Did you study a foreign language in school? Spanish, French, Italian? Did you enjoy yourself? Or was it an experience that you’d rather forget?
You have to answer these last two questions honestly because they reveal a lot about how you will do the second time around.
There are many people who can’t learn a foreign language in a classroom. I was one of them. I studied French in high school, dropped it in college and then decided to study Spanish once I graduated. No formal teaching, no homework assignments, no calls home for bad grades.
Now I’m a Spanish teacher, married to a Spaniard and raising our children bilingually. And it all happened outside the class.
If you’re one of these people and have no desire to return to the classroom, then you have to make the most of your studies on your own.
It’s not easy at first. Studying a foreign language requires discipline and an awareness of important tips and tricks that can reduce the frustration and disappointment.
Here are three that are at the top of my list:
1) Understand how to learn – This may seem like a simple point but it’s worth its wait in gold. Understand that things take time. Patience is probably more valuable than your conjugations.
Too many people quit studying foreign languages after becoming discouraged with their progress. If you feel that you should progress everyday, you’re mistaken. If you feel you should make great strides each week, you’re mistaken.
You will learn slowly but surely at first and then there will come a point when you’re learning will accelerate. No one knows when. Just be patient and know that good things are happening in the depths of your brain.
2) A little studying each day is better than a lot of studying for a few days. – This is self-explanatory. You are much better off putting in 5 minutes a day when you really don’t feel like it than waiting a week and then studying for 2 hours.
The 5 minutes everyday can be anything you like. You could listen to a song in the foreign language, read the comics in the language, learn curse words in the language. As long as you’re connecting with the language in some way, you will benefit.
3) Find many ways to study. – By this I mean, listening one day, reading another, and so on. The trick to studying a foreign language on your own is to have many ways to both learn and entertain yourself. This way, you’ll always have at least one thing you can do each day to keep your momentum going.
If you know your learning style then do the majority of your learning using that style. After all, it’s the one that comes naturally to you.
In closing, knowing how to study a foreign language on your own is the most difficult part of the adventure. Discipline and desire are needed throughout. If you think you have what it takes, get to it. I did and I’m as fluent as can be. And loving it!
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3 Tips For Learning A Foreign Language At Home
January 5th, 2010Are We There Yet? 3 Easy Tips to Keep You Motivated to Learn German Fluently
January 5th, 2010Move me momma! Just to jump right in and say it like it is. We all know that there are many different types of motivation, but the type that we are concerned with is intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to the desire to do something that pleases you and makes you pat yourself on the back. Most studies have shown it to be much more effective in long-term language learning than extrinsic motivation (for an external reward such as impressing the boss or your peers). Unfortunately, most of us are not lucky enough to hire a personal pep squad or self-improvement coach to keep us motivated. Yup, you are going to have to find the power within yourself. It seems that to become fluent in German will take time and perseverance, so how can you stay motivated?
1. Fraternal Twins Separated At Birth
Yes, the process of learning German can be very stressful but keep in mind the cool thing about German is that modern German and modern English both originated from the common Germanic ancestor language and despite their distinct differences, the two languages share many similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Also, German is spelled phonetically. This means that once you learn the system of sounds, it is easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the written word is pronounced. Know your German ABCs and you will be better equipped to learn to speak German quickly.
2. Oktoberfest Anyone?
If your ultimate goal is to learn to speak German fluently, then it is important to know that you will become more fluent quickly if you maximize your language exposure. You can start by simply practicing the language with a classmate outside of class. You can befriend native speakers in your community or attend a local foreign language conversation hour, if one exists. Rent a German DVD, or listen to authentic German audio or video online. Or you could attend your local Oktoberfest or plan a trip to attend the world famous Munich Oktoberfest. The first the first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 and lasted 6 days. The festivities were in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. In Munich the “die Wiesen” (as the locals call it) starts around late September and lasts for sixteen days up to the first Sunday in October. The festival is a vibrant venue where you can eat sauerkraut, drink German beer, practice your German and expose yourself to Bavarian culture.
3. The Gift Of The Gab
Whenever possible, speak German aloud rather than reciting it silently to yourself. Say vocabulary words out loud, read passages in the text aloud, and do pronunciation activities orally. Transferring language from your mind to your mouth is a skill that requires a great deal of practice. And you should practice German actively frequently.
The process of learning German can be very stressful, and the impact of your own positive or negative attitudes can be critical to your learning. Self-motivation is the key to staying on track and achieving fluency. Because German and English have similarities, you have a head start when learning German. Ultimately, to learn to speak German online or otherwise is all about you. Therefore, you must play an active role in your learning by jumping at the opportunities to speak, listen and comprehend German. You’ll meet new people, make new friends and most importantly, learn German fluently.
Want to Learn Spanish, Learn it Online
January 5th, 2010
Spanish is one of the demanding languages in the world and it is also most commonly spoken by quite a large number of people. Learning Spanish is very easy because the Spanish language is somehow influenced quite a number of other languages all over the world. It is one of the easiest foreign languages to pick up. There are certainly many reasons why people want to learn Spanish language. Perhaps there is an opportunity for career advancement. Some people think that without extensive classroom hours it is difficult to master a second language, yet many people have reported that they were very successful.
Regardless of what motivation is for learning Spanish, it has been proven to be very convenient and easy to learn online. There are many different courses to choose from in the online tutors. Spend some time reviewing the various websites that offer these courses and search out sites that allow people to give honest review about them. One of the advantages of learning Spanish online is that you can organize your schedule in your own way. Online tutoring is more effectual and productive way of learning Spanish.
The Internet has simplified many things in the life of the modern human being and many things are affordable and achievable today because of it. One such advantage is about how to learn Spanish online. Usually, students consider private tutors or different language institutes for learning Spanish, but their fees are very high and you can organize your classes according to your time schedule. Online tutoring is cost effective and you don’t have learn according to their time schedule, you can organize your own time schedule. Online tutoring has emerged as an effective, beneficial and convenient way to get effective academic support. Surely, learning Spanish online is the finest and an exciting way to master one of the most favored languages i. e. Spanish.
Eduwizards is one of the leading online tutoring service providers offering online tutoring lessons in Spanish through highly qualified and experienced Spanish tutor.
