What tips do you have for learning a new language?
Posted by admin | Under Learning Spanish Lessons Thursday Nov 13, 2008When learning a new language, what tips do you have to help someone retain what they have learnt? Any advice would be much appreciated. Have just started Spanish lessons from basic beginners, but as the classes are only 1 night a week, for 2 hours, I find that come the following week I am struggling again!
Learning Spanish ey? sounds pretty cool
1. Be Patient
Nearly all our Spanish teachers advised us that students expect to learn Spanish too quickly and subsequently get disillusioned when it doesn’t happen. Take your time and don’t expect to be perfect straight away. Learning a new language should be attempted in small, manageable steps. Congratulate yourself on progress made and try to steer clear of making unrealistic targets.
2. Learn Spanish Abroad
It’s common knowledge that students learn quicker when they are exposed to the language on a regular basis. Our students have told us that their Spanish improved significantly quicker because of lessons combined with using what they learnt in the classroom in practical situations. It’s also very rewarding seeing your hard work paying off!
3. Actively Involve Yourself With Spanish Literature
We’re not saying you should attempt to read an entire newspaper every day. However, by attempting a couple of small articles regularly you can pick up common words and phrases that you will need to get to grips with quickly. Our Spanish teachers say that newspapers and magazines can help students pick up key phrases and gain more confidence in their writing and reading ability. Reading a foreign newspaper will also make you look intelligent!
4. Organise Your Work And Yourself
We have all heard this before but it’s probably the most important aspect of learning a language. There are almost too many useful resources out there and there is a real danger you get overloaded with paper, notes, books and go round in circles. After every lesson make sure you review everything you learn and understand it. Then do it again. Afterwards, organize everything in a way that you understand. There is nothing more frustrating than consistently searching for the vital piece of information in amongst hundreds of sheets of paper. Trust us, we know!
5. Use Flashcards
Students and teachers alike say that this is a great way of memorizing key words that they come across each day. For those of you who don’t know what a flash card is, it’s simply a small piece of card that you keep with you during the day and can refer to quickly and easily. So, if you keep hearing a word while you are out and about, write it on your card. Also, if there is a word or phrase you constantly forget, write on your flashcard. You can then focus your efforts on perfecting your Spanish in the key areas you need. Simple.
Try to remember, learning a foreign language can be challenging and frustrating. Progress will depend on the effort you put in and the resources you have available. But it can also be fun, rewarding and worthwhile! Our students and teachers share a common thought – if you really want to learn Spanish, and we mean really want to learn, then you have to put your heart and soul into it. One hour here and there never really works. Watching the odd Spanish film will not do. You need to set out a plan and stick to it. Learning in our language schools throughout Latin America will give you the best chance of success. Using the various online tools will resources will also help – the more exposure you get, the better chance you have of learning. Buena suerte!
Other Useful Resources
Watch spanish television, listen to spanish radio, speak it to yourself in front of a mirror (looks stupid but is extremely effective), find a friend from the class to practise with once a week on a day other than the day you have class. Just practise a lot, if you have a book you’re learning from, try going over the sections you covered and then trying to do the next section on your own.
References :
Learning Spanish ey? sounds pretty cool
1. Be Patient
Nearly all our Spanish teachers advised us that students expect to learn Spanish too quickly and subsequently get disillusioned when it doesn’t happen. Take your time and don’t expect to be perfect straight away. Learning a new language should be attempted in small, manageable steps. Congratulate yourself on progress made and try to steer clear of making unrealistic targets.
2. Learn Spanish Abroad
It’s common knowledge that students learn quicker when they are exposed to the language on a regular basis. Our students have told us that their Spanish improved significantly quicker because of lessons combined with using what they learnt in the classroom in practical situations. It’s also very rewarding seeing your hard work paying off!
3. Actively Involve Yourself With Spanish Literature
We’re not saying you should attempt to read an entire newspaper every day. However, by attempting a couple of small articles regularly you can pick up common words and phrases that you will need to get to grips with quickly. Our Spanish teachers say that newspapers and magazines can help students pick up key phrases and gain more confidence in their writing and reading ability. Reading a foreign newspaper will also make you look intelligent!
4. Organise Your Work And Yourself
We have all heard this before but it’s probably the most important aspect of learning a language. There are almost too many useful resources out there and there is a real danger you get overloaded with paper, notes, books and go round in circles. After every lesson make sure you review everything you learn and understand it. Then do it again. Afterwards, organize everything in a way that you understand. There is nothing more frustrating than consistently searching for the vital piece of information in amongst hundreds of sheets of paper. Trust us, we know!
5. Use Flashcards
Students and teachers alike say that this is a great way of memorizing key words that they come across each day. For those of you who don’t know what a flash card is, it’s simply a small piece of card that you keep with you during the day and can refer to quickly and easily. So, if you keep hearing a word while you are out and about, write it on your card. Also, if there is a word or phrase you constantly forget, write on your flashcard. You can then focus your efforts on perfecting your Spanish in the key areas you need. Simple.
