There is a difference between undertaking self study in languages and taking language classes. Language classes have a teacher and this teacher is the person who structures the lesson plan for the students. Each session, the teacher goes over material and assigns homework for the students, rinse and repeat. Perhaps there are fun games and exercises to practice the material every once in a while. This has several effects which may hinder the typical student who takes such a class, but let’s go over the benefits.

Benefits

Firstly, the structure means that there is no time wasted planning out a lesson and what to learn, it has already been handled by the instructor. Secondly, there is always someone to ask questions about the language, whatever it may be, and typically since the instructor is a native specifically trained to deeply understand the language’s properties, they will be able to answer it. Finally, there is a class of other students who are also going over the same exact material, creating a sense of community and even new friendships which some may find valuable.

However, there are some downsides which may not be obvious at a first glance. The pace at which a language class moves will always be at the pace of the slowest student since if there is missed material then it must be explained properly before moving on to the next lesson by the fact that language lessons build on the previous lessons. This makes movement of the class painfully slow depending on the class size. Even if the class size is one: a private lesson, there is a problem with the lesson/homework cycle. It sets up a clear delineation for the student for what and how much material should be learned. Once the homework is done, there is nothing more, since moving ahead is discouraged when there is already a premade timeline with the structured lessons plans already.

This might all still be fine for most students. However, there is another option that is more talked about than actually done. That of self study. Self studying is a skill that takes practice but is an infinitely more rewarding option than only taking language classes. First let’s go over the benefits and drawbacks of this option.

The biggest benefit as well as downside is that the language learning speed is entirely determined by the student. If a student is already familiar with features of a language, they are entirely free to skip ahead and learn what is actually difficult for them. Or if they are particularly good at memorizing vocabulary, they are free to learn more words at a faster pace, rather than wait for the instructor to help a classmate to recall the same words. It removes the hypothetical speed limit imposed by an instructor’s structure, instead learn at one’s own pace. It is obvious that this is clearly not the best option for everyone, since learning at one’s own pace may end up being significantly slower than what would’ve been achieved with a proper structure and the instructor’s demand for homework. But in my personal view, if that is indeed the case that one cannot learn a language without the stick of an instructor, then perhaps they are not internally motivated enough to achieve genuine success in the language.

Speaking of structure, this is also entirely determined by the student. No one learns languages the exact same way, yet the class system is forced to do so since it is unable to accommodate each student. A flexible structure allows the learner to experiment with various techniques for planning out a lesson for themselves and decide what is best for them, instead of an instructor deciding how the best way to teach is. Here again what is an advantage for some is a downside for others. A flexible structure may simply lead to no structure filled with random language apps or too many textbooks. It is easy to fall into this trap, and is a common experience for many self-learners starting out in language learning.

It is also cheaper. No need to pay for an instructor to take their time teaching.

The supposed benefits of a classroom setting can be easily replaced as well. For example, the instructor is a person who can answer any question that one may have about a question, but there are hundreds of people online who either have answered the exact same question already or are ready to answer out of sheer goodwill. Similarly, one is never truly alone in learning a language, there is always a community out there focused around either learning that particular language, or simply for the love of language learning itself, such as our Language Cafe. They can just as easily fill the role of community and friendship. Not to mention, there are many guides out there for self-learners who have given their thoughts on how to structure a language learning plan, so nobody starts off completely rock bottom.

Suggestions

There are some pointers to make the self learning journey easier that I found out from my personal experience. Firstly, focus on one material as the main source for language learning. This can be an online textbook or a comprehensive language learning app. Personally I would not recommend Duolingo though it can be done because of how sluggish and boring the lessons on the app tend to be, which counteracts all the benefits mentioned before about the potential speed. Other apps can play a supplementary role to the primary source, this can be apps focused on a specific skill such as Anki for word memorization, or Clozemaster for sentence mining.

Second pointer is to make sure to always look for materials to listen to. Ideally the primary source used should have a listening component, but if not, make sure to allocate time specifically for listening practice. It is a skill which classrooms and instructors provide readily since there is always a native or near native speaker during classroom time, but it is not guaranteed in a self study setting. A good exercise is to try to listen for comprehension without looking at the text, to specifically target that skill. It is shocking how much becomes incomprehensible without a transcription to help out.

Thirdly, speak away without embarrassment. While listening comprehension becomes more difficult to practice outside the classroom, speaking becomes infinitely more fun and easier to practice. Take advantage of the fact that there is nobody else listening by speaking everything out loud and practice getting used to speaking the language. I would suggest spending more time on correct pronunciation at the very start and not being lazy with it, because a bad pronunciation combined with a lot of speech practice solidifies the bad pronunciation. On the other hand, starting out with good pronunciation just means that with each lesson, one becomes more comfortable at speaking correctly. Shadowing is a great technique for practicing speaking that should probably only be done at home when others aren’t looking.

Conclusion

Hopefully now the topic of self studying a language does not seem as daunting. It takes practice to fully develop the discipline necessary to stick to a language without a pre-made structure to simply follow, as well as time to find and develop the right form of personal language study technique. However, in the end, it may turn out to be the decision that takes the language learning experience to the next level.

Last modified on 2023-09-06