Fun fact: everyone can learn a language. A lot of the time, we sabotage ourselves from doing so with our own imposter syndrome and mindset wobbles. Let’s end that. Here’s 4 essential mindset shifts for language learning.

When I’m out and about in the non-language obsessed world, I’m often met with big wide eyes when I say I know one language beyond my own, never mind more than one. (Sidenote – most of the world is bilingual or multilingual. Monolingualism isn’t the norm. Let’s normalise language learning everywhere for everyone.)

But the reasons for those big wide eyes sometimes make their sneaky way into language learning too.

Here’s the problems:

1. We’ve all encountered some reason in the past that tells us we can’t learn a language.
2. When we’re learning a language, we then get too in our head with these so-called reasons that we mistake them for truth and use them as excuses.

And there’s lots of these little mindset gremlins that can get in the way when we’re learning a language.

Common ones might be that we’re too old, too busy, not smart enough, too introverted. Phew.

It’s easy to see how that then becomes ingrained in our brains and stops or slows us down or blocks us when we’re trying to learn a language.

It’s time to say adios to all that. Here’s 4 essential mindset shifts for language learning.

“I’m too old to learn a language.”

This is an easy one to pinpoint where it comes from.

But first, let me start by saying that you’re never too old to learn a language.

There’s two main areas of research when it comes to how we learn languages:

Child language acquisition – focused on how children learn languages
Second language acquisition – focused on how (mostly) adults learn languages

And they’re both different. Because children and adults are different. Because the environments for child language acquisition and second language acquisition are different.

But what happens is child language acquisition stuff often gets held up as “how we should do things” when we’re learning as adults. Nah.

To summarise a whole heap of research across both these areas, there are TWO things that are consistently reported as things children do better when they learn a language:

1. Pick up a native accent
2. Not be inhibited (aka, kids ain’t afraid to make mistakes!)

As adults we’ve been conditioned to fear and avoid failure. It doesn’t get us praise, it doesn’t “secure or hold our status or face” in some settings, and it doesn’t make us feel good.

Learning a language is never about perfection or “finishing” or “completing” the language. That doesn’t exist.

So our first mindset shift for language learning is our attitude to mistakes. Make them all. Don’t be afraid of looking stupid, of not getting praise, of losing status or face, or of not feeling good.

My favourite way to switch this round and begin getting used to mistakes feeling good is with mistake goals. Aim for the thing we’d otherwise avoid and it suddenly becomes more appealing.

Read more about how to set mistake goals here: How to Set Mistake Goals for Language Learning
https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/how-to-set-mistake-goals-for-language-learning/

But what about that first point – that children pick up native accents better?

Well, I’ve just told you about it. So now you know it’s something to work on. That’s an advantage over a child – your experience and knowledge and ability to actually control your learning.

So if picking up an accent or even working on pronunciation matters to you, you can make this a focus of your language learning.

Related: When to Worry About Pronunciation When Learning a Language (+ What To Do About It)
https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/when-to-worry-about-pronunciation-when-learning-a-language-what-to-do-about-it/

“I’m too busy to learn a language.”

This is probably the one that comes back to me the most if I’m honest. From time to time, there’s just a lot going on and it can feel like adding in learning a language on top is…phew, too much.

And sometimes it will be. There will be moments when you need a break. (See how to get back on that horse after a language break here if that’s you right now)

But there’s also some really easy ways to fit language into your life when it’s all a bit hectic.

First of all, we’re going to habit stack and habit chain.

That means we add little pockets of language learning to your day – but not just shoehorned in as this big new thing you need to start and keep up forever and ever.

So think about moments in your day when you can also be doing something language related. For example, when you’re walking you can listen to audio lessons, when you’re washing up you can watch stuff, on your commute you can do some vocab work. There’s lots of options here.

Releated: 5 Tips to Build a Language Learning Habit
https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/5-tips-to-build-a-language-learning-habit/

Secondly, we’re going to start small at bringing in moments of focused study time.

