A very common suggestion for language learners is to join a class, many people believe a language cannot be self taught, but learnt in a professional environment. As someone who has spent hundreds of hours sitting in classrooms only to have the language competency of a native 4 year old speaker, here are my reasons to why I stopped going to classes.

1. You can't choose what you learn

Language classes have fixed topics that usually aren't catered to your individual needs. Every language learner has a different reason for learning their target language, whether it is for business, or tourism, or picking up women. Depending on your intentions with the language, you might never end up using the vocabulary you learn because of the situations you use it in. When it comes to language learning, good material is a big contributor to how effective your learning will be. Being able to control what material you use based on your own needs is a lot more effective than a good teacher who uses material that doesn't suit your goals. Interest is also another key component in memory retention. If the material you're using in class isn't interesting to you, you are far less likely to remember it in the long term.

2. Strong emphasis on perfectionism

The majority of native speakers do not have perfect grammar, there are even some misconceptions that have been accepted as the norm. Take English as an example, only very few people know how to correctly use who and whom in the right situations. But this is drilled through textbooks and exercises in almost every second language English class. Every language has native speakers that misuse grammar. Unless you're majoring in that language, perfectionism is not needed to speak or come across as a native.

3. Limited exposure to native content

While almost all language teachers are native/fluent in the language they teach, the amount of native content that you're being exposed to is usually not enough. The teachers usually teach in your own native language, and the classmates that you communicate with are the same level as you. The exposure you get from the textbooks are unmatched to native content from newspapers, youtube videos and movies etc. Being in a classroom with other learners means that the only practice you get with a native speaker is the teacher, and only in small classes do you get adequate one on one conversations with one. Listening to other learners speak with incorrect pronunciation and grammar doesn't help either and might damage your own speaking.

4. Can't go at your own pace

Whether you're a slow learner or a fast learner, language classes cannot be tweaked to your own pace. They generally follow the pace of the classroom as advertised, whether it is beginner, advanced or a "speak fluently in 3 months" course. You might often feel that a class is going too fast or slow for you, and skimp on topics just to catch up with the course, especially if the course has assessments that you need to pass.

So when are language classes useful?

If you struggle to find motivation to study a new language, going to classes and paying for them will make you obligated to attend them. Meeting other language learners can help with motivation, being able to share the same passion and ideas can be encouraging and a great way to socialise. For those who struggle with discipline, having assessments and homework can force you to study. But with today's abundance of free materials on the internet, why pay for lessons?