The best way to quickly start speaking another language is to combine individual lessons with a teacher and self-study. However, self-study needs to be organized correctly to ensure maximum effectiveness. Dozing off with a dictionary in hand is not our approach!
Today, Admigram.com will explain what exactly you should focus on to make self-learning a foreign language as comfortable and productive as possible. So, let’s get started!
How to learn a foreign language on your own
Stay consistent
This is the most important and perhaps the most challenging aspect. It’s preferable to engage with the foreign language every day, even if it’s just for 20-30 minutes. The key principle here is that you allocate time for studying every day and take a break only in extreme cases.
If you’re feeling exhausted today and don’t feel like reading, listen to something in the language you’re learning. If you don’t have the energy to listen, repeat words. The main thing is that the foreign language should be a constant presence in your life. Only then will it become familiar and natural to you.
Alternate different types of tasks
Some people absorb information better by listening, some find it easier to write everything down, and others prefer reading and translating. Use the learning method that suits you best, but don’t ignore the others. You can’t fully learn a foreign language by just reading it or memorizing words.
Use everything available: install language learning apps, communicate with native speakers on the Internet (you can teach them your native language in return), translate songs and sing along, create flashcards, come up with sentences.
Interact with native speakers
With the advent of the internet, finding native speakers of any foreign language has become incredibly easy. There are many online communities dedicated to language exchange (such as Livemocha, LingQ, and others). Register on one of these platforms, find a native speaker of the language you’re learning, and communicate online.
It can be a lot of fun! If you don’t understand each other well, you can draw pictures in real-time on a shared board. Developing conversational skills has become very straightforward these days.
Utilize online resources
The internet is an endless source of learning materials: specialized educational games, videos, audios, recordings of lectures from top universities around the world. In just a few clicks, you can find a wealth of useful broadcasts.
You can watch movies with dubbing in the language you’re learning. If it’s difficult, you can use subtitles.
Repeat
This applies not only to new words. After listening to an audio, revisit it after some time – familiar recordings are much easier to comprehend than new ones. It’s also beneficial to occasionally feel confident that you know something well.
By listening to familiar audio in the language you’re learning or watching videos you’ve seen before, you’ll experience the satisfaction of understanding everything.
Don’t force yourself
Learning a foreign language should be an enjoyable endeavor. Of course, sometimes you need to overcome laziness to start studying, but you shouldn’t do things you don’t want to do.
Read only interesting books. The same goes for movies. Remember that a foreign language is not the goal, but merely a tool to expand your capabilities.
Grammar is simple
Any grammar is straightforward because it always has clear rules. Especially if you don’t intend to become a linguist and simply want to communicate fluently.
In most cases, all that’s required is to memorize the basic rules of constructing speech patterns. However, it’s preferable for someone to explain grammar to you in an accessible way and show you examples of how specific rules work.
Don’t believe you’re incapable of learning languages
That’s not true. Every person (if they can speak even just their native language) has excellent language learning abilities. Sometimes, it’s a lack of diligence that’s the issue. And we all often have little time.
But all of this is surmountable. Nothing prevents you from becoming proficient in any language. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your educational background is. There are people in their 90s learning languages and being able to communicate at a basic level.
Set yourself the right goals
And formulate them correctly. “Learning a foreign language” is too vague and broad a goal. Better like this: “Ace the language exam with the highest score” or “Read Alexandre Dumas novels in the original,” or simply “Learn 50 new words.”
Once you achieve a goal, set the next one and keep moving forward. The key is not to stop. Long breaks in your studies significantly hinder language learning progress. Remember this and value the time you invest.
Use a good dictionary
You absolutely need to have a good dictionary, preferably more than one. In addition to a regular dictionary, it’s useful to use an explanatory dictionary that will help you better understand the meanings of new words.
Keep your own dictionary where you record new words, especially those that are hard for you to remember at first. Don’t forget that visual associations are great for memorizing new words, so don’t ignore the old-fashioned method of learning new words with the help of pictures that reflect their meanings.
