5 Reasons to Start Now

Making the choice to change your life

Welcome, aspiring polyglot! We are coming into the last quarter of the year and the leaves are changing. That is, or could be, an indication that it is time for you, too, to change. If you have been sitting and thinking about learning a language, let me give you five reasons why you should begin working on it today. It is going to take the same amount of time no matter when you start, in fact, it might even be more difficult the longer you wait. All you have to do is align your goals with your priorities.

1. You’ve been thinking about it

If you are reading this post, the chances are rather high that you have been thinking about learning a new language. Thinking about doing it is a great start, but now is the perfect time to realize those dreams. Too many people spend more time thinking about doing something than they spend doing the thing. With internet access you have everything you need to make your language acquisition a smooth process.

2. This is the most time you will ever have

Age is one of most common reasons I hear from people who are hesitant to learn a new language. It is true that it is easier to learn a new language the younger you are, but this is also the youngest you will ever be. The longer you wait the more difficult it will be, so you might as well start today. Tomorrow never comes when you are waiting for the perfect opportunity. Once you take the first step you may feel intimidated, but after the first step it gets easier.

3. There is no perfect time

Waiting for the perfect time, when you have the perfect plan, and feel like your brain is in perfect shape is no way to move forward. All of those things will so rarely line up so if you are always waiting for the perfect moment you will likely never start. Getting used to working when you don’t feel like it is crucial because the first time is far from the last time you will feel like this.

Learning a new language is difficult, studying when you don’t feel like it is going to give you an advantage over all of the people who aren’t willing to do it. At this stage in our world with technology where it is you have countless tools at your fingertips with new and exciting tools being developed every single day. Yes, you do have to put the work in, but you might be surprised when it is easier now than it was when you were in school.

4. You have endless tools at your fingertips

In the current year, the amount of things you have at your fingertips is astounding. All of the things that people from decades and centuries ago would have loved to have to help them master new language and new information generally. It would be a shame to go all your life without putting those things to use. You have more opportunity now than most people in human history have ever had. If you truly want to learn a new language, there has never been a better time in human history to undertake this endeavor.

From language learning apps like Glossika (use code ODIN24) to online videos in just about any language you can think of, there is almost no excuse to avoid learning your target language, if you have one. As far as strategies to implement all of things goes, that’s why you are here, so don’t forget to check out the archive and use the search bar to look for anything about which you are curious. If you can’t find what you need using the search bar, leave a comment and I will address your questions and comments directly. Chances are, if you have a questions, someone else has the same question.

5. Go into 2025 conversational

The last reason you should start now is because if you do you can go into 2025 conversational. It takes time, especially to get to a place where you are fluent, but reaching conversational is far more simple. Once you can hold a conversation, everything gets easier because suddenly you are able to practice simply through conversing. Making friends is one of the best parts of becoming bilingual, so start to speak to native speakers early and often.

I have personally seen dozens of people start speaking their target language after 3 months time. There is not a doubt in my mind that it is possible, but it does require you to make a choice every single day to show up and work. Still, all of the effort will be worth it when you walk into the new year ready to converse in the language you have always wanted to learn. If you have been waiting, I hope this will convince you that it is worth it to take on this challenge immediately.

Conclusion

Every excuse in the book is available to you if you want it, but the only thing you are doing is delaying the inevitable. If you are reading this, the chances that you will learn a new language are high. The choice now comes down to when you will be doing that. My belief is that the best time to do that is starting now. Hopefully you will make that choice and use the tools you have at your fingertips to enhance and accelerate your language acquisition.

As we discuss often around here, creating is vital in second language acquisition. Speaking and practicing with written language will help you in accelerating and enhancing your language learning process, so start having conversations as early on as possible. It will be difficult, but you can do difficult things and be great. So go do some difficult things and become great.

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