Making mistakes is an integral part of learning a language, but only if they are productive mistakes. Mangling a verb tense or using the wrong noun gender provides a learning opportunity. More serious mistakes, like using the wrong materials or burning yourself out, on the other hand, can be detrimental. Find out which mistakes haunt language learners, and how you can avoid them!

1. 8MISTAKES THAT HAUNT
LANGUAGE LEARNERS
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2. 1
Learning without a specific goal.

3. “I want to speak Korean.”

4. “I want to speak Korean.”

5. Wanting to learn a language is not enough,
you need to have a specific plan for how
and when you’re going to learn it.
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6. Set specific constraints and
deadlines on yourself.

7. Set specific constraints and
deadlines on yourself.
I want to improve my
pronunciation in Greek by
hiring a conversation paper
once a week.
Every day, I want to read
one chapter of “Le Petit
Prince” in French.

8. In other words, set SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound

9. Scheduling specific activities or buying specific
resources will not only give you structure, but also
give you a sense of accountability for your
language-learning.

10. 2
Starting out too fast.

11. So, you’re excited to start learning a new language.

12. So, you’re excited to start learning a new language.
(We’re excited for you!)

13. Just be careful not to burn yourself out! One of
the best ways to sabotage your language
learning is to do too much too soon.
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14. Slow and steady wins the language-
learning race. The key is to develop a
consistent routine that you can maintain.
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15. Slow and steady wins the language-
learning race. The key is to develop a
consistent routine that you can maintain.
Image by Jason Hollinger on Flickr.com

16. As you progress, gradually add more
engagement time—and don’t forget, traditional
“studying” isn’t the only way to learn a language.
Make time for music, conversations, and beyond!

17. 3
Using only one kind of resource.

18. Seek out a variety of language resources across
different media.
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19. Relying on a textbook alone limits your skill development.
Multimedia materials provide opportunities for
reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

20. Don’t forget to acquire materials for different
occasions, so you can learn at home, during
your commute, on lunch break, or while
waiting in line at the store.
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21. Don’t forget to acquire materials for different
occasions, so you can learn at home, during
your commute, on lunch break, or while
waiting in line at the store.
Image by Mo Riza on Flickr.com

22. 4
Using inauthentic materials.

23. Mixing up your learning materials is a
good start. Do yourself another favor
and stir in a large portion of
authentic resources.
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24. Textbooks, audio tapes, YouTube videos, and the like
that are designed for language learners are ideal for
beginners… to an extent.

25. These kinds of resources can sometimes be guilty of
oversimplifying for beginners.

26. These kinds of resources can sometimes be guilty of
oversimplifying for beginners.

27. Resources targeted at learners can also have a
certain element of awkwardness, contriving
nonsensical phrases or dialogues just to point out a
grammar concept.

28. Resources targeted at learners can also have a
certain element of awkwardness, contriving
nonsensical phrases or dialogues just to point out a
grammar concept.
(“The dog has a moustache.” Very useful.)
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29. Jumping in to authentic resources—newspapers,
books, music, TV shows, you name it—will expose
you to more natural language use, as well as
slang, idioms, and expressions you won’t find in your
textbook’s glossary.

30. Don’t trick yourself into
believing that you can’t use
authentic resources as a
beginner. Start out slow with
children’s books and movies,
comics, short recipes, etc.
and build up to the news
and sitcoms as you go.

31. Don’t trick yourself into
believing that you can’t use
authentic resources as a
beginner. Start out slow with
children’s books and movies,
comics, short recipes, etc.
and build up to the news
and sitcoms as you go.

32. 5
Memorizing without understanding.

33. When it comes to languages, there’s a lot to memorize.
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34. When it comes to languages, there’s a lot to memorize.
Image by drcw on Flickr.com

35. But it’s not just about memorization,
it’s about understanding.

36. When studying the grammar of a language, look for
the connections between words.
For example, you could memorize the French
phrases “le poisson bleu” and “la maison bleue,” but
that doesn’t mean you understand that bleu(e)
takes an –e when describing a feminine noun.
Image by Francisco Gonzalez on Flickr.com

37. Once you understand the connection between
noun gender and adjective agreement, you can
apply that to thousands of other phrases.

38. Don’t undermine your efforts to learn a language by
trying to memorize everything. Exploring grammatical
patterns and connections will eliminate that need.

39. 6Translating directly to your native language.

40. Speaking of undermining
your efforts, don’t fall in
to the trap of relating
everything back to your
native language.
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41. Some words and phrases just won’t translate, word
orders will differ, and you’ll come across concepts
you’ve never heard of before—gender, case
marking, and tones, oh my!

42. Keep your mind open and your slate blank.
The less you use your native language as a crutch, the more
comfortable you’ll become with using your new language.
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43. 7Avoiding speaking.

44. There is such a pervasive fear of speaking in a
foreign language that it even has it’s own term:
xenoglossophobia.

45. Giving in to that fear is
a major mistake for
any language learner.
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46. Speaking in another language gives you the
opportunity to practice your pronunciation,
wrapping your tongue around new sounds.

47. But there’s more to speaking than just
pronouncing the words correctly.

48. But there’s more to speaking than just
pronouncing the words correctly.

49. But there’s more to speaking than just
pronouncing the words correctly.

50. Don’t wait until you’re “ready” to
start speaking—let go of your fear
and start yapping right away for
maximum results!
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51. 8Doubting yourself.

52. While you’re at it, let go of your
doubts, too!
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53. Scott H. Young gives great advice when it
comes to being a better learner:

54. Scott H. Young gives great advice when it
comes to being a better learner:
Be a perfectionist in the long-term, not
the short-term.

55. Making mistakes is a big part of learning a language.

56. Making mistakes is a big part of learning a language.
Embrace them.

57. Making mistakes is a big part of learning a language.
Laugh at yourself.

58. Making mistakes is a big part of learning a language.
Learn from them.

59. It’s not possible to learn a language without saying
something silly, using the wrong gender, conjugating in the
wrong tense, and so on.

60. It’s not possible to learn a language without saying
something silly, using the wrong gender, conjugating in the
wrong tense, and so on.

61. When it comes to language learning,
the cliché is true, you need to
step out of your comfort zone.

62. You can learn a language—it just takes
time and practice.

63. Now that you know what not to do when learning a
language, what are you going to do next?
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