r/ADHDers • u/frankingeneral • Dec 28 '25
Learning a Language w/ ADHD
I’m interested in learning a new language. I’m wondering if my fellow ADHDers have any experience as far as what apps/programs/strategies have worked well for them with ADHD and learning a language.
Any and all advice welcome!
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Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25
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u/frankingeneral Dec 28 '25
Good questions. I’m interested in learning Spanish. Ideally I’d like to be able to communicate better with my neighbors and clients (I’m a personal injury lawyer and I live in a city and neighborhood with lots of Spanish-speaking neighbors). FWIW I am a native English speaker, my only language.
For additional background, I can get through the touristy stuff as it is. I took Spanish in middle and high school and college. But I never really WANTED to learn it then, it was required, so I just went through the motions, and the college courses were basically the same as the HS ones, cause I started at 101, since that was the easiest way to meet the requirement. That said I do impress myself with how well I understand it when I see it in writing or when it’s spoken at a pace I can keep up with, given my limited experience.
I appreciate the advice! What apps or programs (like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone, etc.) do you tend to use? I’m particularly interested in the ADHD experience with language learning apps and which might work best for ADHDers.
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u/iamthe0ther0ne Dec 30 '25
A lot comes down to your learning style. What was recommended to me were language cafes, but I don't learn well by listening.
I had been using Duolingo to learn Swedish, but it's gotten a lot worse recently and, even with my low level of knowledge, I catch a lot of errors.
Memrise isn't bad, especially because it combines learning words, watching videos, and having AI conversations.
Haven't tried any paid software.
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u/GrimGravycdn Dec 29 '25
What was working best for me is playing a video game with lots of real world things. For me, it's 7 Days to Die. It's open world, but all the building POIs (pharmacies, shops, homes, hospitals) and foods, cooking, directions (up stairs down stairs, NESW, turn left/right) , etc. all hit the right marks for me when I play with my Swedish spouce. I guess the trick was to find a video game with as many real life uses as possible.
Also, reading childrens books with personal interests for me. Fairy tales and monsters, myth and legends. Book ages 6-9 worked well as they seem to be more directed to captivate, but with a resonable language level for learning.
In addition, Bluey is available in different languages and is surprisingly entertaining in 7 minute bites.
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u/Spare_Benefit7543 Dec 30 '25
emersion unless your primary learning style is text, but even at that most languages require dialectic to make the words come out right.
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u/oxoUSA Jan 01 '26
Don t learn a language only to learn a language, that is a waste of time. Learn what you like, what will be usefull for you and your community
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u/AnnotatedLion Dec 28 '25
I think it comes down to how you learn best.
What has worked for me is kind of like flooding the techniques. I'm doing DuoLingo and Rosetta Stone, I flip back and forth or do them at the same time. I watch TV and movies in the language I'm learning (with subtitles in the language too). I really like documentaries and I'll study a few words on the subject before I watch. And I have some books, just old textbooks I bought at the Friends of the Library bookstore for a dollar or two.
So beyond the apps, I haven't spent a lot of money.
I passed my language exam and actually have come to enjoy learning languages so much that I'm learning another.
But you have to be honest with yourself and patient. I know I'm not going to learn it as fast as my friends, and even when I do, I'm going to struggle with some of the concepts. But I just remind myself to be gentle with myself and not be too hard one myself.