3 tips for learning a second language as an adult

There are many ways you can learn a different language, but these three are tried-and-true methods experts routinely recommend.

Immerse yourself 

Even the most proficient language teacher “cannot replicate the immersive environment outside her classroom, according to Michael Ballagh, associate vice president of international programs and study abroad at Pitzer College.

However, there are ways to become immersed in a language before moving abroad.

Julia Rayhill, a senior studying linguistics at Georgetown University, recommends writing in a journal every night in the target language, or translating "any thought that comes into your head" as a form of practice She also recommends immersing yourself in something you're interested in.

“If you like soccer, listen to the game’s broadcasts in Spanish or interviews of your favorite players speaking in their native language," she says.

Set reasonable goals

Benny Lewis, the CEO of FluentIn3Months.com, says the best way to learn a language is to set goals.

“Vague goals like ‘Learn Spanish’ don’t work,” he says. “You need to have a specific goal and a specific timeline.”

Another good goal? Make mistakes.

“[People are] afraid to make mistakes,” Lewis says. “But making mistakes means you’re actually practicing a language, and you can’t become fluent without practice or mistakes.”

Rayhill says certain strategies work better for different goals.

“Rosetta Stone and audio tapes are good if you want an arsenal of pre-memorized phrases," she says. "Movies, music and TV are good for understanding colloquialisms, not so much for producing formal speech the way you would in a classroom.”

Don’t get discouraged

If you do, it makes learning "so much harder,” according to Rayhill. Learning a new language isn't easy, and sometimes you'll hit a wall. The key is embracing that wall when it comes.

“At a certain part of the process, students hit a wall where they perceive they are no longer making the same rates of progress. This is in fact not the case in spite of their perceptions.”

And Lewis agrees.

“[Getting discouraged] is part of the process,” Lewis says. “Once you go easy on yourself and accept that it’s just part of the process and understand that native speakers genuinely won’t be insulted, but quite the opposite, you’ll see that you have nothing to worry about.”

Tobi Carter is a Texas Christian University student and a USA TODAY College correspondent.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.