Learning a New Language
By: Jesus Arambula
Since we are all stuck at home, here's an idea... Learn a new language! At least while you are at home doing nothing, you're learning something useful. For all those seeking to improve their communication skills, learning a new language is one valuable skill to add to your arsenal. For one thing, you can increase the range you can talk to, especially people from different backgrounds. However, learning a new language isn't an easy feat. It's, in a way, a discipline, and if you don't stick with the program you set for yourself, the learning process may be too complicated for you. You may be asking yourself, "I don't know where to start" or "this is too complicated." Don't worry, there are many ways to learn a new language more efficiently, have fewer things to worry about, and make it a lot more fun for yourself. You must keep in mind a few things before you start: we all make mistakes, and you will make them during the process. Don't make it too hard on yourself when you make a mistake since it's the most productive way to learn new things.
These are apps/website you can use to learn new languages:
- Duolinggo
- Busuu
- Babbel
- Memrise
- Rosetta Stone
- BBC Languages
- Rype
- Fluentu
Here are some ways to learn any language effectively:
1) Remember words you need to know
We can agree that learning ALL words of a specific language is practically impossible. Keep in mind that these are words, not sentences. Even English native speakers, while knowing tens of thousands of words, only use the same three thousand words daily to read, speak, and write English. This is true for any language: you only need to know several thousand words to get by in most conversations and reading basic writing in the language of your choosing.
Well, ok, Jesus, but how do I know which words I have to remember? Thanks to the digital era, we can search for anything instantly at the tip of our fingers. Using many of the apps we have in our app stores, such as FluentU, you can easily find many videos that include conversations that show you how native speakers use words that are used in real-life situations.
2) Memorize grammar rules
Regardless of the language, grammar is usually always tricky for non-native speakers, and for native speakers. Grammar is undoubtedly crucial for writing essays or professional emails. But if you're seeking basic communication grammar, like visiting another country or talking to a friend. You shouldn't stress yourself with complicated grammar; just learn the basics and don't try to remember all the rules at once. If you want to test yourself. Many educators and teachers recommend being exposed to the language 24/7, and never opening a book or studying grammar until you become proficient only by exposure. If you're not willing to go that far, which is understandable, you can try writing something every day, like a blog, daily entries, shopping lists, or anything else. Using grammar daily will improve your skills over time.
3) Listening over speaking
When we learn a new language, we usually try to focus on speaking, reading, and writing. And that's fine, but we overlook the fact that we need to communicate with others with the same language. When you do, you'll realize that understanding others may be slightly more difficult than imagined. Listening to the desired language You can speak fluently, but listening to native speakers in songs or music is different; never underestimate the power of listening skills. Try to listen to various movies, music, or radio stations of your target language to develop your listening skills.