Do you want to learn a new language? Do you finally want to communicate in a new language? Will you finally increase the languages that you speak? This is a must-read post for anyone that wants to finally learn a new language.

When it comes to what to do after college, there are many options to consider. In this specific series, we’re covering 7 alternatives to graduate school. Today we’re going to try to learn a new language. Are you feeling adventurous?

How can you learn a new language? I speak English and Polish. I’m currently working n Spanish. What’s my plan? How can you learn a new language in your first year out of college?

Try one of the audio courses.

There’s the Rosetta Stone program and a few others that go over learning a language with you. I used one of these programs to pick up some basic Spanish. I’m nowhere close to being fluent in Spanish, but I’m comfortable with knowing the main words. The beauty of these audio programs is that it’s only 30 minutes a day and you can slowly pick up on the language. These courses are ideal when you have a busy life. You can listen to the audio programs from anywhere.

Watch a show in the language.

I once earned an interview on the radio where the person mentioned how they learned English from watching The Simpsons. It sounded pretty absurd at the moment. The one day I decided to give it a try and it was actually pretty interesting.

Visit a location that speaks the language.

I thought I picked up Spanish until I went to Cuba and tried to communicate with the locals. I quickly learned that I was clueless. It’s one thing to learn the main words, it’s a totally different thing to actually be able to communicate. If you want to travel, I highly recommend that you go to a location where you want to learn the language. There’s nothing like immersing yourself in that culture. The reason that I find this works is that you’re forced and have no choice but to learn the language. If you don’t learn the language, you’re going to have a tough time getting around or getting anything done at all.

Work with locals of the language.

This one isn’t exactly all that easy because you can’t control what sort of individuals you work with. I do know that a few of my friends learned a new language by working in that country with people that only spoke the native tongue. This is one step above from visiting the place. When on vacation you won’t be forced to learn the language necessarily. When you work abroad with locals, you’re going to have to speak that language or you won’t be able to hold your job for all that long. Long story short, if you want to learn a new language and travel, why not work somewhere you want to learn the language?

That’s how you can pick up another language after college. What language will you learn? How long is it going to take you?

A recap of the best options for life after collge:

  1. Kill your debt.
  2. Master a skill.
  3. Do nothing.
  4. Learn a new language.
  5. Create something.
  6. Start your own business.
  7. Work abroad.

Martin Dasko

Martin Dasko