Table of contents:
- 1. Use effective techniques
- 2. Measure your expectations against reality
- 3. Don't expect quick results
- 4. Full immersion
- 5. Learn 300 key words
- 6. Follow a simple algorithm
- 7. Set a goal
- 8. Use the power of the Internet
- 9. Talk to yourself
- 10. Watch the video
- 11. Don't forget about writing
- 12. Read news in a foreign language
- 13. The more foreign language, the better
- 14. Use special software
- 15. Communication with native speakers
Video: 15 helpful tips to help you learn a foreign language
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
There is no methodology that allows you to learn a foreign language easily and quickly. But do not despair - there would be a desire. We've put together professional tips for you to help you make learning a foreign language much more effective.
1. Use effective techniques
Only 4% of students in schools begin to speak fluently after 3 years of studying the language. The remaining 96% of students stop at a certain stage due to ineffective teaching methods, as well as due to the fact that their expectations are not met.
2. Measure your expectations against reality
Most people need 600 hours or more of intensive study to become fluent in the simplest languages (French, Spanish) and almost 1200 hours for the more complex languages (Chinese, Russian).
3. Don't expect quick results
For someone who spends one hour a week in class, it will take over 10 years to start talking fluently. This is why people are often disappointed. Anyone can learn a new language, they just forget about how long it took him to learn even his own language.
4. Full immersion
To learn a new language, you only need one thing … the so-called immersion. After all, when every person learned his native language in childhood, he studied it continuously, every minute, for several years. What is meant by immersion? Immersion means that a person is constantly learning and using a new language. During the immersion process, the language is learned about 40 hours a week, instead of just 1 hour. In this case, you can shorten the training period from 10 years to 4 months.
5. Learn 300 key words
First of all, you need to start learning the correct words. For example, in English colloquial speech, just 300 words account for more than 65% of a person's daily conversations. In fact, there are many words that people do not know in their own language (and will never use them).
6. Follow a simple algorithm
After 300 people have memorized 300 foreign words, you can start reading newspapers or blogs in the target language. Even if the student does not understand anything, he will begin to recognize some words and gradually will subconsciously determine the meanings of other words. The values of the unknowns need to be specified using the dictionary. At first it will be tedious, but in the end it will be possible to get away from the dictionary as well.
7. Set a goal
Exercising every day is very tiring, and almost everyone thinks of giving up. But if you set a specific goal - work abroad, communication, starting a family - it will be much easier to show perseverance.
8. Use the power of the Internet
Today, languages are much easier to learn because of the Internet. You can immerse yourself in the local culture from a distance. You can read local news and gossip blogs. This kind of total immersion is actually the key to successful language learning.
9. Talk to yourself
It's time to start talking. But first you should try to talk to yourself. The person needs to imagine that he met someone or that he is being interviewed. This should be done regularly throughout the day.
10. Watch the video
Talking to yourself, naturally, will not be enough. You need to start listening to other people. Once again, the internet is an amazing invention for language learning. Youtube provides a great opportunity to listen to native speakers and start understanding spoken language. As before, those who do not understand anything need not be upset. It is worth trying to find a video with subtitles. Also, do not disdain the dictionary when meeting with an unfamiliar word.
11. Don't forget about writing
The only thing that has not yet been studied is the letter. You need to start writing down certain things. For example, try writing your bio. This is a great way to strengthen your vocabulary.
12. Read news in a foreign language
You need to read the news on your smartphone screen on the way to work or to the store. In this case, mentally you need to mentally pronounce the situation in a new language. Also (in no case should you throw it away) we continue to write a biography and watch the news. Naturally, in a new language.
13. The more foreign language, the better
In fact, the main goal should be to exclude Russian from everyday life as much as possible. It would be nice to set a goal like "in a year I will watch all the news in a new language."
14. Use special software
Perhaps the key way to learn a language more deeply is to use the internet. It has very good specialized programs. For example, the Duoling app can lay a solid foundation for a new language.
15. Communication with native speakers
Now is the time to chat with native speakers. Skype, email or familiar foreigners are all good possibilities. If they don’t know a word of Russian, this is ideal.
So … The main thing to remember when starting to learn a foreign language is to constantly use it in all aspects (speak, listen, write, read). If you are ready to step out of your comfort zone and constantly learn, surrounding yourself with a foreign language literally everywhere, you will quickly become fluent in a new language.
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