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How to Learn Serbian Quickly: Top Strategies From Polyglots

Desk globe on a table.

Is studying Serbian giving you a headache? Now imagine a person who faced the same struggle — not with one language, but five, or even a dozen — and prevailed! Such folks certainly have a treasure trove of tips to share. So, if you’re wondering how to learn Serbian quickly, why not ask polyglots?

To save you time and effort, we’ve gathered their advice and summarized them into bite-sized tips. So, read our cheatsheet for becoming a language learning pro and add them to your Serbian language learning strategy.

Let’s dive right in!

1. Have a Clear Goal in Mind

If you’re learning from scratch, mastering Serbian can seem intimidating — even impossible. In reality, though, you can get the hang of it quicker than you think — as long as you have a good reason to do so.

Yes, rather than having a particular talent or a language gene, polyglots all have a strong motivation driving them towards fluency. Of course, everyone has their own goal, like being able to talk to their international friends, moving to another country, or simply loving to learn languages.

So, figure out why mastering Serbian matters to you. Once you do, your goal will push you forward, helping you overcome hurdles and eventually crack that language code.

2. Keep Listening

When learning a new language, listen as much as possible — even if you barely understand a thing. After all, kids spend countless hours listening before they voice out the first word in their mother tongue, right?

Podcasts, movies, audiobooks, TV ads — whatever you’re into — will provide plenty of input and help you get used to the sound and rhythm of your target language. On top of that, being exposed to natural language will help you enrich your vocabulary and improve your pronunciation and speaking skills.

So, grab your favorite earphones, pick your favorite Serbian content, and listen away!

A woman with headphones, walking in a park, listening to a podcast, trying to learn Serbian quickly.
With a fun podcast, learning Serbian can be a walk in the park — literally!

3. Don’t Spend Too Much Time on Grammar

Of course, grammar matters, and you can’t master a foreign language without its principles. Yet, many learners get stuck trying to cram all the rules, conjugation tables, or grammatical cases and forget to use the language.

Polyglots don’t focus on mastering the basics right away. Instead, they dive into speaking, reading, and listening, trusting that the grammar will naturally fall into place over time.

So, if you hate grammar — no worries. Put your Serbian into practice and let the rules work themselves out.

4. Create Opportunities to Speak

Most learners rarely have an opportunity to use their target language. That’s why polyglots don’t wait — they create those opportunities.

Of course, you’ll have no problem doing so if you’re living in Serbia. Hanging out with Serbian friends, language exchange clubs, or simply going to the supermarket will provide plenty of practice.

But even if you live across the planet, there are more than enough tools to help you connect to native speakers and other learners. For instance, apps like HiNative and HelloTalk or your social media are great places to start.

5. Make Mistakes

Another thing that polyglots do? They make tons of mistakes. Tons!

Indeed, if you’re not making any mistakes in a new language, that probably means you’re not even practicing. So, don’t stress about crafting perfect sentences; relax and let the language flow. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to catch and correct those slips.

After all, practice may not make perfect, but it can surely make you fluent!

6. Find Creative Ways to Learn

Learners of Spanish or English have a wealth of learning resources to rely on. However, this isn’t the case with many other languages, including Serbian.

Yes, you can’t even turn to Duolingo. But that’s not a reason to give up — you just need a bit of creativity.

In fact, many polyglots create their own learning materials. From songs and TV series to recipes and supermarket brochures — you can use anything as long as it’s in Serbian.

For more ideas, check out our article on practical exercises for fluency.

A person reading a menu.
Just a polyglot in a restaurant studying Serbian from the menu 🙂

7. Engage Your Emotions

Did you know that emotions can help you memorize things more easily? That’s likely why people who learn a language to talk to their partner or a romantic interest improve more quickly.

Now, you don’t need to fall in love with a Serb to boost your language skills — you can find other ways to engage your feelings.

Anything that moves you on a deeper level will do. Movies or music that stir up strong emotions or topics important to you will be far more efficient than content that doesn’t interest you.

8. Enjoy the Learning Process

Have you noticed how it takes ages to finish boring books while fun ones practically read themselves? Then, it’s no surprise that polyglots don’t just learn languages — they have a great time while doing it.

Following in their footsteps, do what you enjoy — only do it in Serbian. Love literature? Read Serbian novels. Are you a foodie? Watch Serbian cooking channels on YouTube.

Whatever you do, the goal is to turn your study sessions from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity you’ll be excited about.

9. Come up With a System

While it’s important to have fun, you also need to develop a system or a plan that works well for you in order to learn Serbian quickly and more easily. 

In principle, you should figure out how often, how long, and using which methods you’ll study each day or week. Naturally, more is always better. 

Realistically, though, life often gets busy, so your learning plan should fit snugly into your schedule.

If you, for instance, have half an hour to spare before work, you can revise your vocabulary while enjoying your morning coffee. Similarly, whenever you take a walk or clean up your apartment, you can do so while listening to a Serbian podcast.

Ultimately, if you want to learn Serbian quickly and efficiently, mold your study sessions around your life and turn them into a habit, not a chore.

A man studying Serbian on a bench by a lake.
Are you a nature lover? Kill two flies with one stone with outdoor study sessions 💚

10. Be Patient

Finally, polyglots know that success doesn’t happen overnight, and you can’t go from zero to fluent in three months. However, they also know that using those three months wisely can lead to significant progress and get them closer to their goal. In other words, they play the long game.

All in all, good things come not to those who wait but to those who are ready to put in time and effort. With a bit of patience and plenty of practice, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your language goals.

How to Learn Serbian Quickly: The Takeaway

And there you go — top strategies for mastering languages straight from polyglots. Pick the tips that fit your learning style and use them to learn Serbian quickly and efficiently. While you’re at it, don’t forget to enjoy the process and have tons of fun with it.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter and receive our free self-study worksheets along with more tips on the best ways to learn Serbian. Happy studying!

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