Speaking, repeating, understanding: what really works for learning a language?

PalmLet me ask you a question: how many times have you started, or resumed, learning a language with the feeling that, this time, you'd finally get it right? Perhaps you've turned to a new app, an intensive course, online videos, or a method that supposedly would allow you to learn it in three months "effortlessly." But after a while, a question you've asked yourself before resurfaces: "Is what I'm doing really working?"

Most people who have tried to learn an additional language throughout their lives (that is, any language other than the first one they acquired) have asked themselves this question at some point. Does it help to repeat phrases over and over? Does it help to study grammar? Does it help to just start speaking, even if you make mistakes? Ultimately, the question is different: is there one method better than the others for learning languages?

The answer, although it may not be entirely satisfying, is that there is no miraculous or infallible method. This happens because learning a language is a complex and lengthy process, conditioned by many factors, and methods are merely tools that work better or worse depending on the person, the moment, and the context.

Fixed rules

Looking back, we see that for a long time learning an additional language basically meant learning its grammar. Language was understood as a system of fixed rules that had to be mastered before use. First, it was studied, and then (if at all) spoken. In the classroom, this was reflected in translation exercises, lists of irregular verbs, syntactic analysis, and sentence completion. The result was that, often, learners knew how to recite a rule but didn't know how to order a coffee, make a complaint, or hold a minimally fluent conversation. The language was studied a lot but used little.

By the beginning of the 20th century, this view began to crumble. With the influence of new currents in linguistics, another idea took hold: learning a language is, more than knowing rules, acquiring habits. The understanding was that if we repeat a structure enough, it will eventually become second nature. Thus, methods based on repetition and imitation appeared, and classrooms were filled with model dialogues and mechanical exercises. Oral communication gains prominence, which represents a significant change. However, conversations that no one would have outside the classroom are often repeated, and the communicative situations are, all too frequently, implausible.

From the 1960s and 70s onward, a new idea gains considerable traction: learning a language is not about parroting, but about creating and constructing. Attention shifts to the learner's mental processes (the hypotheses they formulate, the strategies they activate to understand and express themselves, etc.), and something that may seem obvious today, but which hadn't always been considered, becomes evident: not everyone learns in the same way. Factors such as motivation, attitude, self-esteem, the learning context, and the languages ​​already mastered are brought to the forefront, and learning an additional language begins to be understood as an individual experience.

However, the real turning point comes when, thanks to sociolinguistics, the idea spreads that knowing a language is not just about mastering its grammar and pronouncing its words correctly: it's about knowing how to use it in real-life situations, that is, knowing what to say, to whom, how, and when. This involves adapting one's register, interpreting the context, understanding what is not explicitly stated, negotiating meaning when words are lacking, filling in gaps, and managing misunderstandings.

This shift in perspective transforms classrooms. Language is no longer taught through isolated sentences but rather through complete texts and realistic situations: conversations, emails, news reports, videos, voice messages, or debates. Learners, in addition to completing exercises, must do things with the language, such as expressing opinions, explaining, requesting, negotiating, or arguing. This doesn't mean (be careful!) that grammar disappears: it simply ceases to be the absolute focus and becomes a tool at the service of communication.

Communication ecosystem

This approach connects better with how we use languages. We read books and news on paper or on digital platforms, exchange messages on social media, watch series and videos, listen to podcasts, send audio messages, and so on. Mastering a language involves navigating this communicative ecosystem with a degree of fluency, which requires mastering all linguistic skills: understanding and producing, both orally and in writing, in a multitude of contexts. The goal, therefore, should not only be to write or speak flawlessly, but also to learn to anticipate, infer, select information, and interpret the context in order to understand texts, or to plan, choose linguistic resources, and adapt to the listener in order to produce them.

But let's return to the initial question: to achieve all this, is there one method better than the others? The history of languages ​​tells us no. Although methods promising rapid fluency with minimal study appear periodically, they are usually as ineffective as crash diets or training plans that guarantee a perfect physique in just a few days.

It's not that the methods themselves are useless. The problem is believing there's a single method that works for everyone. Learning a language is an irregular process, with advances, setbacks, and plateaus, and each learner navigates this path in their own way. Repeating phrases can be helpful, as can reflecting on grammar, as well as participating in language exchanges, watching series, or reading books in the target language. However, none of these elements alone guarantees success.

The challenge, therefore, is not finding a magic formula, but knowing how to combine everything judiciously, depending on the situation, the objective, and the individual. Ultimately, knowing a language isn't just about knowing how it works or simply daring to speak it: it's about knowing what to say, when to say it, and who to say it. And that, in reality, is something you never fully learn.