Learning a language is seen as an impossible task for adults, but studies show adults can outperform native speakers if they use the right study methods. That’s good news, especially if you plan on living in another country or studying abroad, but what language tips help the most?
The secret to learning a new language is consistency, but that doesn’t answer how to best spend your time. Here are 10 tips you should use in your language learning and study practice.
Some learners don’t have enough time to visit an in-person classroom, but you don’t have to leave your house to experience the benefits of a high-quality course. For example, enrolling in an online German course is the best way to learn slang, phrases, and native-level dialog.
Immersion is the best way to improve your listening and speaking skills, so why not find a show or podcast in your language of choice? While you’ll need to read subtitles at first, try to avoid them as much as possible. Start by listening to children’s shows, as they use simpler language.
Perfecting your pronunciation is the key to being understood by other speakers. There’s no point in memorizing thousands of words and phrases if you’re not saying them properly. That’s why you should read books out loud or practice with an actual person who can correct you.
Language learning is similar to building a house. If you have a good foundation, you can keep building your knowledge. Learning 1000 common words will already help you understand 80% of most ordinary text. If you learn 200 words a month, you’ll hit that milestone in 5 months.
Grammar is essential if you’re planning to write in a new language, but you should focus on being understandable first. If you learn how to converse first, you’ll have an easier time picking up grammar. Natives will still know what you’re saying, even if your sentence structure is off.
Singing the alphabet in a foreign language can improve your reading and pronunciation skills, which will help you memorize words faster. You should also set goals to learn numbers, as they come up in most conversations. Start off counting from 1 to 10, then try to go from 10 to 100.
Language learning apps are helpful, especially if they use gamification in lessons. With that said, nothing will be more useful to you than a dictionary app, as you can pull it out of your pocket in the middle of a conversation. You could also use it to learn random words each day.
If you want to learn a language quickly, you have to put in the work. In a best-case scenario, you’ll spend one to two hours a day studying, and unfortunately, there aren’t many shortcuts at this step. But if you’re in a classroom, consider learning how to be a productive note-taker.
You’re going to make several mistakes when learning a language. This could lead to a few embarrassing situations, but so what? Native speakers may get a good chuckle, but they'll always appreciate that you tried. Making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process.
When you travel to another country for the purpose of language immersion, you’re forcing yourself to interact with the locals. Not only will this help you learn a language super quickly, but it’ll also boost your motivation. Plus, you get to learn a language within its cultural context.
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