If learning a new language is about connecting with other people, shouldn’t you listen to actual people about the best language-learning tips? Enter the internet — that great, oft-uncharted digital landmass of memes, chats, the occasional hate speech, debates, tweets and many, many pictures of cats.
The internet’s your place if you’re looking for authentic, personal narratives from the people of the world about, well, anything. Sites like Quora let people share their stories and expertise, and Twitter lets many of us bare all our inner thoughts and feelings (in 280 characters or fewer, that is).
We love the communal power of Reddit, which is a great hub of information and opinions on oodles of topics, from personal finance to relationship advice to pictures of bread stapled to trees (no, we don’t get it either). No wonder, then, that people electronically congregate there to share language-learning tips and strategies that have worked for them in their quests to master a new tongue.
We’ve compiled some of them here — a handful of our favorite comments from Reddit threads about the best and most effective language-learning tips and tricks. Of course, everyone’s language-learning journey is different, and these tips might not work for you. But let them inspire you as they will; you never know what might be the winning strategy!
(Real) Language-Learning Tips From The (Real) People Of Reddit
For visual learners like this Redditor, using mnemonic devices to relate words to mental images is a surefire way to make connections stick.
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This Redditor sees a lot of language-learning value in one of the world’s most universal languages — music.
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And speaking of music, when it comes to learning a new language with songs, it can help to go back to basics — and to drop the guise that you’re so grown up.
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Need a confidence boost when it comes to your accent? Turn the tables on yourself and be the listener for once.
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This Redditor knows the power of human connection is stronger than any textbook.
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And if you’re really craving a more intimate human connection without geographic proximity, you can get creative with your phone and 10 dollars a month.
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Finally, of all the elements that go into language learning, don’t forget perhaps the most important one: your own enjoyment.
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