Learning a new language can be challenging, especially at the beginning. However, there are many methods to make this important step easier. Here are 6 tips and tricks for learning a new language!
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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)1. Try a Language Learning App or Take School Classes
One popular and free language app, like Duolingo, makes learning fun and engaging, while still focusing on core vocabulary and phrases. It's a great starting point for beginners and can be used for various languages like Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, and Arabic. Another app is Busuu, which has various languages like English and Spanish, plus more difficult languages like Japanese and Arabic.
If you don't like online study, you can also take classes at your school or college. For example, at my middle school, I am taking Spanish 1 HON and am planning to take Spanish 2 HON next school year. Having an amazing teacher like mine, who speaks Spanish fluently and can effectively teach the language to others, is a bonus. While there may be challenges, most language teachers are capable of instructing students in the languages they teach.
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2. Ask Family and Friends to Speak to You in the Languages You're Learning
Often, the languages you plan to learn are spoken by friends or family. Enunciation is key to mastering a new language, and practicing with those who speak the language can greatly benefit your learning. Start speaking words, then slowly hop into phrases and sentences.
This can also create a greater bond with loved ones, because you can both speak the same language together. Sweet, isn't it?
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3. Use Your Free Time to Learn a Language
Before you even thought about learning a new language, didn't you spend multiple hours on electronics, sports, or other extracurriculars? That situation has to come to an end now. Start putting time limits or create a daily schedule so you can time for extracurricular/sports/hobbies and that new language(s) you plan on learning. This can help to manage your time, while also taking this big step to learn a new language(s).
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4. Explore the Culture of the Languages You Want to Learn
Of course, you can't start learning a language and know nothing about it. Exploring the culture can greatly affect you positively by giving you individual growth in the language you're learning, global understanding, and diversity. For example, since I'm personally learning Spanish, I know about the culture of the Hispanic community, like how close-knit families are, how they have a rich history of art, music, and cuisine, and the firm respect for the elderly.
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5. Cognitive Benefits
A recent study by Dr. Thomas Bak from Edinburgh's School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences shows that young adults proficient in two languages performed better on attention tests and had better concentration than those who spoke only one language. Therefore, learning a new language has positive results. You're never too old to gain the cognitive benefits from learning a new language.
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6. Retention in Language Learning
You may ask, What is retention? Retention is the ability to remember and recall learned vocabulary, grammar, and other language skills over time. Without retention, the effort that you put into learning a language would be wasted because you would forget everything you learned, which would also make it difficult to communicate in the language you're learning. Some strategies you can use to improve your retention are active learning techniques, spaced repetition, and active recall of what you learned from the language(s).
All of these tips and tricks can help you start or become proficient in a language. So, if you're thinking about learning a new language, remember these tips and tricks to make this big move into an easy hobby!
