Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You are thinking about  learning a foreign language or you’ve been dissatisfied with your previous attempts to do it

Gain: Save time, money and frustration 

Cost: Some time set aside for learning and practice on a regular basis (at least 30 minutes a day) and some money for language training ($127 if you choose the “200 words a day” program)

Nowadays for most non-English speakers, studying English as a second language is obligatory as it’s included in the school/university curriculum and it’s the single most common job requirement. After attending intensive language courses, many people are disappointed and think that they are not cut out for learning languages when the problem is in fact their motivation and the inefficient learning strategies, methods and attitude they have used.

Motivation

If the motive  for learning a language is only external (for example a job requirement), then your approach will most likely be the same as when you set a goal to lose weight quickly – to stick to a diet for some time, taxing your willpower, and leading to temporary results. If your motives are not only external but also internal (you love the way it sounds, feel attracted to the culture of its native speakers, you believe it will open new horizons for you and just like the idea of you speaking it), you will be in the right mindset to learn. For those of you who are entertaining the idea of studying a foreign language (even if you are a native English speaker and you can communicate with foreigners around the world in your mother tongue), you might be interested to learn that it’s extremely beneficial for intellectual development.

Bilingual students consistently scored higher on ACT English and mathematics components than students who did not study a foreign language in high school: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=4525#satact. According to Ellen Bialystok of York University in Toronto, bilinguals seem to maintain better cognitive function in old age. She recommends language learning in middle or old age in spite of the fact that the likelihood of becoming truly fluent in a new tongue at this age is low. The research shows that every little bit helps in preventing cognitive decline. Learning a foreign language requires the brain to form new neural connections and pathways to assimilate new information.
New sounds, new symbols and nuances of meaning are all excellent intellectual activities for the brain. Finding the right word to translate a meaning, thinking of ways to express ideas in another language boosts the overall flexibility of thought in bilingual people. Unfortunately, the “diet” approach to learning a language doesn’t work. Instead, think of it as a long-term relationship involving some work on a regular basis which also has to be fulfilling and fun. If you turn it into a routine/duty devoid of any variety, you’ll get bored and probably “cheat” on it with other more interesting activities until you completely give it up. The main thing missing in most language courses is emotion, a funny element and the personal interest of  learners in
textbook topics. No one wants to add another exhausting and tedious duty to the already existing ones. The question is how to make the learning process more emotionally involving and therefore easier and faster?

Strategies to learn a language faster and easier

Customize the language training as much as possible. Find a school or a teacher that offers a flexible and individual approach to learners (beware that many claim they offer it but actually they don’t). This means that the language training should be focused on your needs and interests rather than covering a predetermined syllabus. The topics have to be closely related to situations in your life at work and in your spare time. This is possible in individual training or in groups of no more than 3-4 people. The larger the group, the less time you will have to speak and get attention from the teacher.

Ask the teacher to include as many role plays as possible in the lessons as they are fun and emulate a real-life situation where you have to achieve a certain goal using the vocabulary and grammar you’ve learnt (book tickets, order a meal, request information, make a complaint, solve a problem at work, ask someone out, etc).

Designate some time on a regular basis for learning and practicing the language. It’s not necessary to spend a whole hour or two daily at once. You can take several “sips” of the foreign language lasting 10-20 minutes whenever possible during the day. The most important thing is to be really concentrated while learning. Standing in front of a dictionary for an hour while your thoughts are constantly slipping away to other things is pointless and a waste of time.

Revising periodically is essential for maintaining the knowledge you’ve accumulated as well as using the language both passively (listening, reading) and even more importantly – productively ( speaking, writing).

When learning the new words,  imagine pictures or situations with them. For example, if you are learning the word “tall” in any language, imagine someone you know who is very tall, or a giraffe, the Eiffel Tower or whatever that comes to your mind as an association with the word “tall”. While visualizing, say the word several times. Make a sentence with the word, for example: “Peter is tall.” Write down the sentence in a notebook. You can also combine several words in a story. The funnier the story, the better as we tend to remember funny things easier.

