Language learning is a skill which some people find harder than others. Some seem to pick up languages in minutes, while others seems to struggle permanently at Base 1. But the truth is, no matter what your learning ability or speed, you can learn another language. It’s all about knowing how.
As a language learner and (former) English teacher, I’m going to pass on my tips for learning a language.
How to learn a language (tips range from beginner to advanced)
1. Balance your learning. Some people learn best from books, others by interacting. Both are valid, but not exclusive. Make sure you talk, read, write and listen. Each one helps the others.
2. Don’t be shy. As a beginner, speaking up can be excruciating. Most people are understanding of this and will be supportive. Don’t be silent, and be flexible. You always know more than you think and your confidence will grow.
3. Live in the country. Ideally you will be living in or visiting the country where the language is spoken in order to accelerate your learning. If so, definitely take a course (which are usual plentiful and come in a range of prices) and chat to locals.
4. Find native speakers. Even if you can’t be in the country, you can still learn by chatting to native speakers. Pay them, or do a language exchange. Practicing with fellow foreigners is good too but remember you are likely to be sharing mistakes as well, and not picking up the natural flow of a native-level conversation.
5. Set short-term goals. It may sound obvious, but try setting goals for each week and keeping to them (eg. one language meetup, one audio book chapter etc). Learning a language is much like exercise – you need a routine.
6. Set long-term goals. There is likely to be some sort of language exam you can take. Signing up for it well in advance will give you something to work towards. Warning: don’t set your goals too high or you will become frustrated.
7. Take breaks. Language learning can be exhausting. Your brain is working very hard. Allow yourself breaks to think and chat in your native language. It will relieve and revive you.
8. Put the dictionary down. The dictionary is the beginner’s lifeline, but opening it every few seconds will stilt conversations and you are unlikely to remember the word for the future. Try and talk ‘around’ the word by describing it , or ‘miming’ it. And when you are ready, buy a basic monolingual dictionary with simple descriptions instead of the New Language – English version.
9. Experiment with ‘thinking’ in the language. Most of us chatter away to ourselves (internally) all day. Try swapping languages and you’ll probably be surprised at how much you know.
10 Don’t lose the basics. As your skills improve and your vocabulary widens you will start overlooking the basic grammar rules you first learned, because you’re concentrating on the more advanced aspects. Go back to your beginner books and skim the rules again.
July 20th, 2007 at 1:13 am
You mentioned this in passing but I’d like to stress it – read out loud!
I speak five languages, of which I’ve taught myself two. Reading aloud was instrumental in both. It got me used to actually speaking it – even if I didn’t know what I was saying!
I also have a Skype buddy in Brazil to practise my Portuguese. So get a buddy to exchange conversation. We spend the first half hour in Portuguese, the second in English. My Portuguese has gone from halting to nearly fluent in six months, with practice only once a week.
July 20th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Scribetrotter, using Skype to learn another language is a great idea. How did you find an exchange partner?
July 20th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I taught ESL for years…I think we may have a few things in common here…;-)
July 20th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Uh-oh.. people will start thinking we’re the same person!
Where did you teach ESL? I taught in Germany, England and NZ.