Lear
ning a language comes naturally for some, and for others, it’s a bit of a struggle. If you’re of the latter category, then don’t despair. It may be hard, but it’s never impossible. And as part of the first category of fast learners, here are a few of our tips and suggestions on learning a language; the fast way.
- Get professional help – whether you are learning the language in preparation for the French extension exam, or it’s in preparation for moving overseas, if you want to learn a language, the best thing you could do for yourself, is hiring a language coach. Though learning the grammar and structure of a language is only important if learning to write, it can also come in useful even if you’re only learning to speak it.
- Seeing while hearing; getting the right pronunciations – if your need to learn a language is purely to satisfy your interest to it, then taking time out for French classes could feel like too much effort. Instead, try the age old combination of seeing and listening. For this, watching a movie or drama series with subtitles of your native language works best.
- Listening repetitively – if you’re a fan of listening to music, then learning a language through music can be a successful method of learning too. Listen to a few online radio channels to familiarize yourself with the music. Once you’ve found a few songs or artists that interest you, take the time to know the meaning behind each song and lyric. Listening to the same words repetitively will definitely help you remember it.
- Communicating with a native speaker – books and audio files can only help you so much when trying to learn a foreign language. To learn the pronunciation of words the right way, and to know today’s slang, it’s always a good idea to try and speak to a local. There are many online sites that is dedicatedly solely for language learning communications. Make use of them.
- Making the dictionary your best friend – if you’ve taught yourself to read the alphabet, and you can read in your new language, then consider half your learning done. Once you’ve done this, remind yourself to carry a dictionary wherever you go. Be it that you come across a new word while reading, or you’re simply wondering what a word may be in the language you’re learning, by carrying the dictionary around, you are not leaving any questions unanswered.
- Practice, practice, practice – there’s no faster way than to practice what you learn. Even if you only know a handful of words, use it in your everyday conversations and sentences. Keep reminding yourself of the new words you’ve learnt; and play “word-of-the-day” games with yourself…
