How I Learn Albanian? (10+ Ways)

Traveling to Albania? Make sure to learn Albanian first. Last year, my student traveled there. She literally struggled a lot during her initial days because of the communication gap with the native speakers. I recommended that she learn Albanian. As she had no clue how to do it, she sought my help. Fortunately, it helped her and made her life easier. Trust me, I know how it feels if you cannot communicate with local people. Thus, to make your life easier, I will share some ways to learn Albanian easily.

Ways to Learn Albanian 

Learning Albanian is difficult. According to the Foreign Service Institute, Albanian is ranked at difficulty level 3 for English speakers. Thus, getting help from someone who has been through your place can be beneficial. Here are the things I recommended her to do to learn the language properly-

1. Choosing the right platform 

As a language learner, I know it is important to get the right platform. I asked her to do the same. Many platforms follow different approaches to teaching a new language. Some may follow a gamified approach, and others may follow an audio-based approach. Try to start from the platforms that are too 

engaging. Give a try to the Ling app. It is a perfect platform that will make you enjoy learning Albanian. Rather than Ling, I have mentioned some platforms that help her learn Albanian-

• Pimsleur: Teaches with audio-based lessons (can be used instead of podcasts)
• uTalk: Best for visual learners
• Clozemaster: To learn Albanian with context

2. Make a list of new words

The courses only teach the language at a specific point. We need to put some extra effort into getting fluent in it. The first thing that you must do is to focus on the basic words. Make a list of them. There are some ways by which you can keep track of them. Here are some that I used when I was learning a new language-

• To make a list I started using a journal. As Albanian differs from English, try to make a chart of how it is written on the first page. 
• Now start adding up the words in the Journal. Whenever I learn a new language, I divide the journal into two sections – phrases and words. Usually, the first section is for words and the second one is for phrases. 

Remember: Making the list is not only the thing required. Try to revise the words every weekend to remember them properly. 

Of course, it is not possible to carry this journal everywhere with me. So, I started looking at some platforms where I could create my own deck of words. If you are a regular traveler, try these platforms. 

3. Use flashcard apps

As I said, choosing the right platform is important. The same goes for flashcard apps. Flashcard apps mean learning a lot of vocabulary. Anki and Memrise are constant members of my language-learning journey. You can also use one of them. When my student was learning the vocabulary these two platforms held her a lot. There were so many lists that helped her to learn Albanian. In fact, you can’t create your vocabulary list. Another app that I will suggest you check is Quizlet. It is really an awesome platform that includes several other topics to discuss. 

Note: These flashcard apps work similarly. Just select one and start learning from the available decks.

4. Consistency 

Do you know what is the key to success? Consistency. Whether you are taking an online exam or learning a language, you must be consistent in it. Consistency means not missing up on doing a task even for a single day. It means even if you are going out with your friends or are on a vocational trip, try at least revising the content. One thing I can assure you is, consistency leads to your final goal faster.

5. Listening to podcasts

Usually, it does not come to mind to check podcasts while learning a language. But, trust me, it is better to check at least once. I am a person who keeps adding new things to my daily life. The podcast was the best thing I added. I have used them to learn various languages like Korean, Italian, etc. Thus, there was zero chance of not recommending this thing. I know there are a lot of podcasts in the Albanian language. You can not try all of them. Further, I have mentioned some of the podcasts that really helped my student in learning Albanian-

• Learning Albanian with Sara (Të mësojmë shqip së bashku)
• The Crazy Albanian Show
• Inside Albania Podcast with Alice Taylor

6. Staying positive

Whenever we face a negative thing, our elders tell us to stay positive. But have you ever wondered why? It is because they know ups and downs are a part of our life. Similar is the case of learning a language. When my student was forgetting some words, she got so demotivated. I comforted her and motivated her not to give up. Remember, you are not familiar with the Albanian language. In such a case, it is common to forget things. 

7. Reading

Let us shift to the traditional way of studying that is through books. I genuinely believe no online app or course can replace the importance of books in our lives. Even, they are developed on the references of books available. Try to look for some good books that have native translations of Albanian phrases and words. The number of books that you need will depend upon your learning capability. However, I try to choose 2 to 3 books with the translation in it. Some of the books she used while learning Albanian are-

• Beginner’s Albanian by Anila Mayhew 
• Discovering Albanian 1 by Linda Meniku
• Colloquial Albanian by Linda Meniku

8. Talking in Albanian

Usually, what I do is give a list of common words to my friends or cousins and ask them to have a conversation with me. Sometimes it becomes a fun activity because they are not interested in learning the language. Fortunately, my student did not face this situation. She was already surrounded by native speakers. However, it may be a different case for you. In such a scenario, there is a better plan for you. Try to look for an online language exchange partner. Don’t know what it is? Worry not. The next way is a clear explanation of it. 

