Native English speakers often see themselves as the linguistic majority, especially amongst westerners who are accustomed to hearing and seeing their native tongue wherever they go.

But in reality, current statistics show that they are vastly outnumbered by Mandarin and Spanish speakers, with a range of Indo-European languages hot on the heels.

Furthermore, with more than half the world’s population speaking at least two languages, those with only one are at a significant social and educational disadvantage.

If you’ve never embarked on the journey of language learning before, it may seem daunting. But mastering another language is a skill in itself, and when you’ve done it once, it’s far easier to tackle another.

So whether you want to access books, films, and music in another language, get around with ease in another country, or simply broaden your horizons by exploring another language, these are three techniques for learning that really work.

For some new beginners there is a temptation to cram as much vocabulary as possible.

But in reality, this is not a helpful way to master a language - at least, not in the beginning.

For those who took high school French, you may remember some of the introductory phrases you started with - bonjour, merci, et s'il vous plaît.

But once these staples have been established, you begin to construct verb phrases - je suis, tu vas, il pense.

Once you understand how to describe a state of being in the present tense, you will then learn to create past, future, and conditional tenses. Through these steps you gain the confidence to master vocabulary and use it correctly.

To learn a language in a structured way, apps like Babbel go beyond the typical vocab-cramming approach of many alternatives.

The most crucial part of language learning is not just taking in the information, but learning how to utilise it - after all, what is the point?

If you’re not yet confident enough to try to meet other learners - or indeed, native speakers - listening to and reading your chosen language is a great way to attain fluency.

Try listening to music or podcasts in the language you are trying to learn. Watching TV shows and films with subtitles in your own language can boost your confidence, demonstrating how much you recognise, and helping to truly ingrain those habits of fluency.

If you are ready to meet with fellow speakers, italki is a tool that connects learners and tutors to help you develop your fluency.

Usage is the most important, but building confidence before you reach that stage is challenging, particularly for the autodidact. How can you be sure you are pronouncing a word correctly, or mastering the context of formal vs informal pronouns and verbs?

If you don’t have access to testing or aren’t ready to learn from a tutor, self-testing tools like FlexiQuiz can help. The free quiz tool can create AI quizzes to help you focus on your chosen areas of improvement, so you can assess your progress independently.

If you’re thinking of learning a new language, these three techniques are designed to achieve true fluency, from the first stepping stones to more advanced mastery.