8 of the Fastest Ways to Learn a Language for People on the Go

8 of the Fastest Ways to Learn a Language for People on the Go 8 of the Fastest Ways to Learn a Language for People on the Go So, you want to learn a language.Makes sense. Only good things can come from being bilingual, trilingual or straight-up poly.Theres just one problem.You cant find the time.Youve tried and tried and just cant seem to squeeze it in. Well, Im here to tell you that if theres a will, theres a way. Even the busiest of us can make  time to learn a new language.But firstâ€"theres good news and theres bad news.Lets get the bad out of the way first. Ready? Here it is: There are no shortcuts when it comes to learning a new language. You have to put in the time and the work.It can be a difficult idea to process, as weve become accustomed to instant gratification. Its understandable. Technology makes things happen faster. You probably  wouldnt even have taken the time to read this article if it took more than five seconds to load, and if youre even bothering to read this introduction, well, thank you! Most of us just jump straight to the list.Technology, however, isnt as useful when it comes to m aking our brains work faster. So, language learning has to be done the  old-fashioned way. Time and effort.You can try to rush the process. We all  want to save time and money, and  accomplish our goals  with effortless efficiency. I get it. But the irony is that if you rush, you just end up making this process longer, because when you do things half-baked,  youll eventually have to go back again  to  bake  them all the way through.But dont despair. We didnt get to the good news yet.The good news: even though you will need to carve out time, there are several ways to fit language learning into your already busy schedule without driving yourself crazy. The Principle of Fast Language Learning: Dont Kill Time, Create ItOne very commonly used phrase among busy people is, let me check my calendar.The calendar  is essentially a deity to people who have a million things to do every day. Without  it, many of us would fall into a disorganized frenzy.When you have projects to complete, lunc h meetings, dinner dates, game nights, weddings, fantasy leagues and much more to attend,  how can you also take on language learning without becoming completely overwhelmed?This is where the calendar comes in. Its your only hope for keeping track  of it all. If  learning a new language is something thats important to you, then you can make time for it by scheduling  it into your calendar.Create  a routine for yourself, and then make it stick  by writing it  into your calendar. When we  ignore this step, language learning becomes something that we can easily push aside. That nasty phrase Ill do it tomorrow will become a working part of your speech. Without a calendar to keep you honest, youll fall into a vicious cycle of procrastination.(Of course, as hard as we might try, we cant always follow our calendar exactly.  Things come up.  If  that nasty four-word phrase  does happen to work its way into your day, put a positive spin on it. Learn to say it in your target language so that itll at least be of some use to you.)If your new calendar is going to work, youll likely need to start small. No one said that you have to commit hours and hours every day  to language learning. All you need to get rolling are a few minutes.Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? If not, its about to become your new best friend.You can get a full tutorial of the technique  on this website, but to sum it up for you, you set a timer for 25 minutes, and for those 25  minutes you  immerse yourself in your task  with no interruptions. Its great because in the entire span of a day, we can often find 25 minutes somewhere to do something that is important to us.Dont think you can? Take a look at what youre really doing with all of those hours.Maybe youd have to cut out a TV show (and cmon, DVR and streaming means youll never miss anything), or spend less time on social media (be honest, how many times per day  do you really need to look at pictures of martinis, selfies  and someone e lses vacation?).Or maybeâ€"and this may feel impossible to some peopleâ€"wake up 30 minutes earlier to give yourself a little extra time in your day. It might be tough at first, but humans are adaptable.Youll  get used to it, and youll learn to love the quiet time before the sun comes up where you can focus on doing what you love (or doing something that you dont necessarily love, but youre getting out of the way to have more time for the stuff you love later in the day).Its never going to be easy, but if you want to learn a language, itll be worth it.So, shall we?8 of the Fastest Ways to Learn a Language for People on the Go1. The 1,000 Word ChallengeHeres another  good news/bad news scenario.The good: Everyday communication doesnt require memorizing an entire dictionary. It doesnt even require half or even a quarter of it. If you aim to learn 1,000 of the most common words in your target language, youll be able to carry on some pretty cohesive conversations.Learning 1,000 words wo nt make you fluent, but those words will provide a stable foundation from which you can continue to  build. Once you start to speak with people, youll  be able to pick up new words and phrases, make connections and recognize grammatical patterns.The bad: You have to learn 1,000 words. To people with little to no spare time, or at least people who feel like they have no spare time, learning 1,000 words  might sound like an uphill battle.  