The One Thing that Great Language Learners Do Differently is the Only Thing

It is easy to imagine polyglots being magical creatures who can pick up a language just by snapping their fingers. It looks easy.

You learn a language, and you soon realize that you don't "have the gene". Or some other lie you believe. Because they are gifted, you think polyglots have the ability to learn languages.

Too many people have given up on learning languages.

People who are polyglots or have only learned one language, but at a very high level, do something different. They don't give up.

It's OK to take a break

Adults who learn a language for the first time often think that if they don't study for a while, it means they have given up. It isn't. It's perfectly acceptable to take some time off. Everyone does it.

Although I can speak six languages, I have studied nearly 20 languages. I have also learned several other languages. I have taken many breaks. I've been known to go months without learning a single language. Sometimes, I stopped learning Japanese but continued to study Korean. Sometimes it was the reverse. Even once, I took a year off from Chinese.

It is good to take breaks. It allows you to return to the language more motivated and energetic. It gives your brain time to consolidate what it has learned.

You're only making yourself tired by not taking breaks. It's only a matter time before you get burned out.

Take some time to relax and then come back to the language with clear thoughts.

Take a break and study while you're on vacation

Passive learning is something I find amazing. It's amazing to know that you can learn a language if you get enough exposure. Although it takes time and exposure, it is possible.

It is a wonderful thing that I enjoy, but I prefer to accelerate the process with active learning, which includes textbooks, practice and flashcards. There are tools that can make it easier than taking the long route.

Active practice is put on hold when I am close to burning out or my life becomes too hectic. I rely on passive and guided learning.

Recently, I decided that I needed a break from Korean grammar and gave up on studying it. Genshin Impact was in Korean, so I could still immerse myself while also relaxing. To still get some exposure and laugh while watching Seinfield on Netflix, I viewed it with Chinese Subtitles.

There are many ways to maintain some exposure to a particular language while on a break.

Listen to country radio stations on websites such as radio.garden. You can view TV shows in your native language and subtitles in the target language, or vice versa. You can also play games. Chat with people who can speak the language. You can read a book without having to look up words if you are at an advanced enough level.

Language learners who are great at learning take breaks, but they never stop learning.

Be excited, don't be afraid

When you are on vacation, it can be difficult to go back and learn a language.

It's hard to believe that you have the motivation and time to do it again. You fear that you have forgotten everything and will need back to basics. You promise yourself that you will start over again, either in a few more years or the next year.

Stop.

You could spend your time worrying instead of rediscovering your love of the language. You could have spent that time feeling amazed at new cultural aspects.

You'll forget some things, but who cares? Your brain is not to blame. Your brain is. Every brain is the same. A part of what we don’t see or use is lost to us.

You'll be able to relive your childhood memories and get back to learning. It will take a week to make your worries disappear. Then, you'll be amazed at the wonder of it all.

Final thoughts

They are not machines. They're human. They need breaks. They feel unmotivated. They feel exhausted. They get back to it.

To become a great language learner, you just need to keep learning and take breaks when necessary. Then, you can get back at it later.

Keep getting exposure if you can, even if it is just having music playing in the background as you go about your day.

You can only give up a language when you decide to never return to it.