Set language-learning goals.
Learn the “right” words.
Study smart.
Start using the language all day, every day.
Seek out real-life practice.
Learn about the culture.
Test yourself.
7 Ways To Learn A New Language Fast; While I write this piece, after hours of research & editing drafts I hope I also put these results into good use. I’ve always loved french, it’s a beautiful language but from my junior school years till my senior school I’ve always gotten F in every language that wasn’t English. At a point, I thought it was a medical condition that made it impossible for me to learn a new language – or Is it?
There are many reasons why we want to take up learning a new language, it’s not an easy task I must say, but we can both agree that it’s a better idea to learn that language fast
Learning a new language doesn’t have to be a slow and tedious process, while we encourage hard work and required efforts, it’s not impossible to learn a new language fast if you follow this strategy and dedicate yourself to the process.
Follow these eight steps, and you’ll be on your way to mastering that new language faster than you ever imagined!
1. Set language-learning goals.
Step one to learning a new language fast is to set goals you’ll like to achieve in this journey, without goals you really can’t tell what you want to achieve and how can you measure your progress
When faced with the idea of learning a new language, most of us feel overwhelmed. There are so many words to learn and so many different ways to study. Setting goals narrow your focus so you can stop worrying about the details and get down to business.
Research shows that people who set the right kind of goals are more likely to achieve success.
2. Learn the “right” words.
Languages are made up of a shocking number of words. English, for example, has between 600,000 and 1 million words and you don’t want to learn bad words or insults in a new language – Not a good way to start
To be proficient in any language, you don’t have to learn all the words but you need to know the top 100 words to get started properly
By focusing on learning these words first, you can eliminate wasted time and increase the amount of information you understand very quickly. Feel free to Google the top 100 words of any language you choose to learn.
3. Study smart.
When learning your words, you’ll learn faster by using the very best study techniques.
For example, one of the best ways to learn vocabulary words is to use flashcards. Flashcards help you focus on individual words and allow you to test yourself, which helps you memorize new information. Once again, if you don’t know the best strategy for using flashcards, a Google search will do the magic for you. (Wink Wink)
Other ways to study smart is
– Visualize & Vocalize your words
– Use learning applications
– Gesture when using words.
4. Start using the language all day, every day.
For a beginner, learning a new language and using it for everyday speed can be overwhelming, but it isn’t difficult, there are many fun ways to make it work in your everyday life
First, make use of every moment you have to learn new words. Take flashcards with you, and study them during your train or bus commute (but not while driving, please!) or when you’re waiting to meet a friend.
When you start to feel tired, switch from active learning to passive learning by doing what you would normally do in your native language in your target language. Try watching a video or TV show, or streaming radio broadcasts in your target language. Personally, I encourage YouTube videos and podcasts, for some weird reasons I think they’ll be fun
There are many online resources to access entertaining audio and video clips. You can go to YouTube, search for radio stations available on the Internet
The goal when you start is not to understand everything you hear but to familiarize yourself with the sounds of the language. Even if you don’t understand much of what you hear, simply listening can have many positive effects, including:
Becoming accustomed to the cadence of the language.
Learning to identify and understand common words.
Learning to understand using only context and a few cognates.
Staying motivated!
5. Seek out real-life practice.
Experience is the best teacher they say, some of the best ways to learn are when you encounter real-life situations, especially when you have no choice but to use a foreign language – I have a Nigerian friend in Germany, I often wonder how he communicates when he wants to buy stuff (the man has zero choices)
The easiest way to gain real-life practice is to travel or study abroad. Going abroad creates opportunities to be surrounded by people who speak the language you want to learn, many of whom don’t know your native language.
6. Learn about the culture.
The culture they say is the way of life of a people and language is a core part of any culture. How well can you pull off learning a new language if you don’t get into the culture?
Understanding a language is about more than understanding words on a page. It’s important to learn about the culture and history associated with these words.
Knowing something about a country or culture’s history, current events, religious beliefs and common customs can help you understand a lot about what people say and do.
As you begin to study a new language, take some time to learn about the culture of the people who speak that language. Don’t feel this is a waste of time, even if it involves reading and watching videos in your native language. It will help you enormously and can even prevent you from making embarrassing and potentially offensive mistakes, with emphasis on offensive mistakes.
7. Test yourself.
I always believed that tests were created to make us better, for instance, the JAMB CBT was created to ensure students are qualified for university education
Try to regularly test yourself in little ways. If you’re learning from a textbook, take practice tests or complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Languages can be hard, even for native speakers, there’s always so much to learn but myself and everyone at Student Village is rooting for you.
Lest I forget you can also play online games or take online tests. Online practice tests can be found in almost any language, including French, Spanish, Japanese and German.
Recommended: How To Celebrate Your University Birthday On A Budget
