Learning a new language can be quite challenging, when considering the grammar, phrases, pronunciation, and even figuring out the best way to learn the language. You can easily be discouraged if you don’t know an easy and efficient way to learn. The time is taken and the difficulty to learn a new language depends on factors like the similarities of your native language to the new one, or if you have studied a similar language before. In this article, we have provided tips and ways to make this journey less of a daunting task for you, so you can easily grasp and flow in your new language. If you are a Spanish learner, you might also want to check out how to learn Spanish fast!
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Best Ways to Learn a New Language
1. Make learning fun
Injecting fun into your language learning is a powerful strategy for learning easily. By doing things you relax, engage, and enjoy the learning process. Fun activities such as playing scrabble and other computer games in the new language you are learning, reading recipes in a foreign language, or even nursery rhymes, will help you learn while having fun.
2. Be confident
Making mistakes is part of the learning process; don’t be afraid to make one. The more mistakes you make while attempting to learn a new language, the more likely you are to become acquainted with the language. Be confident, and build the courage to utter those words; the pronunciation may not be perfect at first, but with practice, you will get it.
3. Don’t get frustrated
Learning a language can be a very frustrating journey. However, try not to be caught up with its challenges. Lift yourself up and be optimistic as you anticipate the thrill of speaking fluently in your new language. Frustration is the last thing you would want while learning a new language.
4. Practice makes perfect
Just keep practicing! Going over what you have learned is the most effective way to become acquainted with your new vocabulary. You must always practice what you have learned, or else your learning journey will take longer than expected.
5. Track your progress
At some point, you might ask yourself “am I really learning?”. This question is important to ask yourself, to track your language progress (both on time spent and what was achieved). That is more reason why you should keep track of your progress. Maintaining a record of your daily language learning encourages and further motivates you to be consistent in your lesson and enhance your language skills.
6. Speak it from Day 1
Make the decision from the 1st day of learning that you are going to speak in the language you are learning. This may be hard at first, but it builds your confidence and inspire you to learn more. Even if you have learned only a few vocabularies, still speak it. That’s how you master English speaking, for instance.
7. Don’t get obsessed with grammar
According to a published study, people who are obsessed with grammar while learning a new language become frustrated afterwards and don’t get to learn anything. Start with the basic vocabularies, understand their usage perfectly, don’t be too concerned with perfecting the grammar, know it, know-how, where, and when to use it, then practice often, you will get it properly.
8. Learn useful phrases
Learning useful commonly used vocabulary and phrases is an easy and efficient tip to learn a new language. Words that are used in everyday life. The reason for this is that after learning, you will be able to speak it to others virtually every day, and you will have a complete understanding of the words as you use them. Such words include “Hello”, “How are you?”, “Good morning”, “Goodbye”, and so on.
How to Learn a New Language
1. Online tutoring
How to learn a language fit? Get yourself an online tutor. This is especially proven to be effective when you are just getting started, it gives you a confidence boost to practice with tutors and provides easy access to vocabulary and other resources. Here are the recommendations.
- iTalki: iTalki is an online language learning platform that connects language learners and teachers through video chat. The site allows students to find online teachers for 1-on-1 tutoring, and teachers to earn money as freelance tutors.
- RosettaStone: This platform helps you learn efficiently through real-world scenarios, interactive activities, and audio from native speakers. Rosetta Stone helps you tap into your brain’s intrinsic ability to learn a new language and prepares you for real-life communication. You will receive immediate feedback on your pronunciation, and they also offer live coaching with native speakers, thus, preparing you to hold meaningful conversations in your new language.
- AmazingTalker: AmazingTalker is an online platform with suitable one-on-one enthusiastic tutors for English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese language, and many more. If you would like to stand out on your test or speak fluently at work, AmazingTalker’s online tutoring is the best for you. They also have tutors that specialize in taking tutorials for proficiency tests like TOEFL, DELE, IELTS, DELF, TestDaF, CILF, GMAT, etc. There are several courses available on AmazingTalker depending on your language need and preference.
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2. Utilize language learning apps
Whether you are planning an exciting trip abroad or you want to spend your spare time doing something enriching, a language app can help you build your vocabulary, develop proper grammar, and eventually become fluent through lessons that are easy to digest, all from the comfort of your smartphone or laptop.
- Duolingo: This is a free language learning app designed to help you learn languages easily. It’s extremely well designed for on-the-go learning, thanks to short lessons and a simple user interface. Duolingo is designed for English speakers to learn more than 30 languages, including German, Spanish, English, Italian, French, Chinese and more.