Again, we don’t want to shoehorn this into your life as a big drastic habit change. That won’t work. We want to sneak up on your routine before it realises you’re tricking it into learning a language! Ha!

So start by finding some time to add in just 10 minutes of focused study. Pick a place where this can happen regularly, get your books and bits ready there so you don’t waste the whole time finding things, and commit to no distractions during that time.

Finally, if you want lessons or language exchange to be part of your language learning, get them scheduled early before your calendar can fill up. Treat your language learning with the same respect as everything else that fills your time. This is especially easier if you’ve got someone else relying on you showing up, so it works well with lessons and exchanges.

The thing is, we’re always going to feel busy. If we’re waiting for “the perfect time”, we’ll never start learning a language.

Your mindset shift for language learning here? Now and imperfect is better than never and not at all.

“I’m not smart enough to learn a language.”

Oof. So much baggage wrapped up in this one!

If you’re even considering learning a language, I want you to know you are smart enough to do so. It may feel like everyone else you see who already speaks it is super smart and far off from where you could ever imagine being.

But there’s a secret little caveat here – you’re only looking at the present.

What we don’t see when we admire someone else’s language skills is all the time, dedication, and study that went into getting there. We don’t see their mindset wobbles. We don’t see their mistakes. We don’t see their moments of feeling exactly like you do now.

Much like I’m on a mission to normalise language learning for everyone, I’m on a mission to encourage us all to show the process.

I remember once I was asked at an event if I thought there was such a thing as “talent for languages”.

I’d just read a super pervy book about sport (published in 2019!) that angered me and made me feel inferior and like I had no business attempting any sport or exercise. So ‘talent’ triggered a bit of a rant about how ‘no it doesn’t exist, it’s a myth, get to work!’

But I’ve changed my mind. A little bit.

Research has found that there is such a thing as ‘language aptitude’. In other words ‘how well suited you are to language learning’.

So, that’s basically “language talent”, right?

I don’t see it that way. And besides, simply having good language aptitude isn’t a sign of being able to effortlessly learn a language. There’s still going to need to be some active learning that takes place. And sure, someone without as much ‘language aptitude’ may take a little longer, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn too.

Talent, aptitude – it means nothing without grit. Hard work and determination to do the thing.

So if you know that bit, and you know to keep showing up, to stay in the room when it gets tough, and to keep learning, then you can learn a language.

“I’m too introverted to learn a language.”

Ok, strap in, this one bugs me!

I don’t know how I feel about the whole introvert/extrovert thing.

Sure, personality affects how we learn languages, but does it affect how well we learn languages? That I disagree with.

When you see things like “Just speak!” or “You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone!” or “The best learners are those who start a conversation with anyone and use every possible opportunity!”, do not fret if that does not sound like you.

When we learn a language, the process is this continual cycle (or cycles – plural, happening at once!) of…

1. Exposure to new stuff
2. Noticing what’s going on
3. Understanding how it works
4. Trying it for yourself (normally in a safe testing scenario like a lesson)
5. Using it IRL
6. Remembering that bit of language!

And it’s not an even split. The trying and using stages? They need to be bulging. Which means lots of practice.

Sure, practice can happen when we thrust ourselves right away into an uncomfortable or unexpected situation. But that doesn’t give much space for potential long-term damage to our confidence if things go awry.

I’m not saying don’t do things that scare you or ‘be beige’!

I’m saying that we’ll be better prepared for those scenarios when we’ve got our trying stage fit to burst with practice in a safe environment. Think lessons, exchanges or conversations with people we know, like and trust. That’s where an introvert can thrive…and it’s a necessary stage to successfully learning a language! So no, you’re not too introverted to learn a language!

On top of that, let’s remember that not everyone is learning a language to speak. Many of us learn to be able to read books, watch TV and film, or simply understand more about the world around us – speaking becomes a handy bonus feature we acquire on the side if that’s you.

Our mindset shift for language learning here? Play to your strengths. Adapt your learning to fit you, rather than change yourself to be the language learner you think you “should” be.