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The 5 Stages of Language Learning
As a language teacher, I’ve worked with many students who have been learning Vietnamese for years — some for 3 years, some for 7, and even some colleagues for over a decade. But despite the time and effort, many of them still struggle to communicate naturally with native speakers.
Why does this happen?
To answer that, I want to introduce you to a concept that completely changed how I see language learning and it might change your perspective too. It’s called the 5 stages of language learning.
This is not something I made up. It’s based on how language acquisition works in real life. And once you understand these five stages, you’ll see why you might be stuck and how to move forward.
⸻
Stage 1: Understanding
This is where most learners start. You study vocabulary, grammar rules, sentence structures. You can understand what’s being said (especially in writing), and you start to make sense of how the language works.
But at this stage, you’re mostly a passive learner. You take in the language, but you’re not producing much yet.
⸻
Stage 2: Remembering
Here, you begin to memorize what you’ve learned. You can recall vocabulary, answer questions in class, and maybe even do well on tests. Your knowledge becomes more stable.
But here’s the problem: understanding and remembering are not enough. This is where many people stop and they stay stuck here for years.
⸻
Stage 3: Using
This is the turning point. Now you start to use the language. You speak, you write, you try to communicate in real situations. You make tons of mistakes. You often feel frustrated. But this is exactly where real progress happens.
Think of it like learning to swim. You can study techniques, read books, and watch videos but unless you get in the water, you’ll never really learn to swim. Or like learning guitar: You can memorize chords and music theory, but unless you pick up the guitar and play, it won’t turn into a skill.
Language is no different. You must use it. Mistakes are part of the process.
⸻
Stage 4: Sensing
At this stage, something magical happens. You begin to sense the language. You start to feel the tone, emotion, and cultural meaning behind the words. You don’t just translate, you begin to understand how the language lives. You can pick up on sarcasm, jokes, or politeness levels. You hear a word and instantly feel what’s appropriate or inappropriate.
To get here, you have to go through a lot of exposure and practice, even when you don’t understand everything.
And let me say this clearly: You don’t need to understand every single word. At the beginning, just understanding the main idea or a few keywords is enough. Keep listening, keep speaking, even if you don’t “get it all.” That habit will train your brain far better than trying to translate every word.
⸻
Stage 5: Integrating
This is the highest level.
You start to feel comfortable and confident using the language in real life. You can express your thoughts freely. You no longer have to translate in your head. You might still make mistakes, but they don’t stop you. You can joke, tell stories, express emotions, you feel like you belong. You start to live the language, not just “learn” it.
Now, maybe you don’t live in a country where the language is spoken, and that’s okay. Integration doesn’t mean becoming native, it means feeling at ease when using the language in your own life and context.
⸻
So, Where Are You Now?
Take a moment and ask yourself:
• Am I just understanding and remembering?
• Have I given myself permission to start using the language?
• Do I let myself make mistakes and learn from them?
• Am I building the habits that lead to sensing and integrating?
⸻
Final Advice
• Don’t aim to be perfect, aim to use the language.
• Don’t wait until you’re “ready”, you’ll never feel ready.
• Speak even if you’re unsure. Listen even if you don’t understand everything.
• Surround yourself with the language as much as possible, music, podcasts, conversations, anything.
Use it. Mess it up. Fix it. Repeat. That’s how fluency is built.You’ve already started the journey, make sure you don’t stop at Stage 2.
by Tú Mỹ
This article was written with the support of AI.
The ideas, experiences, and teaching philosophy shared here are my own.
Why does this happen?
To answer that, I want to introduce you to a concept that completely changed how I see language learning and it might change your perspective too. It’s called the 5 stages of language learning.
This is not something I made up. It’s based on how language acquisition works in real life. And once you understand these five stages, you’ll see why you might be stuck and how to move forward.
⸻
Stage 1: Understanding
This is where most learners start. You study vocabulary, grammar rules, sentence structures. You can understand what’s being said (especially in writing), and you start to make sense of how the language works.
But at this stage, you’re mostly a passive learner. You take in the language, but you’re not producing much yet.
⸻
Stage 2: Remembering
Here, you begin to memorize what you’ve learned. You can recall vocabulary, answer questions in class, and maybe even do well on tests. Your knowledge becomes more stable.
But here’s the problem: understanding and remembering are not enough. This is where many people stop and they stay stuck here for years.
⸻
Stage 3: Using
This is the turning point. Now you start to use the language. You speak, you write, you try to communicate in real situations. You make tons of mistakes. You often feel frustrated. But this is exactly where real progress happens.
Think of it like learning to swim. You can study techniques, read books, and watch videos but unless you get in the water, you’ll never really learn to swim. Or like learning guitar: You can memorize chords and music theory, but unless you pick up the guitar and play, it won’t turn into a skill.
Language is no different. You must use it. Mistakes are part of the process.
⸻
Stage 4: Sensing
At this stage, something magical happens. You begin to sense the language. You start to feel the tone, emotion, and cultural meaning behind the words. You don’t just translate, you begin to understand how the language lives. You can pick up on sarcasm, jokes, or politeness levels. You hear a word and instantly feel what’s appropriate or inappropriate.
To get here, you have to go through a lot of exposure and practice, even when you don’t understand everything.
And let me say this clearly: You don’t need to understand every single word. At the beginning, just understanding the main idea or a few keywords is enough. Keep listening, keep speaking, even if you don’t “get it all.” That habit will train your brain far better than trying to translate every word.
⸻
Stage 5: Integrating
This is the highest level.
You start to feel comfortable and confident using the language in real life. You can express your thoughts freely. You no longer have to translate in your head. You might still make mistakes, but they don’t stop you. You can joke, tell stories, express emotions, you feel like you belong. You start to live the language, not just “learn” it.
Now, maybe you don’t live in a country where the language is spoken, and that’s okay. Integration doesn’t mean becoming native, it means feeling at ease when using the language in your own life and context.
⸻
So, Where Are You Now?
Take a moment and ask yourself:
• Am I just understanding and remembering?
• Have I given myself permission to start using the language?
• Do I let myself make mistakes and learn from them?
• Am I building the habits that lead to sensing and integrating?
⸻
Final Advice
• Don’t aim to be perfect, aim to use the language.
• Don’t wait until you’re “ready”, you’ll never feel ready.
• Speak even if you’re unsure. Listen even if you don’t understand everything.
• Surround yourself with the language as much as possible, music, podcasts, conversations, anything.
Use it. Mess it up. Fix it. Repeat. That’s how fluency is built.You’ve already started the journey, make sure you don’t stop at Stage 2.
by Tú Mỹ
This article was written with the support of AI.
The ideas, experiences, and teaching philosophy shared here are my own.