Why language classes usually don't work, but can

I have been to quite a few language classes in quite a few different locations. Spanish in Spain, German in Austria, (and, come to think of it, German in Spain as well!) along with some University German classes in Canada. It became sort of a hobby of mine! I enjoyed having a place to go regularly with the specific purpose to learn a language, and to meet people from around the world who were also learning languages, or people attending my University in Canada who were also interested in learning German. I also enjoyed the structure of having a regular language class with homework, tests, and constant progression. I really love languages, but to this day I struggle with keeping myself disciplined enough to do quality studying at home, and although I did learn a lot in my various language classes, I have never learned a language in the class. Language classes usually don’t work and the reason they usually don’t work is because people expect them to. Let me explain…

If you expect to learn a language solely within the classroom walls, then you will more than likely be disapointed! Here are the reasons why language classes usually don’t work, but can.

Why language classes usually don’t work:

- If you have the wrong attitude towards language classes, they will not help you very much. The wrong attitude is expecting to learn a language in a classroom. If you expect the teacher to teach you the language in the time that you are in the four walls of your classroom and put no effort in on your own, then you will not learn the language. Well, you may very well learn the language eventually, but by that time you may have already invested years of your time and thousands of dollars worth of your money to go from beginner to advanced, when you could have learned the language a lot faster and therefore saved money if you had put in some decent effort on your own outside of the classroom.

- Most people who go to language classes don’t do their homework. Homework is an extremely important part of taking language classes, and even more important than homework is reviewing. You must review what you learned that day. Re-read the texts that you worked on in class, write down new vocabulary and make flash cards, review those flash cards… Yes it may be a lot of work, but if you don’t do it your money that you invested in the class will be wasted because you will not be reinforcing what you paid for to learn.

How language classes CAN work:

- Language teachers are great resources. They are often native speakers, or if not, are extremely experienced with the language they are teaching, with University degrees in language, teaching, or linguistics, and are glad to answer any questions you have and help guide you along with your learning. You can make notes at home after reviewing what you learned in class that day and then get it all cleared up by your teacher the next day.

- If you have any problem getting yourself to work on language learning yourself because you don’t have any “official” structure to your studying, then language classes give you that. You will have tests, homework, and your class will be constantly moving forward. You will be “forced” to get into the habit of regular language study which is something you can carry over into your self-study time when the class finishes.

- Language classes are a place to go to meet other people who are learning the same language as you. You can meet friends and have encouragement when learning the new language. If you are studying a language abroad you can meet people who are also studying abroad and are in similar situations as yourself! This makes language learning even more fun than it already is. (but you have to be careful if you and your new friends share the same native language, you should be practicing speaking the language you are learning!)

Fiona at Baby-Steps to Fluency wrote a post comparing Self-study versus Classroom Learning and came to pretty much the same conclusion, you have to find a happy medium. (You can find her post here.)

You just need to think of a language class as another piece of the language learning puzzle. Cheesy, but true!