Learning a Second Language Could Be Your Best Career Decision — Start With These 7 Steps
14 Oct 2024 #careerLearning a second language has been my best career decision.
Literally, it changed my life and doubled my salary.
Initially, I learned English to make my CV look more attractive to recruiters. But learning English has been more than a better CV for me.
It took me a couple of years to learn English and an extra couple of years to take full advantage of it. I went to a traditional language school: lots of grammar exercises and “repeat after me” sessions.
With the right method and consistency, you could learn a language faster. One year is a good time frame to reach a conversational level. Of course, your mileage may vary.
If you’re learning a second language to boost your career, prepare for your next vacation abroad, or connect with your extended family, follow these 7 proven steps:
1. Fluency Isn’t Perfection
Before learning a single word or grammar rule, understand that nobody speaks any language perfectly.
I don’t speak perfect English. I don’t even speak perfectly in my native language. Nobody speaks perfectly in any language.
Speaking a language isn’t about making zero mistakes. It’s about communication and human connection.
Fluency isn’t perfection.
With that myth debunked, let’s move to the next step.
2. Identify Your Goals
Start your language journey by identifying your goal and your time frame.
A clear goal helps you determine what skills you need to focus on and what vocabulary to master. Studying to pass a language certification exam in a few months is different from learning useful phrases for your next vacation.
To keep that goal in mind, set a language checkpoint or milestone. For example, your first checkpoint could be a 15-minute conversation with a native speaker after your first month of practice.
3. Find a Learning Method
The key to learning a new language is to tie it to activities you enjoy doing.
I enjoy listening to podcasts and watching videos. When I started to learn French, I found a podcast for beginners and followed it during my lunch breaks. While everybody else at the office was taking a nap, I was with my headphones on, listening and taking notes.
From Scott Young’s Ultralearning book, the guy behind the “One Year Without English” challenge, I learned to spend about 10% of the learning time finding resources and study guides.
Spend the first days, looking up good resources to learn your target language.
4. Find a Teacher or a Language Partner
No matter how shy you think you are, sooner or later you will have to open your mouth and let words out.
My best strategy is to find a teacher or language partner for one-to-one sessions. Personally, I have used iTalki to find my teachers and language partners. Some teachers offer structured lesson plans or only conversation practice. But with language partners, expect only chit-chat about anything. Usually, you split the practice session in half: switching languages each time.
I have to confess I’ve been lucky with my language partners. After several practicing sessions with a language partner, we became friends and met in real life. It happened we were on vacation in the same city. And, thanks to those unexpected life turns, my language partner’s husband was a lawyer and ended up helping me review my contracts before joining my first job at an international software agency.
A teacher or language partner will help you practice in a stress-free environment.
If you’re learning a language for work, ask them to role-play being your interviewer or a participant at a meeting you have to conduct.
5. Practice a Little Bit Every Day
“Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” — Jim Kwik, the Brain Coach.
If you want to see fast results, study a bit every day. Learn 5 phrases or listen to a short audio a day. That’s better than a long study session once a week.
If you think you don’t have time, take advantage of every dead time slot in your schedule: while waiting in lines, on the bus, or walking home.
Back in the day when I had to commute, I reviewed my Anki flashcards and listened to podcasts on my way home.
If you’re not used to practicing a language daily, tie your study or practice sessions to an already-built habit. Do you have to do the dishes? The laundry? Listen to an audio lesson while doing it. You said you don’t have already built habits? What about listening to podcasts while in the shower? You shower regularly, right?
6. Learn Phrases Instead of Words
Don’t memorize words or grammar rules.
I know it’s frustrating when your teacher asks you to open a textbook to work on grammar rules in your first class. It kills all the fun of learning a language.
Instead of learning individual words, learn complete phrases and use them as LEGO bricks you assemble and interchange. You will learn words in context along with their gender. Yes, words have gender in other languages. And it’s funny when one word has a different gender in your target language.
Also, don’t overthink grammar rules or find logic in your target language.
When we were children, we didn’t receive a grammar book to learn our native languages. We absorbed grammar rules after being exposed to the language for hours and hours.
7. Immerse Yourself in the Language
This is the #1 tip to study from home – Create a language environment around you and your hobbies:
- Change your phone and computer language
- Read the news or watch TV
- Follow social media
- Listen to music
You name it!
You don’t have to travel abroad to learn a language, you can do it in the comfort of your bed.
Parting Thoughts
Thanks to learning a new language, I’ve made good friends, doubled my salary, and discovered a passion for learning and teaching.
We become a new person with every language we learn. I feel like I’m more extroverted when speaking English.
I have found that there’s no better way to build trust with coworkers or clients at work than to say hi, thanks, yes/no, and bye in their target language. It will bring smiles to their faces and show you’re interested in their culture.
So if you’re looking for a twist in your career, try a new language. Try Arabic to work in the oil industry, German for the automotive industry, or Spanish to join a rising startup in Latin America…who knows!
A second language could change your life too.
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