I have given up on English many times.
The first time: when I was little. My mother enrolled me in an academy with an English woman who would sit us in a row in her living room, give us a book, and make us study. It was exhausting. And nothing stuck. Letters, words, rules... everything bounced off my head without staying. After a year, I begged my mother in tears to withdraw me.
The second time: in high school. I had a teacher who was more focused on our skirts than on our results. I will be very direct: the word is disgust. I felt a lot of disgust going to English class. So much that I closed myself off and didn't want to hear him speak.
At 17, I decided to go to Germany to spend the summer as an au pair. I thought: if I don't want to learn English... at least I'll learn German. And off I went.
But to my surprise, everyone spoke to me in English when they saw I wasn't from there.
And then my perception started to change a bit.
I returned knowing more English than German. But happy. Because I had learned by living, not studying. Talking to real people. Making mistakes a thousand times. Without books. Without rows. Without pressure.
My relationship with the language improved tremendously.
Currently, I continue studying English to improve my conversation. And I love it. I enjoy it.
But this is because I do it with the best teacher in the world: one specialized in learning English for atypical minds.
Because my brain doesn't learn in lines. It doesn't learn with books that say nothing. It doesn't learn under pressure or discomfort.
It learns when it can be itself.
Have you given up on English many times?
Do you feel that languages don't come easily to you?
Maybe it's not that you can't. Maybe it's that you haven't found how your brain learns yet.
WHY TRADITIONAL METHODS DON'T WORK FOR NEURODIVERGENT BRAINS
Let's be clear: traditional language teaching methods are designed for neurotypical brains.
Brains that:
- Learn sequentially (first this, then that)
- Retain auditory information without excessive effort
- Tolerate repetition without getting bored or overwhelmed
- Process abstract grammar well without needing context
- Can maintain attention on monotonous tasks for long periods
But many neurodivergent brains function differently, for example:
ADHD: Need constant novelty. Repetition bores us. Gamification can work... until it stops being new. We need to learn by doing, not memorizing.
Autism: We learn better with clear and predictable patterns. But grammatical exceptions (and English is full of them) can be frustrating. Free social conversation can generate anxiety. But structured and hyper-focused learning can quickly take us to advanced levels.
Dyslexia: Memorizing vocabulary lists without visual context is exhausting. But learning words within stories, with images, with narrative... works extraordinarily well.
Dyspraxia/motor difficulties: Writing by hand in another language can be doubly difficult. But speaking or typing can be fluid.
It's not that we can't learn languages.
It's that we can't learn them in the way they are traditionally taught.
"The difficulty in learning a second language does not always indicate a lack of ability; it often indicates a mismatch between the teaching method and the student's processing style."
— Research on second language acquisition and neurodiversity, Kormos & Smith
THE REAL CHALLENGES (AND WHY THEY OCCUR)
Let's name the challenges without dramatizing:
1. Limited working memory
Many neurodivergent individuals have more limited working memory. This means: difficulty retaining new vocabulary while constructing a sentence.
It's not a lack of intelligence. I'm telling you. It's different cognitive processing.
Strategy: Learn complete phrases, not isolated words. Your brain retains context better than isolated elements.
2. Atypical auditory processing
Listening to English spoken quickly can be overwhelming. The words blend together. Accents vary. The brain doesn't differentiate where one word starts and another ends.
Strategy: Subtitles always. First in Spanish, then in English, then without subtitles. And there is no rush.
3. Social anxiety in conversation
Speaking in another language requires: mentally translating, constructing the sentence, pronouncing well, interpreting the other person's response, responding quickly.
For a neurodivergent brain that is already managing social anxiety... it's too much.
Strategy: Practice first in writing (chat, WhatsApp). Then audio without video. Then video. At your own pace.
4. Rejection of monotonous repetition
Language apps work with repetition. But if you have ADHD or need constant novelty, this repetition is unbearable.
Strategy: Learn with content that truly interests you. Series, video games, music, documentaries. Not with generic lessons.
5. Difficulty with grammatical exceptions
English has rules. And a thousand exceptions. For an autistic brain or one with high abilities seeking clear patterns, this can be very frustrating.
Strategy: Don't learn grammar first. Learn through immersion. You will understand grammar later, when your brain has enough examples to detect patterns.
"Language learning in neurodivergence does not require more effort; it requires different access routes."
— Verònica Martín
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT (AND HOW TO LEVERAGE IT)
Here is the powerful part: the same characteristics that hinder traditional learning can be advantages with the right method.
