While polyglots seek guidance from instructors and formal settings like all of us, they mostly learn by themselves outside of the class. Polyglots are the most successful examples of autonomous learners who do not let only classrooms and formal lessons entirely control their learning but take the learning process in their own hands. Instead of waiting for classes to experience a language, they make time in their daily schedule and practice it on their own. Outside of the class, for example, they may surround themselves with the language environment and engage with media in the target language such as movies, songs, podcasts, and online language exchange apps. From goal setting to selecting and crafting materials to tracking their progress, polyglots actively engage in their learning experience.

Polyglots are self-directed learners who do not rely on opportunities that others can provide, but they also create their own. They craft their personalized materials and develop unique ways to learn languages that best fit their goals and learning systems. For example, they may create their own flashcards and language games. They may pair up with another learner or with generative AI to create a dialogue or story. Polyglots do not only create but also select their own materials. For example, instead of relying solely on one textbook, they might visit a local library or start browsing on the internet to find an interesting resource for themselves such as illustrated magazines, audiobooks, recipes, or podcasts.

Self-directed and autonomous learning inevitably presents some challenges as well for polyglots. This can include discomfort at grappling new patterns on their own, uncertainty with self-assessment, or lack of feedback. However, polyglots are language enthusiasts who are driven by their intrinsic love for languages and have huge tolerance for their uncertainty. They are not afraid to use the language with their ‘incorrect’ grammatical patterns. They also do not hesitate to pick up an unfamiliar resource to just look at it even though they do not fully understand. Instead of letting fear stop their learning, polyglots embrace their discomfort. With their growth mindset, they view their incomplete understanding of texts or incorrect use of grammar or vocabulary as an inevitable natural part of their learning process.

What do you think is better, 10 minutes every day or 1 hour after 10 days? 10 minutes every day, of course. Polyglots make it a consistent daily practice even if it’s just for a few minutes. In this way, they learn it in small chunks. They set realistic and clear goals (we’ll talk about SMART goals in Chapter 5) to squeeze learning into their daily schedule. If they decide to join language learning apps, they use it consistently and set clear goals. For example, completing one or two app lessons every day is better than cramming multiple lessons after weeks in a single session.

Fun is the key! Polyglots understand that learning a language is not a one-day event, and that the learning process will become an integral part of their lives. So, it’s important to love the process itself! Instead of only viewing the new language as a destination, they focus more on the path and make sure to enjoy it. But fun and enjoyment mean different things to different people. One person may be a food lover who combines their interest in great food with their language goals. They might find recipes or listen to cooking shows in the target language. Another person may love sports and decides to watch news clips about teams in other countries. This gives them insight into both international sports and the language needed to describe it. Each of these learners are making the process a fun and memorable experience!