Blue Umbrella Official Blue Umbrella Summer Issue | Page 14

LEARNING
A NEW
LANGUAGE
By Sam m y C.
There are so many things to learn through
new languages?much more than just
translated words. When you start learning a
new language, you get to learn about other
people, cultures, traditions, manners, and
more. There are so many more things to learn
than you can imagine. As Mrs. Klimes, a
French teacher here at AOA, said "learning a
new language expands your view of the
world. I know that at first it might be
intimidating and overwhelming, but if you
put your heart and your mind to it, it will be
easy to learn a new language."
First of all, learning a new language requires
that you get out of your comfort zone and go
out to explore the unknown. As with most
things in life, the start is the hardest part. You
might be wondering: ?where should I begin??
Well, from personal experience, I can say that
you should start with the basics, like how to
say hello, thank you, and please. After that
you should continue with the numbers, the
days of the week, or the months of the year.
Keep in mind that learning is a lifelong
process and that you won?t learn it all at
once.
One of the most important aspects of
learning anything is to have fun, to be
interested in what you are learning, and to
enjoy the journey. Mr. Gesch, a Spanish
teacher here at AOA, recommends that to get
over your fear, you should accept that you?ll
say something funny or embarrassing,
because that is also part of this crazy path.
"One of the best things you can do is to
develop every part of the language: writing,
reading, listening, and speaking. You can?t
just stay with one, even when some areas are
easier than others."
There are so many tools that can help you.
You can look for your favorite book in the
language you want to learn, or perhaps
translate Bible verses. Listen to worship songs
and try singing along or repeat what you hear
to practice pronunciation. There are YouTube
videos and channels by foreigners who are
dedicated to teaching languages. I like to
change the language of my phone and iPad to
see more vocabulary in something that I use
every day. To practice, you can take a journal
and write down any new vocabulary you
learn or what you do in your daily life. You can
also record yourself talking so that you can
see your progress.