As I am preparing myself for an internship where I will be utilizing my Spanish, I thought it would be a good idea to write about how I got to this point. In this article, I will write about my experience with learning a foreign language (Spanish) and tips on how to improve your foreign language skills.
1. Take classes
We can start with an easy one. Take some classes, ask questions, and participate. Don't be afraid to try in the class. You're there to learn another language. It obviously won't come naturally to you. After taking classes, learning the vocabulary, and the basic grammar you should be able to learn the language on your own. I recommend you take as many classes as you can to become fluent but you will need more practice outside of class.
2. Take notes
This tip isn't really a part of the class taking tip as seen above. This has to do with your own studying outside of class. There isn't a lot of words you use in your daily life that you would use in the classroom. So take some notes of words you find. Practice saying them, listen to them, and make sure you remember what they mean. The most frustrating thing while learning a foreign language is relearning words. Try to learn words that you would use or recall a conversation you had earlier and write down key words. This will help you immerse yourself in the language and make the language seem less foreign.
3. Think in the foreign language
Have a conversation with yourself in your mind and translate the words into the foreign language. If you cannot remember what the word is or don't know, look it up. Remember the words, use them, and talk about different topics to your "audience". Thinking in your foreign language will help you use it, remember words, and make it more natural to use and you'll have fewer mistakes.
4. Watch TV shows/movies
Watching a TV show or movie in your foreign language is one of the most exciting and frustrating experiences. You feel upset that you don't understand every word. They talk too fast. It doesn't seem like you can learn it, right? Well I can tell you that it gets easier with practice but you have to remember the words and get used to the rhythm of which they speak. Everyone talks too fast but you have to listen more to understand. You should also never use English subtitles. You speak English. You need to learn your foreign language. At first, use subtitles in the foreign language so you can learn the words and understand their speech patterns. It will get easier over time where you will be able to watch a film without subtitles but you will get there eventually.
As my parting thought, learning a foreign language is fun but it is not easy. If your friend speaks the language, practice with them. Immerse yourself in any way your can. Use these tips and see where you go.
