One of the keys to enjoying and staying motivated in your language-learning journey is trying new language-learning activities. Adding new methods to your routine helps you discover what works (and what doesn’t work) well for you, keeps things fresh, and ensures you avoid growing stagnant in your current level.
As we begin a new season and near the halfway mark of the year, summer is a great time to shake up your approach to language learning and test out new, fun ways to learn a language. If you’re looking for new ways to improve your target language, why not try out one of these language learning ideas inspired by summer?
Want to watch a video for inspiration instead? Check out this one!
Study Outside
Summer’s warm (or sometimes hot) weather is one of the reasons it’s one of my favourite seasons. If you feel the same, try studying outside. Studying outside has helped me spend more time outdoors and motivated me to spend more time with my target languages just so I can spend a little more time hanging out on my balcony. If you’re not a fan of the heat, try studying in the morning or evening when the temperatures are lower. Spending time with a new language can be a great way to start or end your day!
Plan a Trip (That You Never Have to Go On!)
Planning a trip is a great way to gain practical experience using your target language. Pick a place you want to go, such as a city that predominately speaks the language, and use your language skills to research possible activities and create an itinerary. Though you’ll benefit from this activity regardless of whether or not you’re in a position to travel this summer, using your itinerary for a trip you are taking will make visiting those places even more special.
Be a Tourist in Your Own City
You can also be a tourist in your city if a trip to a new country isn’t in the cards right now but you still want to create and use an itinerary in your target language. Use resources designed for speakers of your target language travelling to your city.
Don’t worry if you live in a smaller, less visited area or are struggling to find resources on your city in your target language; this activity is easily modifiable! Look up resources in your native language or create your own plan using places you’ve visited or had recommended by friends to create an itinerary in your target language. Then, go out and try the itinerary and write or talk about your experience in your target language for added speaking practice.
Work Through Your Summer Reading List
Reading is one of my favourite language-learning activities, regardless of the season. However, summer stands out in particular as a season of reading for me. Growing up, I loved participating in summer reading challenges held at my local library, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself with more time to read in the summer. Plus, I love lying on the beach with a romance novel.
This summer, try making your own summer reading challenge. Create a list of books you want to read (or reread) in your target language and work your way through them throughout the summer. You could even set small rewards for reaching new milestones in your reading challenge.
Listen to a Guided Meditation
Though summer may no longer come with the same break from responsibilities it did when you were a kid, you can still lean into its sleepy, warm energy and take some time to relax by following a guided meditation. Meditation is a great way to improve your language skills, as it encourages you to focus on the words you hear more than during any other activity. Plus, many meditations repeat a singular mantra over and over, giving you a chance to ingrain that phrase and any new words in it into your head. This can also be a great way to incorporate more language-learning activities into your daily life if you already meditate regularly.
Incorporate Language Learning Into Your Workouts
While summer may have a sleepy, lazy vibe, I’ve also found that it’s the time of year I’m the most active. Since exercise benefits your memory, practicing a language while working out is a great way to make the experience fun and productive.
YouTube has thousands of workout tutorials in many different languages, making finding something you’ll enjoy easy. If you want something less structured, you can put on a podcast or audiobook in your target language to listen to while you hike, take a walk, or go roller skating. No matter the exercise you enjoy, there are many ways to incorporate language learning into the process.
Follow a Craft Tutorial
Since each of the language learning ideas on this list is inspired by summer, it only makes sense to include an activity inspired by summer camp. Whether you grew up going to summer camp or, like me, are faking those memories, following a craft tutorial in your target language will teach you new vocabulary in a fun, relaxing way. You can use the tutorial to learn a new creative skill like crocheting or follow a simple kids’ craft tutorial for a quick afternoon craft.
Make Summer Playlist
Who said the songs of your summer had to be in your native language? Make a playlist of songs in your target language and listen to it throughout your summer as you drive, hang out at the pool, or dance around your apartment. Learning the lyrics to a new song provides an opportunity to learn new vocabulary, and music can also serve as great motivation to keep learning a language.
Have a Movie Night
Build a pillow fort or set up a screen and projector outside for a DIY drive-in, pop some popcorn, and put on a movie in your target language! Adding subtitles and inviting friends or family to join you for the movie night can involve your loved ones in your language-learning journey. Not only are movie nights fun ways to learn a language, but they’re fun ways to spend your evenings this summer.
Take a Break
Many language learners strive to make the most progress as quickly as possible. But just as a summer break when you’re in school breaks can offer necessary relaxation and a reset to avoid burnout, so can a break from language learning. If you’re starting to feel burnt out, summer might be a time to take a step back from languages to shift your attention to other hobbies. A break can often benefit your language learning, and avoiding burn out is critical to long-term commitment and progress. If your brain and body are trying to tell you you need a break, you should take a break. Languages will always be here when you come back.
Whether you just started learning a new language or have been studying for years, every new season offers a chance to try out new methods and language-learning ideas to find what works well for you. Give some of these fun ways to learn a language a try, and let me know what your favourite summer language learning activities are in the comments!
