How to Learn a New Language as an Adult

Learning a new language is a whole lot easier than you might think, and it will have real life implications beyond your imagination. In addition, being proficient in a foreign language is a valuable hard skill multinational corporations really value. Having the ability to speak a foreign language, sets you apart from the masses, and if you deploy and execute those hard skills with precision, they will make you irreplaceable.

• “I’m too old”
• “I’m not good at learning languages”
• “I will never become fluent”
• “I will try to learn”
• “It’s much easier for children”

The benefits of learning a new language can be divided into 3 pillars; personal, professional, and health benefits. However, before we get into all of the life-changing benefits, we need to address the misconception that some people believe they are “not able” to learn a new language. According to Law of attraction, negative thinking is believed to attract negative results, while positive thinking is believed to produce positive results.

Hypothetical: If Falable would gift a two week all-inclusive vacation to Rio de Janeiro to anyone who are able to learn 10 words in Brazilian Portuguese. Would you be able to learn 10 new words today?

Of course you would, and that is my point exactly. Learning a new language is not about learning 10 000 words, sounding like a native, and speaking 100% grammatically correct. It’s about having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to say something in order to convey information, an opinion, or a feeling. It could be as simple as a single “Yes”, or “Sim” in Portuguese.

Falable: Many companies focus on all kinds of languages. However, Falable has become an expert on the teaching of Brazilian Portuguese, and our courses ranges from Beginner to Advanced, and our popular Portuguese Immersion Course. Feel free to check out all our courses.

7 important things to keep in mind when you want to learn a new language:

1. There is no age restrictions on someone’s ability to learn, not even a foreign language.
2. Nobody can force you to learn something — you’re an adult.
3. If you can learn 10 words, you can learn 10 words, and if you can learn 100 words, you can learn 1 000 words.
4. People tend to overestimate what they can learn in a short amount of time, and underestimate what they can learn long-term (so play the long game my friend).
5. Getting immediate feedback from a native teacher will help you learn a lot faster than studying completely by yourself.
6. Adult learners who has a strict study routine and reward themselves for sticking to the routine are surprised over how quickly they progress.
7. The more you learn, the faster you learn — Never give up.

How to Motivate yourself to study a new language

Learning a new language is easy if you know why you are learning. Take Brazilian Portuguese for instance. Foreigners who work and live in Brazil normally has an amazing quality of life, they are well paid, travel, and have the opportunity to build a great life for themselves and their family. Someone who really know the rewards of learning Brazilian Portuguese, would be highly motivated to learn Brazilian Portuguese. There are 7,139 languages spoken today, so you don’t have to learn Brazilian Portuguese to experience an positive impact on your mind, life, and career. However, learning Brazilian Portuguese is a good alternative all things considered.

What is a Monolingual Person?

A person who only speak a single language.

What is a Bilingual Person?

A person who speak two languages.

Find your own motivation for learning a new language, because nobody can force you to learn it — you’re not a child.

Patrick Heiberg

Health Benefits of Learning a New Language

The cognitive and health benefits of learning a new language, is connected to the progress of creating new connections in your brains, which is tied to learning. There is also a working hypotheses that learning a new language later in life could keep Alzheimer’s at bay. Nevertheless, here are some of the health benefits of learn a new language:

1. Improved memory: In the process of learning something new, the brain forms new connections and neurons, and makes existing neural pathways stronger, faster, and long-lasting.
2. Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills: Similar to improved memory, a bigger and faster brain network let your neurons take shorter and faster routes, therefore “connecting the dots” happens quicker.
3. Enhanced concentration: Bilingual adults have a higher level of concentration than people who only speak a single language.
4. Better listening skills: Active listening refers to a pattern of listening that keeps you engaged with your conversation partner in a positive way, and reflecting back what was said, withholding judgment and advice.
5. Slows mental aging and cognitive decline: Those who speak two or more languages have significantly better cognitive abilities than monolinguists, even when the learning of the second language happens in adulthood.

Without having a personal or professional interest in learning a new language, the superhero-like enhanced cognitive abilities sounds pretty amazing by itself.

