ADHD and language learning: Challenges and tips

Learning a new language is difficult for many people, especially for adults. However, it can also be a highly useful and rewarding skill.

Research on how language learning interacts with ADHD is still underway, but people report common experiences that may shed light on how to make learning easier.

Keep reading to discover more about learning a language as an adult with ADHD, including personal experiences and practical tips.

By itself, ADHD has no bearing on a person’s intelligence. However, it can affect how challenging the learning process is. Several small studies suggest this may apply to learning new languages.

For example, a 2020 study compared the experiences of 43 adults with ADHD to 43 adults without ADHD. The authors found no significant differences between the groups in terms of:

However, the group with ADHD did report lower confidence, more silences in conversation, and more difficulty maintaining attention.

While 65% of the control group reported reaching some or all of their learning goals, 42% of those with ADHD reported the same.

A 2024 study involving 59 adults in Norway also found that difficulty with attention was a common theme. Other challenges included difficulty with memory and word recall during conversation, and some specific ADHD symptoms, such as interrupting others.

However, it is important to note that these studies are small and rely on self-reported experiences, which are subjective. Everyone with ADHD is different.

“The really classic ADHD thing when learning a language is when you’re not immediately good at it, you want to give up. Languages, for me, are particularly hard. They were one of the only areas I didn’t have a good natural talent or ability, which made me feel unable to listen and put the words I was hearing to their meaning, and be able to find the words to respond.”

While research often finds that those with ADHD experience challenges when learning languages, it also highlights positive traits.

For example, respondents in the 2024 study reported periods of hyperfocus, which can result in intense productivity. People may experience hyperfocus when they are really interested in the language they are learning, or in hitting personal goals.

One survey respondent said that their internal dialogue and imagination also helped them practice their new language by picturing themselves having conversations. If they forgot a word, they looked it up.

The authors also point out that impulsivity can be an asset in prompting people to start conversations, which can be intimidating for many language learners.

However, there is an overall lack of research in this area, so much of the information is self-reported or anecdotal.

Some researchers have theorized that learning a second language could aid those with ADHD. However, a 2022 study of children with ADHD found that being bilingual did not consistently improve attention.

Being bilingual also did not negatively affect attention, though, suggesting that learning another language does not worsen ADHD symptoms either.

“I found that my… ironically, I can’t remember the word, but inability to recall the right words makes speaking a second language really difficult, because I’m only just learning the words and I cannot bring them to my mind.

On the other hand, I’ve found that I was very good at reading in a different language, and I could pick that up quite quickly.”

Some participants in a 2024 study mentioned that using intuitive approaches to language, such as association, helped them.

Association involves making creative links between words to aid memorization, such as noticing words that share similar sounds or creating a story that links them together.

Visual aids such as photos, drawings, videos, and games may help keep language learning interesting.

Interactive media may even provide opportunities to practice having conversations.

“The best way for me is to learn visually. I’m much better at reading information and absorbing it than listening to it, so seeing the words and being able to understand their meaning and sentence structure is a lot easier than trying to recall words to mind and speaking.”

Many respondents in a 2020 study said that one-on-one learning would help them. Sessions with a tutor may be more personalized and focused, minimizing distractions and allowing the teacher to tailor learning to the individual.

“Find an accountability partner, perhaps someone who is fluent, and get them to speak with you regularly in that language to keep it fresh and interesting.

An accountability partner is a good idea because we aren’t always good at holding ourselves to account when it’s something we don’t want to do, so having someone to support you can be a great advantage.”

Traditional classrooms and courses tend to rely on textbooks and writing exercises for language learning, so people practice their reading and writing skills more than their speaking and listening.

For some, this is useful because they prefer reading and writing, or find them easier. But for learning to hold conversations, focusing more on speech may be more beneficial.

Speaking more and reading or writing less were among the strategies people in the 2020 study reported would help them with learning a language.

There is no single, universal way that ADHD affects language learning. However, the research so far suggests that difficulty maintaining attention in lessons or classrooms is a common experience. Some people also report challenges recalling words.

It is possible for ADHD symptoms, such as a tendency to interrupt others, to affect speaking in another language. However, there is also potential for people to harness some ADHD traits, such as creativity or hyperfocus, to their advantage.

Research in this are is still ongoing, but adapting learning techniques to the individual may help to keep language learning engaging and accessible for people with ADHD.