Make a picture dictionary. Don’t deprecate it as being childish. Most of the methods that help children learn new words in their mother tongue are the same things which will help you absorb new vocabulary and grammar faster. You’ve noticed how parents point to pictures of things in order for the child to remember them. Draw upon these techniques. The easiest way to do it is search for images of the word in Google. Again, the funnier image you choose, the better. You can stick them in a notebook, save them in a file on your desktop or put them on a notice-board if you have one and swap them periodically.

Try to memorize whole chunks of language like collocations as this will speed up the learning process and enhance your ability to express ideas in the foreign language.

Record words, phrases and whole sentences on your mobile phone and listen to them as often as you can – while traveling or drinking coffee. The previous two techniques engage the visual memory while this one engages the auditory memory. Most people have a preference for one the three main learning styles – visual, auditory and kinesthetic so find out what your inclination is and focus on it but use the other styles as well since combining them is the most effective way of learning.

Listen to music which helps you concentrate. The Bulgarian Superlearning guru Dr Georgi Lozanov discovered that when a person enters a relaxed state of mind, they are most likely to memorize well what they are studying. It is believed that alpha brainwave entrainment music is the most conducive to concentration as well as Baroque classical concerts. However, do not force yourself to listen to them if you dislike them. Opt for music that makes you relaxed. Personally, I prefer chillout music like Buddha bar and Cafe del Mar. As a student,  I knew a person who studied while listening to heavy metal with his headphones on and he said this helped him concentrate better.

Write stories in a notebook. It’s very important to produce texts. Don’t get away from it even if you consider yourself a “technical” type of person.You can start with texts as simple as that to describe what you’ve had for breakfast and gradually you can start retelling a movie you’ve liked, a favorite book, an event you’ve been to, etc. Writing down things which provoke some feelings in you will help you activate words you’ve learnt before and remember new words. You’ll be surprised (talking from my personal experience) how easily they come to your mind when you are emotionally involved in the story you are writing and you are not distracted by someone’s verbal or body language reactions which usually happens when having a dialogue.

Watch movies without subtitles and video with native speakers talking about things which interest you. You can find them in youtube or a similar website in the corresponding language.

Read general interest articles in websites like this one. Such websites provide you with the opportunity to absorb vocabulary from a wide variety of spheres.

Communicate with native speakers face-to-face ( if you have the opportunity) or through a social network media. This will skyrocket your motivation to continue learning the language. The feeling when you’ve bridged the communication gap between you and a foreigner is exhilarating. Check for cultural events organized by the foreign embassy in your country. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. They seem charming and funny to native speakers. Foreigners are usually flattered that you are making attempts to speak their language. Plus, learning from mistakes made in real conversations gives long-lasting results.

Consider learning a new language with a learning program that incorporates the different learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) and facilitates the learning process with the mentioned techniques. A similar option is the “200 words a day” British program on CDs designed for English native speakers who want to learn Spanish, French, Italian, German or Welsh. It’s really an innovative system of methods for learning a language whose aim is to avoid boredom in learners and help them combine fun with language training. One of the main advantages is that they use funny cartoons and animations which speed up the learning process and the vocabulary and grammar you absorb go into your long-term memory. The authors have found creative ways to teach tricky grammar items like the gender of nouns by coloring the male in blue and the female in red as well as recording the male gender words with a male voice and the female – with a woman’s voice.

A user of the “200 words a day”shares: My wife, two children and myself have truly found it a great help, and it has worked for us much more so than the many other products we have tried. Most enjoyable were the cartoon system and word associations. Everything was quite clear, unlike several other products we had tried, but had failed for us.   Paul Arshad, Lourquen, France. (recently moved with his family to France…) Find out more here:http://www.200words-a-day.com/main-page.html.

If you like this program but for the language you’ve chosen there isn’t a similar program yet, don’t worry. Apply the techniques mentioned above and you will see results. They may require a little more time than the ready-made cartoons in the “200 words a day”program and yet, they are much more effective and time-saving than traditional learning methods. I wish you a successful and enjoyable language learning journey!!!

Further reading:

Choosing a University Subject

The Optimal Time to Become a Parent

Hair Removal 4 or Less Times a Year. It Really Works

Basic Skills not Taught at School

Life is a Constant Negotiation – Do it Successfully