Let’s check it step by step:

1st law – Make it obvious.

How does one make another language “obvious”?

You do it in a couple of ways:

1. Put the language EVERYWHERE.
2. Set ALL of your devices to the language.
3. Switch ALL the content you consume to the language.

Think about it:

How did you learn your mother tongue to such proficiency?

You have an accent that millions would kill for.

You rarely freeze up while speaking.

You recruit the words you want whenever you need.

The answer is quite simple:

It was always around you since day one.

By force of repetition, it got into your head.

So, here goes a message to those reading this who haven’t yet done that:

DO IT NOW!

As soon as you finish reading this, put everything in the other language.

That’s how you’ll make it obvious.

2nd law – Make it attractive.

How do we make learning another language attractive?

In my opinion, through three main ways:

1. Fall in love with something in the language.
2. Spend time with what truly moves you.
3. Have people who are on the same track.

Fundamentally, learning a new language is like building a relationship.

You’d only date someone if you like spending time with them.

And you’d only like spending time with them if there’s a positive exchange.

Use the same logic with the other language.

What’s in it for you?

What is the time spent with that language giving you in return?

Is it giving you new ideas?

Making you happier?

Making you laugh more?

Giving you more knowledge?

It needs to impact you in a very powerful way.

Now, I gotta be honest with you.

I learned five languages during the pandemic.

No going out, no meeting foreigners, no nothing.

I could count on my fingers the number of people who had the same interest.

Those people (some French, some Italian, some Latinos) truly helped me keep going.

So, make sure you have people around who you can practice with and who’ll make it more fun.

I came up with the Language Learning Cohort precisely because of that.

It’s my community for serious language learners.

Time and time again I see people helping each other and in my mind I go:

“God I WISH I had had that back then…”

It makes finding content, structuring a plan and following through much easier.

These are what will help you make it attractive.

3rd law – Make it easy.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Respect the 3 big if’s.
2. Use temptation bundling.
3. Remove distractions.

The average English learner has definitely heard the following before:

“You should watch Friends!”

And yeah, you should!

With three big IFs:

IF your current level allows it, IF you like it, and IF you can do it every day.

It won’t help to watch hours of content when you understand just 10% of it.

Just as it won’t help to spend hours with something you understand but don’t like.

And neither will it help if you can understand and like it, but it requires time you don’t have available.

Respecting the 3 big if’s is about respecting yourself and creating attainable expectations.

One of the best ways to go through with it is temptation bundling.

It consists of tying an activity you like doing to one you need to do, making it easier to form the new habit.

Here are a couple of examples:

You like listening to trap while working out? Do it with trap songs in the other language and translate them.

You like to watch anime? Do it in the other language with the subtitles in it as well.

You’re a professional shower singer? Sing songs in the other language.

Now, did you notice something?

I mentioned something you do while working out, another one most likely at home, and the last one during the shower.

The reason why is because of the 3rd big if: if you can do it every day.

In order for you to be able to do it, you must have a couple of options to choose from.

And to make sure you’ll keep going, remove all distractions around you.

If you can do it without your phone, leave it in another room.

If you gotta do it on the phone, turn on the Do Not Disturb mode.

If you can only do it in a noisy environment, use headphones and turn them all the way up.

That’s how you’ll make everything much easier.

4th law – Make it satisfying.

In my almost decade of teaching languages, the best ways to make learning them satisfying are:

1. Add them to what you already like.
2. Don’t take yourself seriously.
3. Have unique experiences through the language.

Number 1 is pretty self-explanatory.

You like a videogame? Play it in the other language.

You got a favorite book? Read it in the other language.

You have a favorite artist? Find their equivalent in the other language.

Just attach the language to what you already like and you’ll naturally enjoy it more.

This has gotten me back to studying French after I’d given up.

And it’s definitely kept me from leaving German as well.

So do it.

When it comes to number 2, it might not seem very clear.

Of all the things I could’ve chosen, why “Don’t take yourself seriously”?

Because there’s a good chance you still do.

It’s very possible that you still hold back from trying to speak the other language.

And it might be for fear.

Fear of being judged.

Of being laughed at.

Of making mistakes.

But they’re all fears that come from taking yourself too seriously.

So serious to the point where the thought of making mistakes by itself horrifies you.

Well, guess what?

You HAVE to make mistakes in the other language to improve on it.

So get started, bucko.

The one thing, however, that is the most powerful one is the third option.

Having experiences only made possible because of the language.

It’s such a singular thing that I believe only some will get what I mean by this.

Being able to read a book that will change your life and only exists in the language.

Watching a movie that will inspire you to do great things, and there’s no translation of it.

Same with music, YouTube channels, podcasts, series, documentaries, and above all…

People.

Friends you’ll make, relationships you’ll have, business opportunities that’ll come…

This is fundamentally why I learn languages.

It’s because of the enriched version of my life that I know exists with another language.

Once you feel even just a tiny bit of that, you’ll fall in love.

Now, I want you to remember the title of this newsletter.

“It’s supposed to be hard.”

I just gave you an array of options to make it easier.

So why would I insist on it being hard?

Because the world won’t magically change to help you pull that off.

Problems at work will keep happening.

Family issues might come up.

Health related matters too.

Leaving you with less and less time.

My point here is to tell you this:

Learning a new language isn’t hard because of the how.

It’s hard because of the else.

What else is going to demand your attention.

Who else is going to understand the journey you’re on now.

Where else can you go to fully focus on the language.

This and your built-in limiting beliefs and bad habits.

It’s not hard because languages are hard.

It’s hard because life doesn’t make it easy.

And it’s not supposed to.

It’s supposed to present us with problems, solutions, mysteries, curveballs…

Which, in turn, make life what it really is supposed to be:

A hell of an adventure.

So yeah, it’s supposed to be hard.

But like the rapper Vince Staples sings:

“Life hard, but I go harder.”

You got this.

Keep going, my friend.