From Beginner to Fluent: How to Learn a New Language

Ten months ago, I watched a fantasy tv series called Alchemy of Souls. It was original and riveting and held my attention captive with every scene. For two weeks, I was blissfully immersed in this world—and then it was over. In the days following the completion of the show, I felt like Lucy did when she sealed off the entrance to Narnia—a mix of curiosity, longing, and the bittersweet feeling of leaving behind a magical realm.

Upon days of reflection and a mini-existential crisis, I decided I was going to create my own magic and learn a new language. So last spring, I officially decided to learn French. A few days later, on a whim, I also took on the challenge of learning Korean.

Why I chose to learn French and Korean

Living in a multicultural city like Toronto never fails to inspire me. I’ve met a diverse range of people with fascinating backgrounds, many of whom speak French. I’ve witnessed firsthand the sheer delight people have when they are spoken to in their native language, and I want to perpetuate that as much as I can. Plus, I already had a foundational knowledge of elementary and high school French as a stepping stone, so I figured it would be wise to build upon it. 

I first encountered the captivating language of Korean a few years ago through music and TV shows, and I distinctly remember being struck by how vastly different it was from the languages I had been accustomed to hearing. So I dug deeper into the tenets of Korean language and culture, and I found both to be incredibly beautiful. I even discovered a few similarities between Korean and Yoruba, my family’s native language.

My friend Chrissy and I are gearing up for a trip to Seoul in 2025, and I’m eager to have the ability to navigate parts of the city without relying on a translator. Learning a complex language like Korean has proven to be a delightful and challenging way to push my boundaries.

Helpful Methods and Tools to Learn a New Language

When it comes to learning a new language successfully, it’s crucial to understand the methods and tools that match your learning style. I picked mine based on what I believe suits my preferences best. These are the approaches and language learning platforms that I currently use.

One-on-one lessons (AmazingTalker)

AmazingTalker is a platform that provides virtual lessons with language tutors and teachers worldwide. The platform matches potential tutors with learners based on information like availability, preferred gender, budget, and the language of communication you prefer. I signed up with AmazingTalker to practice my beginner-level speaking skills for three months. 

I had Gisele as my AmazingTalker tutor for French and Julie for Korean. While their teaching styles varied, both were engaging, patient, and consistently offered me numerous chances to practice speaking in a natural setting. 

Group classes (Lingoda)

After a few months of private speaking lessons, I chose to adopt a more organized study plan with the goal of becoming more comfortable in conversations with different people. That’s where Lingoda comes in. Lingoda is an online platform that offers live language classes and lesson plans based on proficiency level. With Lingoda, I have the opportunity to speak with fellow French students on my proficiency level in an intimate setting; each class allows for a maximum of five students. I even signed up for the Lingoda Sprint Challenge as a way to stay consistent. I’m excited to track my progress!

Self-study (YouTube and Duolingo)

As much as I’ve enjoyed AmazingTalker and Lingoda, there’s no denying the immense value of leveraging free resources like YouTube to learn a new language. I’ve discovered a range of entertaining language content for both French and Korean. My top channels are Piece of French and Basic Korean. Honourable mentions include Storytime in Korean, Français avec Nelly, Talk To Me In Korean, and French Mornings with Elisa.

Duolingo has also been incredibly helpful for me. Even though there’s a premium version with extra features, I’ve found the free version to be just as effective. It was through Duolingo that I successfully learned how to read and write Hangul, Korea’s alphabet system. The app’s design, with its vibrant colours and diverse characters, mimics a video game, making the learning process engaging and appealing.

Common challenges when learning a new language

Anyone who has tried to learn a new language knows that it isn’t always a walk in the park. I’ve faced my fair share of obstacles—self-imposed and otherwise—but I refuse to let them hinder my progress towards achieving my goals. These are the two main hurdles I face in learning a new language and the strategies I employ to overcome them.

1. Staying consistent

I thrive on a detailed schedule. Planning and filling up my Google calendar, physical planner, and setting phone reminders bring me great satisfaction. However, it’s not always possible to plan my day or week down to the minute. Last minute work requests, spontaneous social gatherings, and unexpected bouts of fatigue sometimes make staying consistent a challenge for me. 

I combat this by doing my best to schedule my one-on-one lessons on weekdays, typically early in the morning or late in the evening. Those are the most uninterrupted windows of my schedule, so that tends to work for me. I also try to ensure that I absorb at least five minutes of French or Korean every day. This may be by watching a video with French or Korean subtitles, listening to a podcast or song, or even reading and translating a social media comment or caption in French or Korean.

2. Staying motivated

Languages are filled with numerous grammar and vocabulary rules and technicalities, and acquainting yourself with them is crucial for improvement. Here’s the thing, though: many of these rules can be boring, even exasperating. Just when I feel I’ve grasped one rule, another seems to dismissively throw it out the window. It’s in these frustrating moments my motivation to learn a new language decreases.

When this happens, I consciously remind myself that though giving up may seem easier, it’s a choice I’ll regret in the long run. I take a moment to reflect on the progress I’ve made and visualize reaching my ultimate goal. This reinforces the reasons why I embarked on this language learning journey in the first place.

Closing Thoughts

That concludes the in-depth breakdown of my journey to learn a new language. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this experience, and I’m excited to continue making progress towards reaching my goals. If you have any language learning tips, please feel free to share them in the comments. Also, if you could speak any language in the world, what would it be? I’d love to hear your thoughts!