9. Look for an online language learning program

Many times, I could not practice the language with my friends or other relatives. It really pisses me off. So I started to find an alternative on the internet. There I got to know about online language exchange programs. They are the platforms where you can get an online partner to practice your language with. Well, my students do not need it, but you may need them. So I am mentioning some platforms where you can get them-

a. Tandem

If you want the right person, add the right details of you. It is because the list you will get will be based on it. Once you have a list, choose the person you think will be best for you. Send them a message requesting to connect. There are two inbuilt features – translations and Auto-correction. Both the features will make it easy for you to practice it. The free plan restricts the number of translations you can make per day. To get unlimited translations, you must choose a subscription plan. 

b. HelloTalk

I could not tell you how much I love HelloTalk.This was my first language exchange program plan.  Working on this platform is just like Tandem. There are two features: translations and Auto corrections, with a limited number of translations. Again to get unlimited translations, you must take the Subscription plan. 

c. Mylanguageexchange 

There are so many good people to connect with on both of the above platforms. But there were no people my age. I want to have some fun conversations. So I tried another platform, Mylanguageexchange. Trust me, it has people of all ages. Again it works like the above platforms. To get unlimited translations, again you need to get the subscription plan.

10. Join online forums

Have you joined Quora, Reddit, or Twitter? If not, just do it. Trust me there are a lot of things that you get from there. It’s like a place where you can easily get the answer to your doubts. All you have to do is add the query and get back an answer from various people.

Though it is a perfect way to clear your doubts, sometimes it may increase the one. Suppose you are unsure if a specific book is good or not. You post the query. There are chances you get a mixed review. This happened with my student for the review of a book she needed. It is because not everyone has the same learning style. Thus, make sure to research properly. 

11. Watch shows in Albanian

Important: You must do it after reaching the Intermediate level. 

Who does not love to relax and watch movies and shows? Everyone does. But what if we make it a way to learn something new? Let me share an instance with you. When I was a child I watched a documentary based on US history. After that, I never forget the names and important things related to it. This is the power of visual learning. Since then, I never missed a chance to add shows or movies to learn something new. In fact, when my student was learning it, she watched so many rom-com movies in Albanian. Try to watch shows that match your interest but in Albanian. 

12. Shadowing the language 

Shadowing the language means repeating what you hear. This technique helped me and my students to correct the pronunciation. Here are some ways that I do and suggest to correct the pronunciation-

• Repeating the dialogues of the show: It is impossible to repeat them all. Try to repeat the easier dialogues in the first attempt. After you get a hold of easier dialogues, switch on the harder ones. 
• Listen to slow podcasts: Slow podcasts are the best way to understand how native speakers talk. Now repeat what they say. I have been using this technique for a long time. It helped me improve my pronunciation. 

13. Surround yourself with Albanian

When I started my journey, it was a common suggestion by most of the famous language learners. Surrounding yourself with Albanian means you are doing everything in it. Watching shows, talking to people, making shopping lists, etc., everything is in Albanian. As my student was already living in Albania, it was easy for her to do all these things. 

14. Make a proper plan

I am sure, at least once in your life you have made a study plan. Again, do it, for learning a language. I believe everything requires a proper plan. Going on a vacation. Making a home. Studying for exams. And many other things require proper planning. Thus, start preparing a proper plan. Try to set aside at least half an hour a day to learn the language.

15. Enjoy learning it

Whatever I do, I make sure to enjoy it. It’s very easy to get bored. Thus it is important to stay engaged and make the learning fun. Here are some tips that I always do to make my journey fun-

• Keeping the goals shorter: While making a plan do not add big goals. Why? They are unmanageable. Having shorter goals makes it easy to learn.
• Rewarding yourself: When you complete a goal, just reward yourself. Give yourself a chocolate or ice cream treat. Everyone loves rewards. It is the best way to do it. 

16. Take help from a private tutor

The best way to learn something new is by hiring a private tutor. Albanian is a 3rd level difficult language for English speakers. Thus, it can be actually tough to learn it on your own. Also, it may be difficult to find a private tutor. In such a case, try to use online teaching platforms. The two most common platforms where you can get online tutors are Preply and iTalki. Both are well known for providing online classes for language learners. You can search for the tutor based on the time duration, prices, experience, etc. 

Why to learn Albanian

I have mentioned the ways by which you can easily learn Albanian. But why learn it? Well, the list is long. Here are some common reasons that I get after doing a research-

• Traveling to Albania – It is the major reason why people learn it. 
• Shifting to Albania – Note: Traveling and Shifting are two different things. If you are planning to go on a vacation, you just need to learn the basics. But if you are shifting there, just like my student, make sure to learn it fluently. 
• Knowing about its culture– You may enjoy knowing its culture.

Conclusion 

Learning Albanian can be a tough job for you. This is because the language is placed at level 3 of difficulty for English native speakers. But with dedication, hard work, consistency, and positivity, it can be easily achieved. Try to use some online learning platforms to learn it on your own. I would suggest you use Ling to start from the basics. Along with online platforms, make sure to surround yourself with it and Albanian-based books. Don’t make it a boring thing; make sure to enjoy learning it.

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