People face a necessity to know several languages in the age of globalization. You can get promoted or find a better job, travel with comfort, study in the country of your dream. So, if you are on a mission to learn a foreign language, do not neglect our lifehacks.
Determine Why You Learn a New Language
Mastering a foreign language is not a minute task. If you burn with an idea to sprechen, parler or hablar in the beginning, your motivation should be strong enough to lead you through this whole time-consuming process. Are your reasons for learning serious or do you just want to get acquainted with the different culture? List the benefits you will get when speak the foreign language fluently and put it where you can see it regularly. A humans memory is not the most reliable thing, you know. Refresh it from time to time.
Start with the Main Words
Ailurophile (a cat lover) or brood (to think alone) is hardly used by a native English speaker, not to mention an ESL student. So why should you remember such words? Pay maximum attention to the most used words instead. Further, your confidence in simple conversations will inspire you to study more and learn the language deeper.
Be Persistent
There is a simple example why you need to practice on the regular basis. If you want to keep your body slim and beautiful, you attend a gym two or three days a week. If you make a break, you have to go back to the start because the shape is lost. The situation with a language is the same. If you do not repeat the words and grammar constructions you forget them, and you have to start over and over again. Turn your classes into a daily routine in order to prevent the failure.
Go out beyond a Textbook
If you want to sound natural, broaden your learning tools. Watch series, listen to music, read blogs in the language you learn. Do not try to understand everything from A to Z. Your main task is to pick up the pitch and tone of a natives speech. It will be great if you catch a few interesting words or phrases.
Remember, Making Mistakes is Natural
The fear of saying something wrong slows down the learning progress according to the Second Language Research journal. For example, children are not afraid to make mistakes, so they learn new languages faster. But an adult will rather give up studies than get embarrassed because of making grammar or pronunciation errors. Remember that everybody makes mistakes, it is an unavoidable part of getting new skills. Do not be shy!
Talk to a Native Speaker
People do not ask Can you write in English?, they ask Do you speak English?. It means that the sooner you start talking in a foreign language, the sooner you manage it. You may not have a friend who knows your second language as his native. But you can make friends with people who learn yours and can teach you their mother tongue. Italki and Busuu are both good places to find such a companion.
Our last advice is most important - keep calm and carry on learning. Do not give up even if you do not see the progress immediately. Everyone has his own speed of studying. But your final goal is worth the long hours spent on learning.