Useful tips you need to know when learning a language
It does not matter if you are learning German, French or Japanese, learning a language is everything but easy, however, don’t let yourself get down, nothing is impossible. We gathered some tips that will help you in your language learning process!
1. Set goals
Setting goals is the first step, it will help you stay motivated and organized. It is very important to set realistic goals, by doing so, you will increase your chances of success. Getting overwhelmed could potentially make you feel like you are not good enough and you will stop learning. For this reason it is better to proceed step by step.
2. Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone
Learning a new language will make you feel scared, you might feel like everything you do is not enough, and the idea of what others might think of you could stop you from improving your skills. Start gradually by dealing with small problems, and learning new vocabulary every day. For example, you can start talking to yourself or start to think in the language you are learning. When you get the chance to practice what you have learned, don’t let it get away and take advantage of it. It does not matter what others think. You are acquiring new skills and bettering yourself, it’s a journey about you, not others.
3. Start speaking the language from the start
If you don’t start speaking the language immediately from day one it will be harder and harder to find the courage to do it. Don’t wait to be fluent enough to start speaking, because by doing so you’ll always feel like you are not ready yet. Mistakes are what help you learn, and making them will make you realize what you need to improve.
4. Find out what works for you
Everybody likes to learn differently, by seeing, reading, hearing, talking, and more. Try to learn more about yourself and what works best for you. A useful piece of advice is finding somebody you can practice with. It needs to be someone that won’t judge you when you make mistakes, but that will help and correct you.
5. Try to surround yourself with the language
Music, movies and tv shows, books, news, your phone’s settings. Try to surround yourself with the language, so you can get your ears tuned. It will start to feel more and more normal, and after a while, you’ll realize how many words and expressions you learned just by having fun. When I started to get more serious about learning German, I decided to start listening to German music, and after a while, I noticed I would make connections between the lyrics of the songs and the words I needed in certain situations. That is an example of how I learned German vocabulary just by doing something I enjoy, listening to music.
6. Go where the language is spoken
This last tip is what I find most useful, go where they speak the language. It will be impossible not to hear the language, and you will have to use it to communicate with others. Another advantage is that you’ll learn useful vocabulary and expressions that natives use. And most importantly, you’ll not only learn a language but also discover a new culture and become a better version of yourself. It will transform you into somebody who can easily adapt to new situations and is independent.
During the process of language learning, you will meet a lot of new people, that could become your friends for life.
Learning German at BWS Germanlingua was a game-changer for me. I improved a lot and found people that shared living in a foreign country with me, but it wasn’t just the students, the teachers and staff were always ready to support me and help me during my time in Germany.
In conclusion learning a language is not an easy job, there will be a lot of obstacles, but in the end, it’ll be all worth it.
