Learning a foreign language

I’m fluent in Chinese. I’m actually really good at Chinese. Oftentimes after speaking to people on the phone, then meeting them in person, they’re shocked to find out that I’m not Chinese.

I do like to think this is due to my simple methodology I used back in the day for studying.

1. Immersion - This is, easily, the best way to get good at a foreign language. The important aspect of this is NOT SPEAKING YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE. If you can go weeks immersed, that’s great. If not, a good tradeoff is to have one day a week where you only speak your target language.
2. Journal - Keep a journal written in your target language. Write down what you did today, what you ate, where you went, what you’re doing right now, what you’re wearing, where you are, and plans. It’s a ritual, and it forces you to practice the written language.

That’s it. It’s a pretty simple formula.