Have you always wanted to learn a new language? Maybe it’s your dream to travel to a foreign country or maybe you are just fascinated by a certain language. No matter the reason, learning a new language is always a good idea. Studying new languages means you are opening yourself up to meeting new people, understanding a different culture and seeing the world in a new way.
But, let’s face it. It is not easy to learn a new language. It takes practice, enthusiasm and persistence. If you have been struggling a bit grasping a new language, here are some study tips to help you learn a language faster and more efficiently.
- Find Your Why
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First things first, you cannot successfully learn a new language without real motivation. Have you ever found yourself excited to try something new and then two weeks later, forget all about it? If yes, then you are just like the rest of us. That is why it’s so important to have concrete reasons why you want to study this particular language so that whenever you see yourself losing that initial burst of motivation, you can remind yourself of why you started to begin with. Write it down and make sure it’s a good reason.
- Create a Study Schedule That Works for You
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Just like anything else in life, you need to make time for the things that are important to you. Whether you use Google Calendar or a planner, schedule your study time throughout your week. We recommend you study at least a little bit every other day at the same time. When you make it a part of your weekly routine, then it can become a habit.
- Review, Review, Review
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Yes, it is more exciting to learn new vocabulary and grammar than reviewing old concepts, but it is actually the reviewing that is more important. Learning new vocabulary and grammar doesn’t matter if you just forget it a week later. As you study, make sure to balance learning new concepts and reviewing old ones. Tell yourself that you’d rather review something now than have to completely reteach yourself a concept in the future. An easy way to weave reviewing into your study routine is to simply read through and highlight your old notes after finishing a new lesson.
- Listen to Music in That Language
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Everyone knows that the easiest way to learn a language is to simply be in a place that only communicates in that language. This is because you are constantly exposed to the language in many forms. However, not all of us can take a study abroad to be immersed in a new language, so we must find other ways to do so. Listening to the music not only helps you with pronunciation but also subconsciously familiarizes your brain with certain common words and phrases. And who knows, you may discover your next favorite artist by doing this.
- Consume Lots of Media Spoken in That Language
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TV shows, movies and YouTube videos are all great ways to further immerse yourself in a new language. These especially help you understand how people would naturally converse in that language. This is also a great way for your mind to make connections that will help you remember new concepts. For instance, when you learn a new word or grammar concept that you might have heard before, you will be more likely to remember it in the future. Watching videos in your target language is also just a great way to passively study if you don’t feel like sitting at a desk and taking notes one day.
- Follow Social Media Accounts in That Language
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This is the perfect way to weave in language-learning in your daily life. The accounts don’t have to specifically be language learning accounts; they can be fashion bloggers or celebrities. As long as the account posts in that language, they can be a daily way to check your understanding by just reading their captions or tweets.
- Speak Out Loud
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Especially if you are learning a language by yourself, you need to speak out loud. This means reading example sentencing out loud and having conversations with yourself. I know it may seem weird to talk to yourself at first, but it is the best way to build your confidence in speaking the language which is ultimately the end goal. It does not matter how much vocabulary you know if you do not have the confidence to actually speak out loud. It is all about practice.
Remember that learning a new language is a process and it takes time. Anyone has the capability to learn a new language as long as they are motivated to do so. So just get started and find new ways to just make language-learning a part of your daily life.
할 수 있어! (hal-su-isseo) which means “You can do it!” in Korean.