Learning a Language with ADHD: What Actually Helped Me

One thing I've been working on over the last few years is learning Spanish.

My wife is Spanish, and her family don't speak English, so learning the language isn't just a hobby. It's important to me that I can communicate with them, even if my conversations are still fairly simple.

I wouldn't describe myself as a natural linguist. Learning another language has taken time, patience, and plenty of repetition, but I've also learnt a lot about how an ADHD brain approaches learning.

Why ADHD Can Make Learning a Language More Difficult

Many people with ADHD don't struggle because they're incapable of learning a language, the challenge is often staying interested long enough to keep going.

ADHD is heavily influenced by interest and motivation, so if something feels repetitive or disconnected from real life, it's much easier to lose focus or drift towards something more engaging.

Consistency can also be difficult - between running my coaching business, parenting, and everything else that comes with everyday life, finding regular time to study isn't always simple.

What Has Helped Me Learn Spanish

The biggest lesson I've learnt is that context matters.

For me, sitting in a café in Spain, listening to conversations, reading menus, and hearing how people naturally speak is far more effective than sitting at home with headphones on while someone talks at me.

I've also found some tools that work well with the way my brain learns. Duolingo is great for short bursts of practice, and I really enjoy Lingopie, which teaches through films and television programmes. Learning through stories has also been helpful; Olly Richards' StoryLearning method focuses on understanding language through context rather than memorising endless vocabulary, and I've found that approach much easier to engage with.

Traditional online lessons, on the other hand, never really held my attention in the same way.

Progress Doesn't Have to Be Perfect

I'm still learning, and I probably always will be, but thankfully, my wife is wonderfully patient and always helps me practice. Our two children are learning Spanish as well, and it's amazing to watch them switch naturally between languages depending on who they're talking to.

One of my favourite moments is when my son accidentally combines both languages and comes out with something like, "Donde esta the duck?"

I'm fairly sure that's not in any Spanish textbook, but it always makes me smile.

Find a Way That Works for Your Brain

If you've got ADHD and you've convinced yourself you're "bad at languages", don't be too quick to give up, you may simply need a different way of learning.

The more enjoyable, meaningful, and connected the experience feels, the more likely you are to keep coming back to it. And with language learning, those small, consistent moments often add up to much more than you think.