How to Become Fluent in a Language

Co-authored by Tian Zhou

Last Updated: March 7, 2023 References Approved

Fluency in a foreign language is a major accomplishment. It's also a great way to increase your opportunities for employment and travel. Fluency is made up of several different factors, so it's important to work on each aspect: speaking, listening, reading, cultural literacy, and writing.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Improving Your Listening Skills

1
Listen to native speakers in natural contexts as much as possible. If you can't find live native speakers to eavesdrop on, watch movies and television shows in that language, or listen to books on tape or music in that language.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Expert Interview. 19 March 2021.}
2
Focus on the unique sounds of the language, including the inflection patterns.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Improving Your Speaking Skills

1
Practice speaking every day. Try to learn new words and phrases every day. It is also crucial to frequently practice the earlier words you have learned, in addition to newer words. If possible, practice with native speakers, and encourage them to correct you.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Expert Interview. 19 March 2021.}
2
Practice the sounds in the language which are most difficult for non-native speakers (for example "ra" and "tsu" in Japanese).
3
Record yourself speaking, then play it back and compare your inflection and pronunciation to that of native speakers.^{[3]
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4
Think in the language as much as possible, instead of thinking in your native language and then translating.^{[4]
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5
Speak as native speakers usually are doing, using idioms and linguistic shortcuts, instead of imitating a textbook, which is often excessively formal and repetitive.
6
Study the grammar. Grammar books try to explain the rules of the language. The sentence 'This that same is' consists of English words, but isn't grammatically correct.^{[5]
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- Make strong efforts to improve and remember specific grammar rules, so as to avoid incomprehensibility or vagueness to native speakers. 'Thinking' in the other language will also become easier and more frequent.
- People who speak only one language often assume that the rules of their own language apply to all languages, or that these rules are almost the same everywhere. This is not the case at all. Learning a language requires more effort and commitment than just learning lots of foreign words.
- Crash courses often try to play down the importance of studying the grammar. Attempt to opt for a foreign language class, where the teacher may be more adept in helping you better understand grammar rules on a personal and more efficient level.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Improving Your Reading Skills

1
Read books, magazine articles, and other "real life" material whenever possible. Based on vocabulary you have learnt, attempt to translate or at the very least, get a gist of the contents' meaning or aim.^{[6]
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Research source}^{[7]
X
Expert Source

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Expert Interview. 19 March 2021.}
2
Read some material in the language every day.
3
Make a list of new words as you come across them. Guess the meaning based on the context, visual or auditorial clues before looking them up in a dictionary.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Improving Your Writing Skills

1
Write something in the language every day. This could range from a short sentence summing up your day, to a full-page diary entry or article.^{[8]
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Imitate the words of what you've read.
3
Study the literary conventions of the language thoroughly. Sometimes the written version of the language is radically different than the spoken version.

Expert Q&A

Question

How long does it take to become fluent in a language?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

It really depends on how intensive your studies are and how often you're practicing. It also depends on how often you actually use that language in your everyday life. The more opportunities you get to use the language, the faster you'll become fluent!
Question

What techniques are useful for learning conversational language?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

I like to recommend something I call the "language plank." It's a really simple technique. You choose an open-ended question and you try to answer it by talking for 1 minutes straight. If that's too hard, you can do 30 seconds, or 10 seconds. This way, you'll get used to talking for extended periods of time and responding to questions.
Question

Where can I find an easy-to-use dictionary for Mandarin?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

I'm quite fond of an app called Piko. It's the best Chinese dictionary out there in my opinion. I'm not sure if it's available everywhere, but it's essential if you want to learn the language on the go!

Warnings

Avoid translating between any two languages word-for-word, as results will more often than not turn out grammatically incorrect to native speakers, due to differences in vocabulary and grammar use in each language. Consult a native speaker for correcting translations. Online translators are good enough for rough translations.

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Make sure you know the full cultural meaning of slang phrases, etc, before attempting to use them.

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Learn and maintain a good knowledge of the culture-- you don't want to offend the people you're practicing with. It might be an idea to learn how language in the culture in the past differs from language used in the present.

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Aiming for fluency means aiming for dedication to revision. Prevent yourself from forgetting/avoiding revision, or you will quickly end up forgetting much of the important content of the language, and end up lengthening or abandoning your fluency time-frame. Make efforts to continue learning the language on a daily basis non-stop for best results.

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