Let’s start with the basics, shall we? If you want to learn a new language, you’ll have to be:
But why is that?
Well, first of all, being methodical is very important, as learning a new language is not something you can do sloppily. It will be necessary to follow certain steps and plans, such as starting with some basic grammar and vocabulary topics and then continuing with more complex issues. Also, you’ll have to make sure to master a topic before jumping into the next.
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You’ll also have to be determined, given that learning a new language is not that easy, so you might get discouraged if you feel like it’s taking too long or maybe if you think that you are still not as fluent as you should be. Don’t give up! If you do, you’ll never learn. It’s not impossible. A lot of people do it all the time!
Last, but not least, you will definitely need to be hardworking. You cannot study just a couple of hours and then leave your books untouched for three months. You’ll have to continue with your hard work consistently for days, weeks, months and perhaps even years if you want to be fluent.
Now that you know that, let’s continue with some more specific ways to learn a language.
- A Grammar book will be your best friend.
Yes: you will definitely need to count on your Grammar book. Start with that. Grammar is a helpful guide to crack the code of a language, so your first step should be all about Grammar! Do several exercises and repeat inside your head –or a piece of paper– everything you need to learn by heart. Memory is important!
2) Incorporate the language into your routine somehow.
Even if you don’t have the time to study every day, you still can find a way to do it while you’re living your day to day life. For example, you can put some tags on your kitchen elements, furniture, clothes and personal items. There you can write the name of the object in the language you’re studying! This way you’ll go over some basic vocabulary while you’re having breakfast, getting changed or even taking a nap!
Another way is, for example, to listen to a podcast or some music in that language while you’re going to work or for your ordinary weekly run!
3) Think in that language.
Did you know that we humans have an average of two thousand daydreams per day? Well, if that’s the case… maybe you’ll want to consider having at least ten or twenty in the language you’re learning! You’ll definitely have questions by doing so, but that’s a good thing! You can write those questions down and solve them later, when you’re studying.
4) Talk to native speakers.
If they’re not around, use the internet. Even if the language you’re learning doesn’t have as many speakers as others, you’ll definitely find some of them online. You can even use Omegle! You’ll definitely find someone to talk to… even if it’s a bot!
5) Watch or read content in that language.
Again, use the internet. You can get almost anything these days. You’ll find an infinite number of platforms where you’ll be able to watch content in any language. You can also count on Youtube and other popular websites or social networks to help you to get used to listening to the language!
As for reading, you can also find several books or stories online in almost any language! Bilingual versions of several books are also available on the web.
Now… there’s a final way, of course, but it’s usually not available for everyone. However, it is true that the best way to learn a foreign language would be to move to a country where you can speak that language all day. This immersive experience will automatically turn you into a bilingual person, as you’ll need to learn the language in order to survive! That’s how you learned your first language, after all!
