How to learn a new language easily

Around 6,500 languages exist in this world, and learning a new one gives us plenty of opportunities, though it is not an easy task. Here are a few tips that will help your learning process.

Practice, practice and practice!

Sriram Vadlamani, a student of EPITA, France says “You should focus on the grammar only 30 per cent of the time. The other 70 per cent you should actually practice what you learn and also try catching up on filler words.”

Read

German language trainer Sohini G believes that “language learning is like a ‘brain gym’. It keeps our brain active. We should read a lot and analyse each word to understand the concepts better and apply them to make our own sentences.”

Speak the language

A tour of or stay in the country where the language is spoken is helpful since practical interaction and communication helps you learn the language faster. “If you can’t afford to go to the country or find anyone to speak to, combine your interests with the language,” says Joshua Yeon, a Korean studying English in Christ Deemed to be University.

Develop an interest in learning the language

“You should have an interest in the culture, lifestyle and the history of the people who speak that language,” says L Ashok, French faculty, Culinary Academy of India. He advises students to revise all their lessons by evening every day.

Try to think in the language you are learning

Try translating your thoughts into the language you are learning. Try translating simple things like your daily schedule, describing the weather or items on your grocery list for starters.

Watch movies

“This is a technique I recommend to a lot of my students — select a simple movie or documentary with subtitles, watch it over and over again and get used to the way the language sounds,” suggests Tejo Turner, a language expert. Songs are another way to do this.

Purchase a good dictionary

Once you are serious about learning a language, invest a dictionary with at least 40,000 entries.

Use mobile apps to practice daily

Applications like DuoLingo, Babbel and Memrise provide fun and engaging activities that help in learning a new language. These tasks require 5-10 minutes every day and can be done anywhere.

Consistency and commitment

Language requires repetition, reference, consistency, commitment and investment. The reason why people don’t remember languages learnt in school is that they spend only 3-4 hours in a week practising it; one needs to spend at least four hours per day for two weeks.

Trust the process and have fun

Learning a language doesn’t happen overnight, it requires time and patience. Don’t force yourself to remember things or spend all your time running through pages of notes and flashcards. If you speak and practice the language regularly, you will definitely become proficient in it.