and here are this month's book offers:


This article was brought to you by NN Occupational Health, experts in Pre-Employment Screening.


Go to the Italian version


To read my previous article click below:

 

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