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!
Posts Tagged ‘Brain’
3 Tips For Learning A Foreign Language At Home
January 5th, 2010Teach Kids A Second Language
January 2nd, 2010It is not easy teaching your child a second language. But it is a rewarding experience teaching them and you can open their young to explore a new world of sights and sounds. Even if you’re not entirely fluent in another tongue, here are 5 simple ways you can help your child learn to speak a second language confidently and easily.
1. Remember the earlier, the better. By the age of two, a child’s brain is sucking up and processing all the information he or she comes in contact with, so it’s an ideal time to start learning a second language. You may think, “But he hasn’t even mastered ENGLISH yet!” That’s okay! Believe it or not, children can easily juggle two (or more) languages at once without the difficulty that their adult counterparts may have if they try to learn the same language when they’re older. Learning two separate languages will also not hinder your child’s reading or speaking ability. In fact, it will actually improve and broaden their vocabulary as they get older, since many foreign language words are used in English as well.
2. It is better to teach your child with some simple words and basic greetings first. Learning a language does take time and repetition, so only move on when your child feels comfortable and confident in using what he or she has already learned. If you’re not completely fluent yourself, but still want your child to have the benefit of a second language, purchase a good dictionary and work book to reinforce what you already know so that you can teach it to your child.
3. You can try to make studying language to be a fun time by setting aside a special “Language-Only” time. Practice the language together with your child through music, books or videos and use this time to speak and play together using only the second language. It’s a great way to build up the child’s interest in another culture and will help him learn the language more completely and thoroughly.
4. If your significant other speaks a foreign language, consider having him or her speak only in the foreign language to the child, while you speak to them in English. This will quickly help the child understand each language’s structure and differences, and he won’t be as likely to get confused. Remember though, language learning is a slow by steady process. Let your child know not to worry about making a mistake or sounding silly. That’s the only way he or she will become confident enough to speak the language on a regular basis.
5. Whenever possible, immerse your child in the second language as often as you can. Taking trips to the place where the language is spoken is a great way to make a language feel “real” to a child. Children mimic what they see, so seeing others speak and use the language in their day-to-day lives will show him that he can do the same!
The most important thing of all is to treat learning a second language like a fun “adventure” rather than a tedious chore. If you keep these tips in mind, it won’t be long before your child is equally comfortable and proficient in both languages! Good luck!
How to Learn New Language
December 20th, 2009There are a number of ways to learn new language. Depending on personal learning style, you will be able to take grasp of a foreign language in no time. Although most experts believe that it’s in the crucial ages of 3 – 8 that most people are able to take on a new language that is separate from the first one they have learned, it’s never too late for anyone who would like to be able to understand a foreign dialect of their choice. There are however some pointers that you need to keep in mind to make this possible. Do you still remember your grammar lessons in school? Do your remember finding the subject matter a breeze or do you end up getting bored? As some people are innately inclined to easily understand sentence construction and tenses, most people actually find the subject hard, in some cases even in the language that they naturally speak. It’s one thing to be able to know how to use a language, but to break it down into patterns and rules brings to it a completely different focus. Grammar is important so that we can all develop the correct way to formulate sentences in our minds before we express it orally and in paper. This is especially important in learning a foreign language that has a number of meanings for just one word because a simple misuse can easily change the real meaning of the message you are trying to express. Unfortunately, most languages cannot be straightforwardly translated word for word because you first need to consider the different grammatical rules that apply. This is the theoretical aspect of language learning. As for the practical aspect of language learning, some people would rather focus on the conversational level when they learn new language because it is what’s practically being used in everyday life. This is also the easiest learning style because, if for example you migrate to another country. In this situation, in order to cope with the new environment, your brain will be forced to assimilate into the new style of communication. Thanks to the brain’s innate ability to naturally adapt to new styles of speech and language, you will find that constantly talking to people who speak a different language will make it easier for you to learn new words and have a wider vocabulary. In learning a new language, the process starts with developing your vocabulary by knowing what certain words mean, then developing them into phrases then once you get a hang of that, You can then start constructing short simple sentences on your own. With enough practical knowledge you will be able to construct complex structures in no time. But in order to fully have an understanding of the new language, it’s important that you put into practice what you learn from study. Without one or the other, your effort to learn new language will only be put to vain as nothing can become of theory without practice and vise versa. Luckily, many language programs have already been developed in order to give you training on both aspects. By using a program that is grounded on the basis of theory and practice combined, you will find that taking on a new language will be as easy as a walk in the park.
