Language experts say you should learn in the right order and shift to a growth mindset

If there’s one thing guaranteed to make a pop-culture character look cool and sophisticated, it’s being multilingual. Think James Bond, Yasmin from Industry or Scrooge McDuck.

Learning a new language not only makes you look cool – it also allows you to familiarize yourself with another culture, connect with new people and enjoy a wider variety of art and media. And it’s good for your brain. Studies have shown that learning a new language is associated with improved concentration, stronger communication skills, a more powerful memory and greater creativity.

But if you’re not an international man of mystery, an heiress or a billionaire duck, how does one go about it?

While there are a number of ways to learn languages, there is one thing all polyglots – people who speak several languages – share, Dr Lydia Machova, a language mentor and former interpreter, said in a popular TED Talk: “We simply found ways to enjoy the language-learning process.”