How to Learn a New Foreign Language
Learning a new language and want to know how best to tackle it? No problem: just follow the guidelines in this article to get going! There are a number of things to consider when learning a new language.
1. Establish the purpose
Why are you learning this particular foreign language and not another one? Are you absolutely sure that you are willing to invest the energy, the money and, most importantly, the time it takes to learn a new language? If not, take some time to think things through. It is easier to change track in the beginning.
2. Be structured
You don't have to enroll in a language course to learn a new language (even though it might help), but it is important that you study in a structured and organized way. Always stick to the time you have set aside for studying. Don't put it off! Even if you only study for an hour a day, you can learn the basics of a language within a few weeks. The more time you invest, the more you'll learn.
3. Don't forget about pronunciation
You can't claim to have mastered a language until you speak it in a way native speakers can understand. Spend some extra time learning how to pronounce all the letters, and check that your pronunciation is actually correct. Remember to put this extra energy into pronunciation at the beginning of your journey. Once you've grasped how letters and words are pronounced, it is fairly easy to work out how a new, similarly structured word should be pronounced.
4. Grammar is key
There are different theories on how best to learn a language, but they all involve, in one way or another, acquiring the internal logic of that language, otherwise known as its grammar. Studying directly and exclusively from a grammar book may not be the best way to get results. Instead, make sure you have a solid textbook plus a grammar book that you use as a reference rather than as your main material.
5. Compile word lists
Whenever you learn a new word, add it to your word list. The longer you study the language, the longer that list should become. Review the list every now and then to make sure you still remember the old words.
6. Track your progress
How can you know if you're improving if you aren't tracking your progress? Define explicit goals: when do you want to be able to communicate in the language, how many words do you want to have learned by the end of the year, and so forth. The beauty of goals is that they give you a frame of reference, so you can see where you're doing fine and where you need to improve. Our guide to goal setting can help.
7. Immerse yourself in the language
Don't limit yourself to textbooks. Immerse yourself in the world of the language. If you truly want to learn it, you need to talk, walk and breathe that language!