Briton Matthew Goldens fluent in nine languages and understand a dozen more. 10 tips for learning a foreign language – just what you need to anyone who believes that will never be able to learn a new language. Writes about this site blog.rabota.ua.
1. Decide why you are doing it.
This may seem obvious, but if you are not aware of the reason you started learning a language is a very little chance that you will succeed in the long term.
The desire to impress your friends with your knowledge of French is a bad reason. The desire to know a person using his native language – that’s great motivation. It is important to say to yourself: “I want to learn this language and for this I am ready to do everything in my power.”
2. Immerse yourself in the language.
So, what to do after you have decided with his “oath”? Matthew Goldens advises to use 100% of the maximalist approach. No matter how tool for the study of language you use, the main thing – to fill in her days with the new language.
“I try to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the beginning. Trying to use what learned during the day. Try to think in that language, writing, talking to yourself. The main for me is to use the language in practice. Write e-mail, talk with them, listen to the music or radio. It is extremely important to surround yourself with and immerse yourself in a new language culture,” he says.
3. Find a partner.
Several languages Matthew learned together with his brother Michael. The first language they learned at 9 years old. It was a Greek.
According to Matthew, the motivation they drew in a healthy rivalry: “We were and are very motivated. We pushed each other to learn more. if my brother sees that my progress is better, he feels a healthy jealousy and tries to surpass me.” Even if you can’t find a permanent partner to learn the language, find any interlocutor with whom you will be able sometimes to practice their skills.
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4. Think about the context.
Focus on what the main point of your study is to use the language in practice. Seeing education through the prism, you will be much easier to “Wade” through book knowledge.
“You learn English to be ready to use it and not just know it. You should try to introduce the language in daily context,” says Matthew. Try to write a letter to somebody or a song. You can use any method of communication with the outside world.
5. Have fun.
The use of a new language is always a creative act. Matthew’s brother studied Greek, coming up with and writing songs.
Think of some fun and unusual way to use language. For example, write with friends, the radio piece, the story line or verse. if you are not able to come up with some fun way to perform step 4, you are unlikely to succeed.
6. Act like a child.
Children are the fastest ways to learn a new language. However, researchers still do not identify whether there is a clear and compelling relationship between age and learning ability. To grasp the language as fast as a child does, is to adopt some principles that are intuitively used by children in learning the language.
First – disable strict self-control.
The second, use language as a game.
And third – most importantly – do not be afraid of mistakes. The children make mistakes, but for adults it becomes a kind of taboo. In the process of language learning is the recognition that you don’t know everything, is the key to freedom and development.
7. Leave your comfort zone.
The willingness to make mistakes means that you will get into a potentially uncomfortable situation. This can be frustrating, but without this in any way. No matter how long you learn English in theory, you never speak it, if not I’ll try to do in an uncomfortable situation for you: talk to a stranger, ask direction, order food or try to make a joke. The more often you do it, the wider will be your comfort zone:
“First, you certainly will face difficulties: pronunciation, grammar, syntax. However, it is very important to develop a sense of language is the same as that of its host”.
8. Listen to the language.
The artists say that you need to learn to see before you paint. Similarly, in language, must first learn to hear. Any language at first seems strange to the ear, but the more you listen, the more familiar it will become and the easier it will be to pronounce new words.
“We are unable to pronounce any sound, but just not used to it. For me, the best way is to listen to and visualize how a particular sound is pronounced. For every sound corresponds to an area of the tongue or throat and to reproduce it, we need to understand,” says Matthew.
9. Look, as others have said.
In every language, tongue, lips and throat are used in different ways. “Strange as it may sound, but in order to pronounce words correctly, you need to look carefully, as do the media and then try to simulate the same sound,” advises Matthew.
If you are not able to see how do the media live, movies or programs on TV will be your helpers.
10. Talk to yourself in a new language.
At first glance, this strange way of learning a language. But it is extremely efficient: talking with ourselves, it is possible to practice pronunciation, to support vocabulary and to develop confidence in their knowledge:
“This may sound weird but talk to yourself in a new language is a great way to exercise, if it is not possible to use the language all the time.” And the last tip – relax. No one will laugh at you or get annoyed from incorrect pronunciation or incorrect word. Almost always people will show patience and willingness to help.
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