As someone who grew up in a Croatian household but was never taught the language, I was always amazed by — and quite envious of — my friends who would get a phone call from their parents and switch from English to another language in a heartbeat. Aspiring to connect with my family abroad, I set out to learn my language.
While it’s true that languages are easiest to learn as a child, that doesn’t mean you can’t pick them up as an adult. Unfortunately, Croatian wasn’t easily accessible through popular language-learning apps like Duolingo, and sites that offered it had paywalls so ridiculous they’d set my wallet on fire. In light of this, I’ve put together some budget-friendly language-learning resources for you to try out yourself!
Turn your pastimes into goldmines
One weekend with too much time on my hands led me to rewatch one of my favorite shows — “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” — with Croatian subtitles. By connecting the conversation, slang, and word flow to English, my first language, I was able to pick up on some translations quickly. If you are lucky, your favorite show may be dubbed over in the language you are trying to learn, which lets you listen to its cadence and gain insight into how to speak it more naturally. You can also listen to songs by native speakers of the language. As you get more comfortable, try changing your location on social media to see posts from countries that speak the language you want to learn. Incorporating the language into your pastimes makes the pathway to fluency all the easier!
Take one step at a time
When I first started learning Croatian, I threw myself straight into the big stuff like memorizing phrases and slang. While I was able to learn a few sentences, I wasn’t making concrete connections to how the language functions. It is important to start small by studying the basics, such as memorizing the alphabet and its sounds, discovering basic conjugations, and learning common words. To make sure I didn’t move from one subject to the next too quickly, I created “levels.” Use language-learning resources like books and YouTube videos to help you create this kind of timeline to pace yourself.
Find your zajednica — Croatian for ‘community’
At the end of the day, my community is everything. My family members who are fluent in Croatian have always been there to answer my questions and encourage me when things get tough. To find your support system, UC San Diego’s diverse student body is here to help! The Center for Student Involvement’s website showcases active student organizations on campus, including 71 cultural clubs for the current academic year. From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays during Week 3 through Week 9, the International House hosts Language Conversation Tables in Eleanor Roosevelt College’s Great Hall for students and staff interested in learning new languages. Beyond organized events, pushing yourself to meet new people can also help. Even though my language goals are a bit niche, I was still able to find people who speak Croatian among the many students at UCSD by just talking to others — if I can, you can, too.
Most importantly, every time you feel discouraged, pick yourself back up again. Whether your goal is to connect with family, build bonds with future colleagues, or just expand your knowledge, language-learning is a powerful aspect of human life always worth pursuing. If you’re still hesitant, give it a try for a couple of weeks — you may surprise yourself with what you can learn.
