What Learning Path Do You Choose?

Do you prefer to follow the well-trodden path when learning a language, or are you open to analyzing your progress and adapting as needed?

The other day, I went to a new hair salon—it just opened a couple of months ago. The owner is a lovely woman from Iran who has been living in Hungary for almost four years. She used to work in the capital, where there were plenty of international clients, so speaking English was never an issue.
But then she moved to a small provincial town, where most locals barely speak English, and her Hungarian is still a work in progress. As a result, she’s struggling to find clients. She was beyond happy to finally have a conversation in English with me!

I asked her if she was learning Hungarian and what her plans were. She told me she takes courses, studies with books, but finds the language really difficult. That’s why she doesn’t use it at work yet.

As a language coach, I reflected on her situation. Many of us believe we have to go through all the beginner books, cover every standard topic, and only then—after some imaginary permission—we can start learning what we actually need to improve our lives.

Some teachers might tell you that you have to learn "A" before moving on to "B." I recently read a post about a woman learning Portuguese. She desperately needed to understand a particular grammar tense for work. She tried to study it on her own but couldn't fully grasp it, so she asked her teacher for help. The response? "No, it’s too early. You need to master tense A first, and you still make mistakes in it."

But here’s the thing—you are an active participant in your learning process. You have the right to make decisions about your learning journey and focus on what truly matters to you.

So, take time to review your study approach regularly. Share your ideas and needs with your teacher or tutor. And if they’re not willing to listen—find someone who is.