Tips to learn a new foreign language
Learning a foreign language can be a daunting task. But when we break it down, it’s a numbers game. How long are you putting into this and how many words do you know? In most cases, you’ll need a few hundred hours of study time and a total of 2000-3000 active vocabulary words to be able to communicate with any hope of becoming quite fluent one day. Once you learn that, if you stick with it and keep using it, it will be self-sustaining.
A random “Hey, I want to learn Spanish!” It sounds like a very difficult task for the person to say. But the truth is, if you use some additional techniques to improve your language technique or classroom, you can quickly learn to speak a language at the level of everyday conversation. They can be implemented with very few words and can significantly reduce the number of hours required to learn the basics of the language.
Flashcards are the best and most efficient use of your time while you learn a language, pound for pound. Ten seconds of free time would be a quick question – whip card number one out of your pocket “What’s the Spanish word for food? Comida? Flip the card over…right!” Two minutes is a great review session. Look at it this way – if you spend ten seconds for two minutes on one word – twelve words in two minutes. Twelve words five days a week is 3000 words in a year. All the words you need should be spoken in two minutes a day. It doesn’t cover grammar and pronunciation, but still – a year to learn all the vocabulary you need. Don’t say that I don’t have time to learn the language. Next time you’re at the bank or grocery store, at the doctor’s office, waiting at a red light, etc.
Read Once you have a basic understanding of the language, find some reading material. Here’s the main part – it’s what you want. If you’re into gardening, find a magazine or publish an online article about gardening in your target language. You’ll learn words and phrases that really interest you, and this will help you understand them quickly.
Audio If your language system doesn’t have an audio component, get one. But if you find it, find another. If you intend to speak the language, the most important part of learning is listening. Provide opportunities to use it during otherwise unproductive times, such as while driving or while resting.
Internet radio gives you plenty of opportunities (and free!) to hear your new language by following the advice above. Radio can tell you about new vocabulary and fresh content every day. Don’t overdo it with one of your audio CDs. Mix and match your audio seamlessly with other sources like music and internet news broadcasts. The more sources you have to listen to, the better.
Daily communication is probably the most important guide when it comes to language learning. If possible, you should introduce yourself to the language every day. It is better to study for ten minutes a day than cram for an hour once or twice a week. Frequent reviews, even just a few minutes, are important. The same is true for retaining a language after it has been learned. Long rest is fatal.
PenPals Harness the power of the Internet to connect with others around the world who speak the language you’ve learned. They can help you a lot. They can help you in English and help you in your target language. There are many free sites and forums to find people who would be happy to work with you.
Studying with others Studying and practicing with other people gives you instant feedback and interaction that you can’t get from books or audio or even software. Even if you know very little, you will find it faster and more enjoyable than studying alone. After all, this is the purpose of learning any foreign language – to communicate with other people.
Therefore, try implementing a few different techniques in your language learning system. You will find that you can add some techniques to an already installed program in no extra time. You may find that you use less time to study as you streamline the learning process. Learn to study more effectively and remember to keep an eye on the target, whether you have scored or not.