It doesnt have to be, though.Just do it in pieces.Commit to learning at least 20 words per day. Schedule this into your calendar, and within two months, youll have memorized 1,000 words. If youre ambitious, go for 30, 40 or 50 words. Carve out 30 minutes whenever you can. It doesnt even have to be consecutive. You can break it up and squeeze in five minutes at a time. Just get the words in any way you can.If you need some tips as to how to get this accomplished, keep reading.2. The Sticky Note  TakeoverFor busy language learners, sticky notes  are e verything.The trick here is to put them everywhere you possibly can. If it has a surface, stick a note  on it.For example, if youre learning Spanish, grab a sticky note, write the word la pared on it, and then stick it on a wall that you pass by every day. Now, every time you pass that wall youll remember that the word for wall is la pared. Do that with everything: your bookshelf, sink, dishwasher, milk, coat rack and anything else you have at your place. You get the point.These daily reminders will keep the words fresh in your mind. Eventually, youll get to the point where you wont need the sticky notes  anymore. Youll just know the words. You can take this a step further and put the sticky notes on your private workspace at the office.Vocabulary Stickers will give you a running start. They offer durable, color-coded sticker sets in various languages that (literally) cover common items in your home and office and save busy people like you the time and hassle of making labels on you r own.You can go even further than that and change the language on your ATM card at the bank, so that your transactions will be in your target language. Maybe change the  language on your phone if youre feeling bold, or maybe on certain apps that you already know really well, if thats an option. Its all about immersion.Whats great is that  this method  takes little to  no time (once youve labeled everything and/or changed the languages on your devices). All youve done is optimized your daily routine.So give it a shot. See how much you learn with a minimal time commitment.3. Entertain YourselfFor people who are in the intermediate stages of learning a language, entertainment is one of the easiest and most fun ways to immerse yourself. Theres so much content out there nowadays that theres something for everyone.Get your favorite book or movieâ€"and if youre in the intermediate stage, its important that its a favoriteâ€"and then read  the book or watch the movie in  your target languag e. When its  a story you know well, youll get much more out of it.  Youre not going to  understand every single word, but youll learn more than you wont understand.Your memory of the story and context will guide you and youll pick up a ton of new words and phrases. Even though you wont understand 100 percent of the story, you wont feel the frustration of missing out, because youre already familiar with it.This is crucial in getting you through to the end so you wont throw away the opportunity to expand your knowledge base.4. The Techie TangoFor better or worse, were attached to our devices. Our phones, tablets and laptops pretty much serve any need we can think of, short of physically feeding us and getting us dressed in the morning. So, why wouldnt we use technology for our language learning needs?The answer: We already do.There are so many language learning resources available for download, a person can spend weeks just sifting through the options. Its a good problem to have, but it can be overwhelming. We know youre busy, so well save you some time: heres where you can find  apps, podcasts, online tools and videos  to  get learning with your device.These options are great for people with tight schedules, because theyre good on the go. For example, with the  FluentU  app, you can learn new language skills from real-world videos while youre on the train, in a waiting room or wherever you can get Wi-Fi. Its a burst of target language immersion, available  any time.Make sure you free up some space on your device and start downloading your way to fluency.5. A Rendez-vous for TwoDIY language learning doesnt always cut it for some people. Thats okay. You can never go wrong with one-on-one interaction or instruction. In fact, you can only go right. Finding a private tutor is a great way to enhance your language skills. Youll get a tailored approach to language learning from  a knowledgeable instructor.At first glance, getting a private tutor might seem like the com plete opposite of  an efficient solution, but  its actually perfect for busy people. Unlike a class that meets at a set time, with a private tutor, youll have more flexibility to set your schedule. If a last-minute meeting pops up, you can reschedule with your tutor, or if your schedule opens up,  you can squeeze more sessions in.Youll also probably have more flexibility in terms of location. You can meet in a coffee shop, a classroom or save time traveling and use video chat.Dont know where to start looking