Ten tips to keep up the foreign language(s) you have studied
Forgetting a language after years of hard work can be frustrating, but with the right strategies, you can maintain and even improve your proficiency over time. Here’s my practical ten-step guide on how I keep my language skills alive and avoid letting them slip away:
1. Make Language Maintenance a Lifelong Habit
Easier said than done, I know. Treat language learning as an ongoing journey, not a one-off goal. Even just a little weekly exposure, like an hour per week, goes a long way. Put your language practice in your routine, it can make the difference :)
2. Build Exposure Into Your Daily Life
Change the language settings on your phone or apps for subtle, constant practice. I know you’re constantly scrolling, you might as well do it in another language :)
3. Use Digital Tools and Apps
Maintain skills with a few minutes daily on apps like Duolingo, which use spaced repetition to reinforce memory. However, I don’t think Duolingo should be the only tool! A little more on Duolingo and my approach in our previous article, here.
4. Consume Authentic Content
Movies, TV, and Music: Watch shows or listen to music in your target language. Try to sing along or use subtitles for extra benefit. Watch that TV show you know by heart in another language so that you can focus on learning and not on the plot! Read Widely: Regularly read news, books, comics, or online articles. Choose topics you genuinely enjoy to make practice pleasurable. Follow Social Media: Engage with creators and follow accounts on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or whichever works for you in your target language for real-world exposure. Make your feed a Multilingual safe space :)
5. Use Active, Varied Practice
Make friends with people who speak the language, attend conversation classes, or find a tandem partner for language exchanges. Teaching concepts or vocabulary to someone else not only helps them, but also reinforces your knowledge. Use “fun facts” in your target language and share it with your loved ones. I might have a professional deformation, but I promise you, my friends and family members appreciate my etymological pearls and my “in German/French/Catalan/Mandarin/… this is…”. They probably don’t but they’re too polite to stop me, so why would I?
6. Periodically Review Core Grammar and Vocabulary
Regularly review digital or physical flashcards to keep key vocabulary fresh. You can use Quizlet or the once-so-loved pen and paper. Revisit tricky grammar points or commonly forgotten vocab every so often. Your notes are your best friends right now!
7. Prioritize Contextual and Meaningful Learning
Expose yourself to lots of authentic context—read, listen, and converse as much as possible, rather than just memorizing word lists or grammar tables. Just to keep stressing the importance of what you consume and the language you consume it in! If possible, travel to or participate in events involving the language and culture for full immersion. Here I come, Lisbon this coming August!
8. Stay Social for Motivation
Engage with people learning or speaking the language for fun and accountability. Attend local or online meetups to practice speaking and listening regularly. This isn’t easy, but it might be fun. I highly recommend cooking classes, too! Learn to make those tacos you dream of after your last trip to Mexico City, but do it in Spanish!
9. Be nice to yourself and don’t give up
It’s normal to forget some vocabulary or structures. Intensive review sessions, especially using multimodal methods (speaking, listening, reading), can rapidly bring you up to speed again. Be nice to yourself, how long did it take you to learn your First Language(s)? At least 3 to 4 years just to be able to write and read, right? You know more than you think :)
10. Make It Fun and Personal
Whether sports, cooking, or gaming, consuming content that excites you in your target language will naturally reinforce your skills. Participate in digital games, quizzes, or challenges to keep things lively and rewarding if you can.
By integrating some of these strategies, you can maintain and even improve the languages you have studied, ensuring your hard-earned skills never truly fade away. Consistency, variety, and authentic engagement are your key allies in lifelong language retention.
Remember:
I’m your best friend right now, remember that, even if this is a joke we’ve all said at least once in our lifetimes, alcohol doesn’t improve your language proficiency. If you’re tipsy, your Spanish doesn’t sound better (it’s probably just louder), HOWEVER if it helps you to release your inhibitions, go for it, have that margarita and enjoy your time speaking Spanish :) [and, most importantly, don’t drink and drive.]