We’re going to run through the 5 steps you’ll need to take to get to conversational.

These are chronological and there’s no need to burst through them. Take each one at a time and enjoy it.

Let’s jump in.

1. Learn the basics in a fun way with gamified language learning apps

You don’t need to go out and buy a textbook. Though, if you have one already then that’s fine too.

I’m going to recommend that you lean into technology for this early stage.

Picking up the initial words and grammar is an easy process if you have a guide walking you through it. Mobile apps and online platforms can be really helpful for this as they provide you with gamified ways to keep you interested. They often also use audio, textual, and visual learning all combined.

Exposure to the sound of the language, the spelling of the language, and visually associating words to images can build a really strong foundation which can grow far faster than you would expect.

Language learning software is your friend.

The key mobile app tools you could utilize are:

Personally, I love Duolingo and think it’s great for beginners. The UX of the app makes it very easy to just lose hours ploughing through the game-like system. However, that also presents a challenge - sometimes I power through so much that I’ve taken on a bit too much information to retain it all. Pace yourself.

Memrise is another which compliments Duolingo well. They achieve similar ends but Memrise works really well for picking up vocabulary and has more variation in the kinds of activities it asks you to do.

I recommend giving both of them a try and using them concurrently. As well as them, Mondly offers courses and also has VR and AR options for language learning. Definitely one to check out too.

If you’re someone who likes to listen to podcasts or the radio a lot, you could consider swapping your regular listening for some guided courses.

A few good ones:

Taking advantage of these courses and guides for beginners will gradually lay down the foundations of the language for you, and you’ll quickly feel like you’re already becoming conversational!

But you’re probably not.

If this isn’t your first time learning a language then you’ll know this already. All language learners have confidently walked up to someone at some point in time and thought “I will use my language skills!” - then the person turns round and you don’t understand a word of what came out of their mouth.

These moments will happen. Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.

By the end of the process, you should be ready to dive in and attempt conversations with a justified confidence!

2. Build your vocabulary: Learn words for topics you’re interested in