Professional Benefits of Learning a New Language

When it comes to career opportunities, it is very difficult for someone who just speak a single language to compete against someone who speaks a second language which is considered a “plus” for your particular position. People do business with people, which makes it very important for businesses to have people with the ability to connect and forge new relationships. Having the ability to speak a foreign language will set you apart from the crowd, and put you in a quick position to excel in your organization.

1. Be attractive for employers: Speaking a foreign language gives you a competitive advantage. Candidates who only speak one language are not really able to compete against bilingual candidates.
2. Advantage applies to all occupations, sectors and levels: People today change jobs, employers, and professions more rapidly today than ever before, so if you’re going to really invest in a hard skill that will be applicable in every job, sector, and management level, learning a new language which will set you apart will be a decision you will never regret. Want to learn a new language, but you’re not sure which language will set you apart and open doors in the future? Brazilian Portuguese is an excellent choice.
3. Bilingual professionals demand is rising: In a world where and more people have higher education, how are companies going to differentiate between 100s of applicants where everyone have master degrees? Although some choose to get two master degrees or a PhD, it doesn’t really make them more employable if it’s not necessary for the specific job. Businesses are seeing the added value of have employees who speak relevant foreign language, which is why bilingual candidates are more attractive than monolinguals.
4. Attractive for multinational corporations: By speaking a foreign language, you make yourself more attractive for companies who operates in multiple markets.
5. Higher salary growth: Professionals who speak multiple languages, have an advantage in build relationships across borders and network with their counterparts from other markets and cultures, and therefore harder to replace for a company.
6. Working abroad: Professionals who speak a foreign language, and are accustom to a foreign culture will have bigger opportunities to be able to work abroad. Being employed in the US by an American company, and working in Brazil normally hold very big benefits both professionally, and personally. If you get the chance, go for it.
7. Large multinationals want bilingual professionals: There’s no hiding the trend of large multinational corporations and their massive growth and competitive advantage over smaller and local-only competitors. They operate in different markets, languages, and cultures. Monolingual professionals will have local market opportunities, while bilingual professionals will work globally.

When looking at the real advantages of learning a new language for professionals, it’s easy to understand why so many are now learning Brazilian Portuguese and other languages.

Personal Benefits of Learning a New Language

1. Connect with people: This should come as no surprise. If you speak a second language, you will be better equipped to meet and connect with people who speaks that language.
2. Boost your self-confidence: Mastering a new skill boost your confidence, and people are impressed and often surprised. It’s a good feeling.
3. Great for travelers: Having the ability to speak a foreign language while travelling help you get the full experience of discovering a new culture, as the language is one of the most important parts of any culture. In addition to that, experiencing the convenience of understanding taxi drivers, hotel receptionists, restaurant waiters, and shop employees makes your travelers a lot more joyful and meaningful.
4. Learning becomes easier: Having master the learning process of a second language, has changed the neuron network in your brain, making it easier to absorb new knowledge and learning.
5. Gain perspective: By exploring a new language and culture, we will be exposed to different ways of living, working, social status, and environments and compare the new experiences to what we know from our own culture. Comparing the difference in cultures, we will gain an enhanced perspective of what’s important and ways of living.

There are no doubts about the very real benefits of learning a new language, and right now people who invest in learning a new language will reap the benefits early holders of bachelor and master degrees had, because it wasn’t mainstream yet.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking to make yourself attractive for the job market, experience superhero-like enhanced cognitive abilities, or just love to travel and see what the world has to offer. Learning a new language is the single best investment which will offer opportunities in both your personal and professional life. In addition, mastering a new language will be beneficial in all occupations, all industries, and all levels of society.

Learning a new language is not restricted by age, and by implementing a good study routine, combined with feedback from native teachers and being consistent in your learning will give you the ability to speak a foreign language a lot faster than if you study everything by yourself.

Written by Patrick Heiberg: He is helping companies with interests and investments in Brazil with Corporate Language Training, and you can get in touch directly on patrick@falable.com for a chat.