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How to Move Past Language Learning Burnout Like a Polyglot

Even polyglots get tired

Leo Carvalho
3 min readJul 27, 2020
How to keep chugging forward in your language learning journey. Compound locomotive published by Sampson Low and Marston (1894). Original from the British Library. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel. In the Public Domain, CC0

I’ve tried learning about six or seven languages at different points in my life, and if I have to be completely honest — my pace has slowed down a lot over the last two years. I don’t always find the same success I had before. Concentrating on language learning isn’t something as readily available to me as it was a few years ago. I have a family now, and that takes priority. But this doesn’t mean I have to forgo language learning altogether.

If you’re finding it difficult to keep making progress, here are some tips for making the best of your language learning journey.

Keep going even when you stop

Learning a language is not a one-shot deal. You will experience waves of acquisition. There are times when it comes naturally and times when you burn out.

There will be times when you consider giving up, it’s the nature of the task. Even if it’s extremely enjoyable, it’s still a daunting task.

It’s important not to let yourself burn out completely. Take the time to slow down and remind yourself that you’ve been putting in a lot of effort — this is great preparation, but there will also be moments when it’s harder for you to keep it up. Remind yourself that language…

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Leo Carvalho
Leo Carvalho

Written by Leo Carvalho

Writing about programming and the life of a developer, with some other things sprinkled in between

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