for a tutor? WyzAnt is a great choice for finding a tutor to meet up with in your area, while Verbling is one of the top options for online tutoring.On top of that, a tutor will be able to point out your strengths and weaknesses so youll have tailored sessions that focus specifically on what you need. Thats the epitome of efficiency and every busy language learners dream.6. The Buddy SystemRemember that from grade school? Our teachers made us hold hands with a partner for the sa ke of accountability. The logic here is the same. Youll have someone to hold your hand, so you dont stray too far while trying to get to your final destination.The main difference between a buddy and an online tutor is money. You dont have to pay a buddy (I really  hope you dont pay for buddies). This relationship is supposed to be mutually beneficial. They help you with their target language and you help them with English or any of the other languages you may know.The great thing about a buddy is that theyre always with you, and  I dont mean in a creepy, hovering, stalker way. If youre learning German but located in North America, for example, theres a good chance that youll find your buddy online. Once that happens youll  be able to stay in touch easily, whenever you and your buddy have time, via the internet.Our smart phones keep us connected even when were not sitting at our laptops, and you can text your buddy as casually as you would any other friend with Skype, WhatsApp or an y social media platform with private messaging. Its a great way to incorporate your target language into your everyday life.To save you some time, here are some websites to get you started in finding that special someone: Speaky, WeSpeke, InterPals, Ayni, Conversation Exchange.7. Have a Few DrinksNo argument here, I  bet.For many busy people, the happy hour scene is an absolute must. After a long day, most of us want to take the edge off, and a cocktail or two usually does the trick. Dont misinterpret this though. Getting trashed wont  help you speak fluent Mandarin (not by itself, anywayâ€"more on that  in a bit).Language learning  groups love to meet in bars.  Try swapping  out a few of your regular happy hour hot spots and  find a group on Meetup that does happy hour. Theres no shortage of them.Or try Mundo Lingo. This is an international group that does weekly happy hours around the world. People meet in bars and wear flag stickers to show what languages they speak, placing thei r strongest language at the top. Click cities in the upper right-hand corner to find events near you. Check out this video at a Lima  group event to get a feel for what its like.Whether its Meetup, Mundo Lingo or another group you happen upon, take a few  days out of the week to  make your happy hour productive. Its  an easy way to fit language learning in without having to sacrifice other things. It may be a little nerve-racking at first, especially because its new, but after a few trips (and a few drinks) youll loosen up and itll simply become a regular part of your schedule.Now, back to getting trashed  and speaking Mandarin.Again, alcohol isnt a magic elixir thatll endow extra language absorption powers on you. If only. However, they dont call  alcohol liquid courage for no reason. Many of us can read, listen and answer questions on apps all day, but when it actually comes to speaking, we clam up.This is where the drinks come in.  Alcohol  is the ultimate clam shucker. Itll help you let go of all that self-consciousness and judgment and get you speaking freely.  Obviously, dont drink so much that youre slurring and blacking out, but if you need to loosen up, throw a few back and youll start chatting without even thinking about it.8. Haaave you met TED?Barney Stinson had the right idea. You need some TED in your life. TED Talks are a language learners dream, especially language learners who are short on time.Youll find a TED talk in nearly any language you want with a quick YouTube search, and the videos  are relatively short. You can even find  TED talks that are under ten minutes long.Many TED talks have subtitles, which is an added bonus for language learners, but if one  doesnt  you can look at the transcript.  Just click More and youll see Transcript in the drop-down menu. Since the speakers generally arent  talking about language learning, but speaking freely in their native language about a specific topic, TED talks are probably ideal for intermediat e level students and above (but if youre an ambitious beginner, go for it!).Whats also wonderful is the flexibility. You can listen to a TED talk  while  on the move. Whether its your commute to work, your lunch break or just a Saturday morning lounging around the house, you can find time to listen anywhere.If for some reason you really hate TED talks (some people just cant stand lectures) theres an option on YouTube called Easy Languages that serves a similar function. The difference is that youll be listening to random street interviews as opposed to a lecture. Most of the videos are under ten minutes and there are subtitles in both  English and the  target language  as this YouTube  channel caters specifically to language learners.With these helpful tips, youll definitely be able to make this work. So, go ahead and be efficient. Dont waste any more time!