Hyperfocus (autism/ADHD):
If something truly interests you, you can immerse yourself for hours. Take advantage of this: choose English content about your special interest. Are you passionate about astronomy? Learn English by watching astronomy documentaries. Your brain will retain the vocabulary because it is connected to something that matters to you.
Visual thinking (dyslexia/autism):
You learn better with images than with text. Use visual apps like Drops or Memrise. Watch movies and series in English. Read comics in English before novels.
Associative memory (many neurodivergences):
You don't retain lists, but you do retain stories. Learn vocabulary within narrative contexts. Read simple books in English (even children's books), where each new word appears in a story.
Need for structure (autism, AACC...):
You can create very effective learning systems if you design the structure yourself. Fixed schedules, rotating topics, clear progression. Your brain works well with predictable patterns.
Lateral creativity (ADHD/dyslexia):
You can invent quirky mnemonics that work for you. You can associate English words with absurd images. You can create songs, rhymes, crazy stories that help you remember.
"Neurodivergent characteristics are not obstacles to language learning; they are processing styles that, when properly leveraged, allow equally valid acquisition pathways."
— Research on learning styles, Schneider & Crombie
STRATEGIES THAT WORK
1. Learn with content you already enjoy
Do you love Harry Potter? Read it in English (simplified version first).
Are you passionate about video games? Play in English with subtitles.
Do you love a series? Watch it in the original version.
Your brain learns better when emotional content is present. Emotion anchors memory.
2. Don't learn grammar abstractly
Learn complete sentences. Repeat them. Use them. You will understand grammar later, implicitly.
"I don't know" works better than studying the structure "subject + auxiliary + no + verb".
3. Use your preferred sensory channel
Are you more auditory? Podcasts, music, audiobooks.
Are you more visual? Videos, movies, comics, infographics.
Do you need movement? Learn while walking, while cooking, while doing something with your hands.
4. Subtitles: your best ally
They are not traps. They are scaffolding. First in Spanish. Then in English. Then nothing. At your own pace.
5. Talk to yourself in English
Before speaking with others (which causes anxiety and embarrassment), talk to yourself. Narrate what you are doing in English. "I am making coffee. I am opening the window."
It doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be practice without social pressure.
6. Find your tribe
Online communities for language learning for neurodivergent individuals. Groups where it is understood that you learn differently. Where you can ask the same thing a thousand times without judgment.
7. Allow mistakes without guilt
Your brain neurodivergent is already burdened with too much self-criticism. Allow yourself to speak poorly. Write poorly. Make mistakes a thousand times.
The goal is not perfection. It is communication.
"Mistakes are not failures in learning; they are the learning process itself becoming visible."
— Verònica Martín
WHY IT'S HARD (AND IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT)
Learning a second language as neurodivergent is hard because:
1. Your brain is already spending a lot of energy processing the world differently.
Constantly translating social cues, managing sensory stimuli, maintaining emotional regulation... is already exhausting. Adding a new language is an extra cognitive load.
2. Traditional methods are not designed for you
And when something doesn't work repeatedly, the message you receive is: "I'm not cut out for this." But that's not true. You just need a different method.
3. The anxiety about making mistakes is greater
Many neurodivergent individuals carry experiences of being constantly corrected. This creates a fear of making mistakes. And this fear blocks learning.
4. Executive processing can make studying organization difficult
Planning, maintaining routines, managing time... if this is already difficult in Spanish, in English it can be overwhelming.
But none of this means you can't.
It means that you need strategies tailored to your neurology.
"Difficulty is not inherent to the learner; it is inherent to the lack of adaptation of the method."
— Verònica Martín
THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO LEARN
And here is the most important truth:
There is no one correct way to learn English.
You don't have to go to an academy. You don't have to use apps. You don't have to speak from day one.
You can learn:
- By reading fanfiction of your favorite series
- By watching YouTube in English about your special interest
- Playing online video games
- Listening to podcasts while walking
- Chatting in English forums
- Watching tutorials about what you are passionate about
And all these ways are valid.
Because the goal is not "to learn English as it is supposed to be."
The goal is to communicate in English in a way that works for your brain.
"There is no universal language learning method; there is the method that respects how your brain processes, retains, and produces language."
— Verònica Martín
To wrap up...
If you have given up on English several times, it does not mean you cannot learn it.
It means that the methods you tried were not for you.
Your brain can learn English. It just needs its own way of learning it.
And this way does not have to look like anyone else's.
Have you tried to learn English? What has worked for you? What has been impossible for you?
I hear you. And if you still haven't found your method, that's okay. It exists. You just need to keep searching.
Veronica Martín
Director of ATIPICOS.org and A-Tipic Biointeriors