Discover the Way That Suits You to Learn Languages
Author: Ithar Jamal
Language enthusiasts can master the basic sentences they will need one month before traveling to a country, and language experts affirm that we can learn basic communication skills in weeks and master the basics of a foreign language in several months; reaching fluency in the language takes longer, of course. According to the “Mango Languages” website, defining the purpose of learning the language is pivotal in determining the learning style and setting the right plan.
Here is a set of the most prominent strategies through which you can learn a language according to your goal.
Important Strategies
It all depends on your learning style. Visual learners, for example, tend to acquire knowledge through visual aids such as flashcards and videos, whereas auditory learners make progress through listening and speaking with native speakers.
Moreover, the goal of mastering the language determines the strategy you can rely on. If the goal is to prepare for travel, you should focus on conversation skills and learning basic vocabulary, and language-learning apps will be useful. Meanwhile, learning for study or academic achievement requires a more organized plan, and language courses are helpful here.
Learning languages – learning Arabic.
If the goal of learning the language is to prepare for travel, you need to focus on conversation skills and learning basic vocabulary (Shutterstock).
There are various methods you can use to enhance language learning, and the most important is choosing the method that suits you best, as this is considered a key to the learning process. Experts advise applying a trial‑and‑error approach to find the methods that work for you individually and achieve the desired progress.
Set Realistic Goals
Learning the language becomes better when it is divided into specific goals that you can achieve over a few months, to keep you more motivated and make your goals realistic—such as being able to read a newspaper article without needing a dictionary, according to The Guardian.
Immersion in the Experience
The idea here is to make the target language part of your day—read the news in it, watch a program, or write your diary in it. The focus here is not on deliberate study, but rather on having the language present in the background, which will help improve your language skills. The more you immerse yourself in the foreign language, the faster your progress.
Reading for Pleasure
Reading is one of the richest aspects of the learning experience; you can notice the progress through it. If you read for pleasure, learning will be smooth and retention longer—even the first book you read in a foreign language will be a wonderful experience you will long remember.
Spaced Repetition of Vocabulary
Learning a set of new vocabulary, then reviewing it the next day, then reviewing it again at spaced intervals, strengthens your ability to recall it better in the long term.
It is natural for linguists to feel great anxiety about the fact that at least half of the world’s languages are threatened with extinction (Pixabay).
Learning new vocabulary, reviewing it the next day, then reviewing it again at spaced intervals enhances your ability to remember it (Pixabay).
Regular Listening
Listening to your new language regularly makes it part of your daily mental input. It is recommended that the listening material be slightly above your current level so that you hear familiar words and others that you don’t understand; you can write the unfamiliar ones down and review them regularly.
Practice
Practice is the key to mastering the language and the arena where mistakes are corrected and progress is tested. At this stage you will need someone to reveal your mistakes and correct them so you know whether you are on the right track. Experts advise using the language first and leaving mastering the grammar for a later stage.
Make Mistakes
The biggest obstacle in learning languages is loss of confidence, so one of the important techniques is having the courage to make mistakes, as it is an important stage for making progress in the language.
The biggest obstacle in learning languages is loss of confidence (Pexels).
Remind Yourself
The purpose of learning the language can fade during the long learning journey, so experts advise writing it down to return to when you feel lethargic. You can write ten goals that motivate you to learn the language to refer to when needed.
Evaluation
Regularly evaluating the extent of progress you make is necessary to change the method you follow if it does not meet your expectations or achieve your goals. Learning requires patience, perseverance, and skill in choosing the method that suits your individual needs, objectives, and learning style.
Continuity
According to Yale University, continuity is a fundamental element in learning languages. Studying for 30 minutes daily is far better than spending four hours once a week. Continuity strengthens the connections formed in the brain between new words and their meanings, improves memory, keeps the learning process active, and prevents the loss of acquired knowledge.
Slow and Steady or Fast and Erratic?
In his book Learn a New Language Quickly and Easily, Bill Handley answers an important question: Is slow, steady learning better than fast, erratic learning? He points out that although mastering the first lesson before moving to the next seems logical, those who adopt the method of moving to the next lesson before mastering the first believe that full understanding of the information will be achieved during the days and weeks that follow as they review. They also gain an additional advantage by removing pressure and drudgery from the learning process.
According to the book, students who follow the fast, erratic learning methodology progress faster and retain about 80% of what they have learned. It is a good method you can adopt, especially if your mistakes aren’t harshly criticized, as Bill notes, and it makes you more enthusiastic