Try to remember, learning a foreign language can be challenging and frustrating. Progress will depend on the effort you put in and the resources you have available. But it can also be fun, rewarding and worthwhile! Our students and teachers share a common thought – if you really want to learn Spanish, and we mean really want to learn, then you have to put your heart and soul into it. One hour here and there never really works. Watching the odd Spanish film will not do. You need to set out a plan and stick to it. Learning in our language schools throughout Latin America will give you the best chance of success. Using the various online tools will resources will also help – the more exposure you get, the better chance you have of learning. Buena suerte!
Other Useful Resources
References :
Try to go out there for a weekend or a week, it makes a lot of difference. Whilst out there, practice as much as you can, read signs, listen to other people…failing that, try spanish tv and radio, or find a spanish speaker to practice with.
References :
Try this link
http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10051_133412_100_500020__category_
I couldn’t continue with the Italian class I was doing and got this course instead (but the Italian one). It’s really good.
References :
learn nouns first then what goes firts the ABC
References :
Basically, none of all languages is easy or difficult, the best or the worst. Most importantly, there is no difference between what is useful and what is not, no duration limit in how long it takes to be fully proficient, and no age limit in when a person can learn a foreign language. The most important thing you need to remember while learning any foreign language is you learn and apply with confidence (maintain your morale), determination (keep up with your good fight against all odds), and patience (control yourself even during a difficult time). Learn to make mistakes; you can’t improve yourself without making mistakes first. Practice frequently with full consistency and you will overcome any obstacles, large or small, in life. Don’t worry if you are a slow learner; everyone learns in different speed and style and learning a new language takes time. So know yourself first in how you learn and how you can utilize your skills to maximize your learning potential. Remember to maintain your interest in the language you are learning. Also, always manage to use your native language and second language(s) equally in respect to your schedule so you will retain you native language and second language(s) easily.
For more information on how you can learn a new language, try the webpage Language Learning Tips from Omniglot (www.omniglot.com, an excellent informational website on languages run by Simon Ager, an Englishman with tremendous interest in foreign languages). You will like Simon Ager and his website after you read those information if you haven’t visited his website before.
Language Learning Tips from Omniglot
http://www.omniglot.com/language/index.htm
Also, if you want to know about how you learn, I recommend you to understand theory of multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner. You will be surprised by how much you haven’t known about your secret self.
Theory of multiple intelligences (from Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences
There are also plenty of websites where you can get yourself tested on your preferred learning method for free. Just use your favorite search engine and type “Theory of multiple intelligences” or “multiple intelligences” and it will do the searching quickly and easily.
Regarding how many languages one should strive to learn at one time, the answer is simple. The sky is the limit! The more languages you learn, the better you can communicate with others, particularly in international traveling and employment. (In other words, “The more, the merrier!”) If you can handle this, do it; otherwise, learn one language at a time until you are ready for the next one.
Most importantly, you must be proficient in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in each language to be considered as fluent. If you are not proficient in at least one of the four categories of a particular language, then you are not fluent in the particular language, even though you can only speak another language without flaws. Imagine you are lost and you try to find a place to stay in Russia. The address you have is in English but the street names are in Russian. It is really horrendous when you can’t read Russian, especially when you are stranded in the middle of the frigid, winter night (brrrr!). So, therefore, learn to read and write just as you learn to speak and listen, even if it is difficult.
Also, master every aspect of the language you are learning, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and expression. Get it wrong and expect something unusual to happen. Finally, keep practicing with consistency. It will make you better in using another language while practicing, whether you are at home, work, or traveling.
Some languages have phonetic alphabet that is not found in most languages, which makes most people having difficulty in mastering some of those languages without knowing the exact pronunciation first. If you have that difficulty in pronunciation, I suggest you use IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) as a guide for correct pronunciation. For those of you who don't know what is IPA, it is a set of alphabet where each letter represent only one sound for consonants and vowels and other symbols as changes in the way a consonant or a vowel is pronounced. It is traditionally used by most linguists around the world as the most standard form of phonetic alphabet and now used in many foreign language textbooks where the foreign languages do not use Latin alphabet (including Russian, Greek, Hebrew, and Japanese). If you can find it, I encourage you to buy it, or at least borrow it. Alternatively, go to Wikipedia or Omniglot (you can use any search engine to find it) and find the language you are learning; many languages now have pronunciation guide in IPA. Just look for the pronounced words closed by two square brackets like these [ ] on most webpages, including Omniglot, or two slashes like these / / on many webpages of Wikipedia but not in Omniglot.
Good luck and happy learning!
References :
(1) Omniglot, http://www.omniglot.com/index.htm
(2) How many languages do you think one should strive to learn?, Yahoo! Answers, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ag7qrbHQELNnVsHS6LhZfhzty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081013174535AAjvmY1
(3) What is the best way to learn a language?, Yahoo! Answers, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnIc85_cwyVjMV_MfFjSe9Lty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081016180410AAfZENL
(4) International Phonetic Alphabet, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA
(5) Some advise please, from someone who learns languages. Do you think this is possible?, Yahoo! Answers, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiOvDGORoz9e0w.G9DOMJ6ojzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20081020105352AAcKTEB
Well since you are learning Spanish, I recommend you to watch some Spanish speaking shows.
And overall, just be patient, go over what you learned in class, and read some spanish literature to improve the language.
If you have any questions, or some help you can email me.
-Dan C.
References :
Native Spanish Speaker