Tips for learning a language

Immerse yourself in the language

As we all know, a great way to learn a language is to spend time in the country where that language is spoken and be fully immersed. Wherever you are, whether abroad or in your home country, try and listen to the radio, watch movies, read newspapers in the language you are trying to learn. If you can, try and converse with natives speakers. The more you can immerse yourself in the language, the quicker your progress will be.

Be patient with yourself

Learning a language can be frustrating as progress is usually slow and happens in steps. You may at times feel that you are making good progress, and at other times you may feel that you are not getting anywhere. Be patient as this is part of the process. When it gets a little too much, make sure you step back a little, review all that you have learnt and practice it before you move on.

Don't worry about making mistakes

We all make mistakes in our own language so it is normal that we may make mistakes in a foreign language. The great thing about mistakes is that we usually learn from them pretty quickly. In fact, the bigger and more embarassing our mistakes are, the quicker we learn :).

Think about how you learn best

We all have different learning styles and it is important that we are aware of our individual needs. A visual learner may benefit from reading books and newspapers in the target language, while an auditory learner may improve more by listening to tapes or radio. A kinesthetic learner, however may prefer role playing or listening to tapes while going for a walk. Think carefully about how you learn best!

A little every day

Make learning a language part of your daily routine. Listen to radio in the target language over breakfast or during the day, read it on your way to work or during your lunch break. Talk to yourself in the target language on your way home or in the bath or whenever you have a moment alone. Why not get a penpal, who you can talk to or email in the language you are learning? Write a diary, reviews of films, etc! Be creative!

Read

Reading in the target language is a very good way to increase your range of vocabulary. We recommend the Easy Readers books (or similar books) which are simplified versions of classics, detective stories or modern social drama. If you are a beginner or near beginner, start with books graded A; if you already have a good level, you may wish to try a C or D grade. The higher the grades, the more varied the vocabulary is. You can order the books on Amazon or purchase them from most bookshops.

Enjoy it!

Learning a language should be fun and exciting! Why not make a holiday of it and join other language lovers on a language course abroad.