For some, learning a new language seems to come naturally.

For others, the entire process feels more like a tooth and nail struggle.

However, if you've had a negative experience learning a new language at one point in time,

don't let that discourage you from trying again.

The truth is that learning any language is never easy, but it's definitely possible. Sometimes the difference between success and failure has less to do with your abilities or talents,

and a lot more to do with the way you look at things.

In this video, we're going to look at how to avoid five serious mistakes made by new language learners.

Number one, listen before you speak.

Being slow to speak and quick to listen is good life advice,

whether or not you're learning a foreign language.

Effective listening is essential to communication.

As a beginner, there is a tendency to concentrate so much on what you're going to say and how you're going to say it,

that you can completely

miss the meaning or heart of what the other person is trying to communicate.

Not only will this impair your ability to listen in your target language, it will also stall

what little conversation you had going. Remember, the conversations are a two-way street.

If you're speaking more than listening,

then you actually have more of a monologue on your hands than a dialogue.

The inputs of language learning, listening and reading,

are just as important as the outputs, speaking and writing.

For a beginner, inputs are even more crucial,

as they are the main way you acquire new vocabulary.

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