How to learn a new language effectively? While many methods promise to speak fluently in just a few weeks, it usually takes more time to properly master a language. To do this, you need to arm yourself with patience, find a good source of motivation, and immerse yourself in the language. It is essential to work regularly, with different media, and to take your time. Remember to take notes and, above all, don’t be afraid of making mistakes!
5 pillars for learning a foreign language:
- Find your motivation and maintain it throughout the learning process
- Dive into the language, whether in the countryside or by speaking with locals
- Work regularly, with good resources
- Take your time, starting with the most useful
- Take notes
Find your motivation, and keep it!
You want to learn a language, that’s great! But why? Knowing where the desire to learn comes from, whether for travel or any other reason, contributes to better learning and especially to staying motivated throughout the learning process. Are you going to Scotland for 3 months and want to speak properly before you leave? Do you want to watch your favorite movies and series in their original version without having to read subtitles? Awesome! Keep that motivation in mind; it will help you maintain consistency in your work.
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Another essential point is to have fun while learning. You’ll see, you’ll remember better if you enjoy what you’re doing. Sometimes, learning a lot can stimulate you and make you want to push yourself further. Find someone who would like to learn the same language as you and work together.
Warning: sometimes, you may start several new languages at once. Focus on one at a time to avoid confusion and stay effective.
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Dive into (almost) total immersion
The ideal is, of course, to be able to go to a country where the main language is the one you want to learn. Business, Sports Management, Tourism… Study abroad!
To go further: Discover the advantages of exchanges with English-speaking universities
What could be better than being in Russia to learn Russian? In Japan for Japanese or in Italy for Italian? But this option is sometimes difficult to achieve. In that case, nothing stops you from immersing yourself as much as possible from home.
Don’t forget to surround yourself: many apps and associations offer language exchanges near you, or even online. You will teach French to a non-French speaker who will teach you their native language in return while giving you tips to improve your pronunciation. A win-win system!
As soon as your level allows it, try to think in the language. Speak in English or Spanish; it allows you to practice formulating sentences and working on your accent without constraints.
Good to know: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Start speaking; it’s better to express yourself with a few small grammar or vocabulary errors than to wait around to speak fluently before trying. Mistakes are part of the learning process.
Work regularly
Regularity is particularly important in learning foreign languages. It is better to approach it for 15-20 minutes each day than for half a day each week.
Everyone needs to find the routine that suits them. A podcast for breakfast? A book on public transport? An app lesson during lunch break? A show in the evening before bed? Feel free to vary your resources and plan a work rhythm. As with anything, once it becomes a habit, you will do it without thinking and you will see your progress quickly.
Our advice: set the language of your phone and electronic devices to the language you are learning.
Take your time. Don’t fall into the trap of accelerated learning. Learning Dutch in 3 weeks, easily, rather than having to work a little every day, sounds tempting! But for it to be effective and especially to avoid forgetting everything after a few weeks, it’s better to take your time.
Before diving in headfirst, ask yourself what topics you want to focus on. If you are learning English for work, there’s no need to immediately learn colors or names of farm animals. For travel, focus on everyday vocabulary, recurring sentence structures to find your way and chat with locals. Go step by step, completing it as you go.
Students, here’s what you need to know to prepare for your trip abroad
Did you know? Shadowing is gaining popularity. The principle? Listen to an audiobook while reading it. This way, the brain assimilates pronunciation with writing. Start with a book you already know to follow the plot more easily and let yourself be carried away. This technique is ideal for preparing for an expatriation or academic exchange abroad as it is a very good way to develop your listening skills as well as sentence structure.
Take notes
Use a notebook (or notes on your smartphone): jot down new words you hear that seem interesting as you go along. In the evening, take the time to look up their exact translation, in what context to use them, etc. Be careful to note them down right away because the “I’ll write it down tonight, I’ll remember” is often false; out of context, we tend to forget words we don’t know.
In the same way, note down French words that might be useful to you and that you don’t have the translation for. In a restaurant in Spain, don’t know how to ask for the bill? Use gestures to make yourself understood, write down “addition” in your notebook, and in the evening, look up “la cuenta.”
Then, try to reuse these new words as much as possible. Through repetition, you will manage to memorize them, and it allows you to regularly learn new vocabulary.
Our advice: To remember new words, try to find your own mnemonic means.
Learning a language takes time. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, you will need to arm yourself with patience to learn a new language properly. But, good news, with the right methods, it becomes easier! Motivation, immersion bubble, adapted working method, and willingness to learn regularly, little by little, without fear of making mistakes, you will succeed. So let’s step out of our comfort zone and start learning a new language!
Students, don’t miss our Special File: studying abroad, job model
Tag: software to learn a foreign language