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By CHRISTINA
To learn a foreign language is one of the best investments in your life. Learning a new
language is full of benefits:
2. The second (and most common reason) is the time it’s thought to take to pick up a
language. Of
course, tackling ones with different alphabets is sure to take longer, but you can speed it up
exponentially if you know how. Before we dive into those strategies, let’s clarify.
What NOT to do
Don’t go down the old-fashioned classroom route. Grammar books are useful reference
tools, but
get counterproductive if you lose yourself in them. Languages should be learnt by living
them,
not as a collection of maths formulas. Huw Jarvis, a senior lecturer in the School of
Humanities,
Languages and Social Science at the University of Salford, summed it up nicely:
“The primary purpose of language is communication – grammar is important, but there’s a
bigger
picture. Language is no longer seen as being learnt through mechanical exercises, it’s
developed
through students interacting and engaging”.
If that isn’t inspiration enough, here’re some ways to boost your language skills
quickly and remember that “the secret lies in combination“.
What TO DO
Immerse yourself
Learning a language isn’t done from the book, it’s done by getting lost in its culture. Think of
your brain as a radio receiver, and getting more accustomed to the target language will
make it
easier to tune yourself in to its frequency.
The Foreign Service Institute in Washington DC – where US diplomats are trained in foreign
languages – takes this approach. Its associate director for instruction, James North, said
that to
learn a language “you need to invest not just the head, but also the heart”.
This could mean all kinds of things. Why not try reading children’s books? The language
would be
simple enough for beginners, and you’d be getting a dose of the culture. You could even
read
classic fairy tales like Cinderella so you won’t be panicking about following the story.
Beginners could also try watching TV with audio in their mother-tongue and subtitles in the
target language. Or even try listen to a radio station in the target language – even though
you
won’t get all the words, you’ll be training your ear. How about reading a Buzzfeed article in
the
target language? Or making a play list?
Every little helps, whether you realize it or not. Little-and-often practice is key, and you’ll
speed
things up significantly.
Use Apps
Whether you have a lengthy commute, or some time to kill on your lunch break, the
convenience
of a language learning app is unmatched. They make practice fun, visual and such apps as
Duolingo let you set goals and send out push notifications if you slack.
There are a rich range of paid and free options to explore, and such added exercise will
give extra edge (and speed) to
your language learning.
Lonet.Academy is one of the platforms that offers a range of available on-line tutors for
more than 20 languages:
The process is very easy: just register on Lonet Academy, find a list of tutors, choose
several and book a trial lesson with them. Process of payment is really easy and safe – you
pay by card or PayPal and if the lesson has not been provided (due to some reasons) you
still have the balance to re-book with another teacher or to try another language.
It has never yet been easier!
Make mistakes
Remember that the main objective is to communicate. That should be your priority. That
means
not being afraid to make mistakes, or putting yourself down when you do.
The sooner you make mistakes (and learn from them), the sooner you’ll pick up the
language. Simply because it means
you’re practicing.
After all, that’s how languages are learnt. By being used.