Are you currently learning a new language? Or intending to venture into one? The following strategies will help you during the process of becoming fluent in a foreign language.
1. Understand your learning style
As with acquiring any new knowledge, the best approach when learning a new language is to tailor your learning to how you best process and retain information. For example, if you are a visual learner, use pictures to learn new vocabulary.
2. Immerse and expose yourself
Listen to music, watch films and operate your electronic devices in the language you are learning. This is especially crucial if you do not live around speakers of the language. Remember, as a child, you learned your native language simply by being in an environment where it was constantly used.
3. Read widely
Based on your level, read books and articles in the language you are learning. Children's books are a good place to start, as they have simple sentence constructions you can easily understand. Keep adjusting the volume and complexity of your reading materials as you progress in the language.
4. Practice with a native speaker
Although this is daunting because it puts you in a vulnerable position, challenge yourself to speak with native speakers. This would not only improve both your speaking and listening abilities, these conversations are also important in teaching you the non-verbal cues no text or audio would.
5. Solidify your grammar
Establish a strong foundation in the grammatical structure of the language you are studying. While it may feel more rewarding to work on learning new words, grammar would help you communicate effectively in the language. Pay equal attention to your grammar when speaking as when writing.
6. Avoid Google Translate
Google Translate takes away the ability to reason in your target language. Thinking through your sentences instead of clicking "translate" would lead to faster mastery.
7. Instead, do translation exercises
These are very useful when it comes to training your brain to process information in your target language. Go back and forth between the new language and your native one.
8. Engage with the culture
Language is the heart of every culture, therefore integrating cultural aspects to your learning would strengthen your connections to the language. Find out the dietary preferences, philosophies and codes of social conduct of the people who speak the language you are learning.
9. Be consistent
Establish a studying routine and stick to it. Nobody becomes an expert at anything overnight. In learning a language, your level of success is undoubtedly proportionate to the effort put in.
