If you are learning a foreign language, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. Even the most talented people linguistically need ...
If you are learning a foreign language, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. Even the most talented people linguistically need to work hard to learn a new language. Therefore, it is crucial that you stay motivated, however, it is not always easy to do so. I have compiled some tips for learning a foreign language during the time I was learning English, German and Dutch, which could be useful for all those trying to learn a foreign language.
Tip 1: make the right decision
There are more than 6,000 languages spoken, so it is better to choose a language that you need to learn or really want to learn, because it will take 10,000 hours to learn it. Unless learning foreign languages is your hobby, you should focus on the foreign language that makes the most sense in your situation. In some parts of the world, English can be considered a "world language", but economic changes in Asia make Chinese also very interesting to know. The languages of neighboring countries can also benefit you, since especially in border regions, economic exchange makes it profitable to know the languages of others. The decision to learn a language does not have to be dictated by the economy, it could also be your personal life. I have met many people who want to learn the strangest languages because that is the mother tongue of their spouse or their parents. Whatever your reason, make sure it is something that lasts as long as you need to learn the language.
Tip 2: decide how far you want to go
This is something that no linguist will ever tell you, but it is very important that you decide. Whatever course you are following, it is always assumed that at some point you will use the language you are learning, as well as the natives. In many cases, that is totally beyond the ambitions and needs of the student. If you are going on vacation to Italy or Spain, you do not need to be able to read the literature in Italian or discuss in Spanish. You need a very simple grammar and very specific words. This means that you will not actually speak correct Italian, but people will understand you and you will understand them, you have reached your goal! On the other hand, if you want to be able to study in a foreign language, your intimacy with the language must be much deeper. Just remember that this is your choice!
Tip 3: don't do it with grammar
This is how they taught me at school. Grammar, grammar, grammar. At some point I could do German grammar exercises without understanding the sentences. But that's not the point, right? On the other hand, I was watching many cartoons and movies in English, without many grammar lessons and my English during school was much better than my classmates' English.
Tip 4: make it a routine
Of course it is not always a pleasure, especially at the beginning you just need to sit down and learn things. It is the best for your daily or weekly routine. An hour of learning words or grammar exercises a day will take you far. Always do it at the same time of day and you will get used to it.
Tip 5: live the language
In an ideal word, he would be living in the country the language he is learning, as in the case of the Netherlands and Dutch. Then you can experience the language all day, every day. You collect things almost from the air. If you combine it with lessons, you will speak the language in no time. If you are not so lucky, you can always go on vacation to the country where they speak the language you are learning. Just make sure you go alone. If you go with your friends or spouse, this will not work at all. If you are going on vacation, take some short lessons during that time. It will help you meet people who are also learning. This was perfect for me, when a while ago I went to London to practice my English. The classes I took were not so relevant, but I met a few people during these classes or only at school and we were together for two weeks speaking only English. This is what you want, just talk to other people at different levels of advancement, without teachers so that nobody corrects or explains what you wanted to say, not false issues to talk about.
Tip 6: Involve everyone around
If you are one of the lucky ones and you learn the language of the country in which you live, take advantage of all those around you to learn and learn things. When I have reached a certain level of confidence in my Dutch, I have informed everyone at work that from now on, I will be writing internal emails in Dutch. Then I introduced a "Dutch day". It was one and always the same day of the week that I was only supposed to speak Dutch and everyone was supposed to speak in Dutch. Only if it was not entirely clear what he was saying, we returned to English. At first it was difficult, but people were happy and eager to help. Then, after a while, I had two, three, four and five "Dutch days" a week. Just be really firm on it. Not everyone will notice your "language day," so briefly explain the idea in the language you are learning.
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