- Babbel: Babbel has over one million active subscribers in 2016 and it’s one of the most recognized online language learning apps globally. Babbel’s users claim that after just five hours of using the app, one can be able to hold a short conversation in a foreign language you are learning. Also, lessons are usually 15 minutes long, so the app perfectly fits everyone’s schedule.
- Busuu: Looking to learn words, phrases, and tips on the go? Language learning couldn’t be more fun and easier than with Busuu. With the help of over 120 million people who are learning, practising, and teaching at Busuu, you can easily learn a wide range of languages such as Spanish, English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, and 6 more. You can access lessons anytime, anywhere in the world, and even download lessons and learn offline.
3. Use flashcards
If you want to memorize vocabulary quickly, use flash cards. Flashcards work by having a term in your learning language on one side and the meaning of the same term in your native language on the other side. This helps you to easily know the meaning of the new word and enhance your learning and memorization. Although that’s not the only way flash cards work, for learning verbs, you might need to include conjugation charts. Some recommended language learning flashcards include:
- Memrise is a popular language learning app that uses flashcards to help you learn new words and phrases quickly. It uses a lot of unique features to enhance the flashcards and improve your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Most of its content is free, and it is a great tool for beginners, although it may not be very helpful for intermediate and advanced language learners.
- Tinycards: Tinycards is a fun flashcard app by Duolingo that helps you memorize anything. Tinycards uses the same spaced repetition learning techniques as Duolingo and applies them to a much wider variety of topics from country capitals and history to constellations.
- StudyBlue: StudyBlue is an online study tool where teachers and students can create flashcards and materials to share with classmates. StudyBlue also has an iOS app and an Android app for mobile users. Although the basic product is free, StudyBlue has upgrade options of $3/month with a year commitment or $9 per month.
4. Immerse yourself
Immersion is a very effective way for learning a language. It is also one of the more enjoyable methods of learning. It ties the language directly to your real-life situations (listening, thinking, reading, and even conversing) and does not overburden your brain by requiring the memorization of large amounts of repetitive information. Immersion makes you accustomed to the language easily and naturally. Below are some activities that can help you get immersed in the language you are learning.
5. Watch Tv shows
Watching TV shows is a great and fun way to enhance one’s language skills, particularly when it comes to listening. The recommended TV shows are those that are subtitled in your native language so you will understand their use of vocabulary as well enhancing your speaking abilities
6. Listen to podcasts
Listening to podcasts produced by native speakers of the language that you wish to learn is also one excellent way to improve your language skills. Although merely listening may not teach you the sentence structure basics you must have to understand and produce a language Extensive listening can enhance your pronunciation, as well as your listening skills. Most podcasts are free and available to all.
7. Surround yourself
Talk with native speakers (language exchange apps also work): Another way to immerse yourself in your new language is by surrounding yourself with native speakers. You need to deliberately have them as friends, co-workers, and neighbors, so you can learn from the way they converse. Language exchange apps such as HelloTalk also help by pairing up two people (forming a language partner) who speak the language that the other is learning. By so doing they teach each other.
8. Read in your target language
Reading in your target language is a good way, as it helps to improve your ability to intuitively understand grammar structures and vocabulary. This gives your brain a large base of subconscious passive knowledge to work from, giving you an advantage in the active language domains and therefore boosting your fluency.
9. Watch movies in your target language
Movies are entertaining, emotive, dynamic, audiovisual, and use actual language in almost any language you choose to learn. Even if your level is still relatively low, watching movies you already know is a great recommendation to start watching movies in your target language! You already know what’s going on, so catching the words is a lot easier, even without subtitles.
10. Change the language of your devices
Mobile phones have found a way to become man’s closest friend, particularly among youths. According to one survey, people spend an average of 4.8 hours each day (33.6 hours/week) using their mobile phones. Have you ever considered altering the language of that device to the one you are learning? This is an effective way to immerse yourself in the language. It becomes second nature to you, and it will improve your general language skills. Please remember how to change it back if you get lost.
Start speaking in your new language
Learning any foreign language so be challenging, and if you are struggling to learn one, breathe, you’re not alone. Understanding the best ways to learn a language and tips for learning makes it fun, easier, and interesting. We have provided valuable tips that can easily help you, as well as different ways to make the journey a stress-free and fascinating one. Are you looking for the best platform to start learning your 2nd language? AmazingTalker is here to assist you. With several qualified and friendly online tutors in all official languages, on the platform to assist you in accomplishing your goal, flexible schedule, and relatively low financial commitment, you can never go wrong. Also, you can read our post on how to learn English, or check out the best way to learn French, and we bet that you would like to know how long does it take to learn Spanish.
