As some of you may know, English is not my first language. My native tongue is Dutch. I also speak German, a bit of French, I can read Latin and Ancient Greek, and am learning Spanish. People often tell me that they’d like to learn another language but don’t know where to start. Fair enough: I was lucky to grow up in a country with an education system good at introducing other languages from an early age (because no one speaks ours – ahem). But if your school days are behind you and you’d still like to learn, it’s never too late to start.

Free online resources are always a great place to begin. I’m a huge fan of Easy Languages, a team of people who offer podcasts, Youtube videos, practice sessions and exercises for an ever-increasing range of languages. Once you have a basic understanding of your chosen language, listening to podcasts in that language is also a great way to learn, as are Youtube videos. If grown-up content is too challenging to understand, search for children’s programmes. Watching Sesame Street (or rather, Plaza Sesamo) is a fun way to learn Spanish.

Don’t struggle on your own: find friends to learn with. Join a conversation group (they are everywhere once you start looking, or you could start your own) or find a native speaker to practice with. Perhaps they want to improve their English too and you can help each other. Many learners let their embarrassment get in the way of their speaking; practising in a safe and friendly environment will help you improve quickly to get over this hurdle.

In between conversation practice, try an app to practice grammar and vocabulary. Duolingo and Babbel are well-known and suitable for beginners. Once you gain some proficiency in your chosen language their content may not be challenging enough for you, so don’t make them your only option. I personally prefer Seedlang: although this app offers a limited range of languages it has a strong structured learning programme and fun content which ensures I keep coming back.

Keep in mind that learning a language is a long and often difficult process: persistence is key. It helps to learn with a goal in mind. Perhaps you’ve had a fantastic holiday in Spain and want to be able to communicate better with locals when you visit again? And keep up your practice: learning is a lifelong process, Although I’m pretty much at English native speaker level, I’m still learning new words almost every day. If you find this prospect daunting, try to make learning fun. For if you enjoy what you do, you don’t really want it to end.

Image my own @thecococatani