I woke up this morning to a newsletter in my inbox on 5 reasons certain people are better at learning languages and it was full of so much guilt-trip BS that it infuriated me. It was stuff like they get up at the break-of-dawn every day and study, they don’t use social media, and other self-discipline crap. I’ve got a stronger than average talent for learning languages and I don’t do any of the stuff that was on the list. Since there are quite a few aspiring language learners here on DB, I figured I would share my own 5 reasons.

(My Personal) 5 Reasons Why People Are Smarter At Languages Than You

1. Their brains are hard-wired different: Some people have brains that are just more opportune for language learning and that’s that. Personally, I think I have a pretty ideal left-right brain balance for it. I’ve got an analytical mind that’s good at picking out and dissecting patterns, but I’m equally comfortable throwing out and bending rules if need be.

2. They don’t think, they feel: I don’t let myself get bogged down by not understanding the why all the time. Languages are fluid things, they don’t always make sense. Instead of always focusing on why something is the way it is, I focus on the emotional aspect of it. I pay attention to things like body language and intonation and think of things like “does this sound like a good thing or a bad thing?” “Does the speaker sound happy, sarcastic, frustrated, etc.?” “If I was so-and-so, how would I respond in this situation?” I’ve often found in my language learning journey that the languages I’m most fluent in I don’t always know the exact English translation of things, I just know when it’s appropriate to say it.

3. Mimic, Mimic, Mimic: Like a baby, I repeat what I hear as near exactly as I can remember it. I don’t put much thought into what I’m saying all the time. If a phrase comes to mind that I think is appropriate then I use it instead of bothering to come up with my own. But I don’t just mimic phrases, I completely embody someone else. Whenever I speak another language my voice and entire demeanor change. When it’s Korean my voice is higher-pitched, I create a more cutesy persona for myself, and I often find myself talking to myself or making noises of surprise or frustration even though I normally never would. It’s what makes people think I’m fluent even when I’m not. I often tell people speaking another language is a lot like acting. If the way you speak, think, and act is the same in every language you speak then you’re likely doing something wrong.

4. They spice things up: I don’t do the same thing all the time. Sometimes I sub, sometimes I try reading a novel, sometimes I just want to do sing-a-longs. When I’m feeling sick of one language I switch my focus to another one for a while. Funny thing, although I own many textbooks and dictionaries, I rarely sit down and do the exercises in them. In fact, the language I’m most fluent in (other than my native tongue) is the one I only formally studied for 1 month. I follow where my interests take me and when something starts feeling stagnant or tedious I switch learning avenues for a while.

5. They enjoy it: I don’t stay up to the wee hours in the morning looking things up because I feel that it’ll be detrimental to my progress if I don’t. I do it because, despite the fact that it sometimes gives me a massive headache, I feel genuinely satisfied and happy doing it. It gives me a great sense of pride and accomplishment when I figure out the perfect translation or reach an A-ha Moment for something after struggling for sometimes hours to do so. I don’t necessarily have goals for learning languages, I just find it fun and fascinating, and that’s what keeps me going no matter how slow my pace may get at times.