- one thing that honestly helps so much is memorising simple verbs and using it in phrases in your head. so for example if i’m in the park i’d say “ég er aðg anga to the swing set” in my head or point out words like tree and repeat the word but in the language you’re learning. the more you use simple words that are used commonly- your brain will automatically start thinking that they’re useful and memorize them better
- conversATION is so important- but if you’re learning a language that is not commonly spoken like a nordic language or javanese then write stories with dialogue in the language. you can mix it with your native language as well- kinda like spanglish. at first you’ll feel like a kg student but it’ll eventually get much better and you’ll see the difference
These are some of the ways you can study a language that come to my mind. Some will work better than others for you, and you should try them all to find which ones fit you best.
“Good old” group classes/courses.
A private tutor.
Language books divided in CEFR levels, or beginner, intermediate, etc.
Grammar books.
Vocabulary books.
Having a language learning notebook.
Using flashcards for vocab or grammar rules.
Interactive courses like Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, etc.
Free online courses, this can be something you download or websites, for example.
MOOCs (massive open online courses), they are online courses, yes, but I consider them as another category.
Paid online courses.
Bilingual books.
Listening to the radio.
Watching TV.
Watching movies and series with or without subtitles in your target language.
YouTube videos, gold.
Podcasts, about learning that language or in that language about any topic.
Websites like italki.
Chatting with native speakers you met on the internet.
Writing in a diary or journal in your target language.
Reading newspapers, online or printed.
Re-reading your favourite books.
Reading children’s books if you’re a beginner, or for fun.
Reading manga or comics.
Reading novels from native authors.
Reading books about a topic that interests you in your target language instead of your native language.
Reading magazines, specially if you live in the country.
Buying cookbooks in your target language.
Searching for recipes in your target language.
Writing the name of things in your target language on post-its and laying them around the house.
Change the language in your phone, PC, tablet, Facebook, etc. to your target language.
Using Tumblr and following the #langblr community (lol).
(I decided to post this outside my reblog from @language-princess to keep better track of it)
First, you need to be reading something you can follow without looking up words. Meaning, if I want to read a book, I need to be able to read the whole thing understanding what’s going on, even if some verbs, adjectives or whatever are missing. That makes it 10000 times more enjoyable and you are more likely to continue doing it. And hell, it will just be more engaging haha.
Following up on that, if you can’t seem to find a book that you can read and reasonably understand, maybe because you are in a A2-B1 sort of level, you could benefit from reading books that:
- You have already read in your native language, so you know the story and what is going on. Almost all of us have read books like Harry Potter, for example.
- Also, short books, in pocket size, are great motivators since you finish them faster and that will feel like a huge accomplishment, finishing a whole book. A good example is L’homme qui voulait être hereux, by Laurent Gounelle. Engaging story (for me anyway), not overly complicated at all, and short. So short you could read it in an afternoon if you wanted.
- Books for teenagers or young people, could be more simple, and have less complicated vocab. Le Petit Prince (for French) is kind of for children, but not really, I would put it more in this category. Plus it’s super beautiful even for an adult.
- Manga, if you like it, has shorter texts, but isn’t overly easy or anything (some can be rather complicated). For an example of an easier type, I recommend Chi’s Sweet Home, available in multiple languages and extremely cute and beautiful.
- Books for children, if you really aren’t in that stage yet, and need something really simple. This are books that have maybe a sentence or two in each page, with drawing to help understand; they are made to help children when learning to read.
Then, if you really want to learn vocabulary (just reading the book is already REALLY great), I’d do as others have said, and as I think is the less distracting way. You read, and underline with pencil (or whatever you prefer) all the words you don’t know. And maybe after a chapter, or two, or really whenever you want (but if the book is long, after a chapter is safer haha) you look them up, and you write down their definition IN YOUR TARGET LANGUAGE.
And if, and only if, you think it’s really valuable and will help you, to have the equivalent/translation in your native language, you write that down too. I’m doing this for the words I encounter in my B2 book and honestly, it helps you learn to understand the word, instead of memorizing the translation.
You then just mostly read the definition, imagine in your head what it is, wheter it’s an object or a context, and if it’s something like a connector (for example puisque), try putting it in a sentence. Honestly, do that with any type of word, it’s always really useful.
You can use different colors for the word, the definition and the translation.
I’d use a language notebook to do this, with all your other stuff for that language. You can create an entry with the name of the book, and the chapter, in the index.
If you are a beginner and want to start familiarising yourself with the language.
To learn basic phrases to start speaking.
To obviously travel to a country that speaks a language you don’t know.
If you live in that country, to go out and about and be able to communicate with people while you are still learning the language.
To be able to chat with people on the internet and ask them questions, or talk about what you like, your life, etc.
To start learning the structure and grammar of the language. Most books even come with a grammar introduction.
It’s a really cheap way to get materials to study.
You can turn it into flashcards for vocab, and you’ll be learning important stuff.
To know how they say things.
To have in your pocket/bag at all times, and open when you are in the bus, or waiting somewhere without nothing else to do. They are small so they are easy to carry around, and you can get some practice like that.
To reference when you are not sure how to formulate a common question, all the basic (and not that basic) stuff will be there. Everything you need in your daily ife pretty much.
And last but not least, everybody knows that these tiny phrasebooks are made to buy them all and collect them “just in case”!
Unlocking Language Mastery: Unique Hacks to Skyrocket Your Learning
Embarking on the journey of learning a new language is an adventure filled with discovery, challenges, and triumphs. While traditional study methods form the backbone of language learning, integrating some unconventional hacks can significantly enhance your progress and make the process more enjoyable. From transforming your living space into a linguistic lab to spicing up your cooking skills…
