When I tell people that I speak a fair amount of German, people often say something along the lines of, “That’s cool, I also tried to learn a second language. I quit after a few days, though.” I have a few tips for aspiring language learners that may help them avoid this mistake.
- For second languages, choose something that closely resembles your native tongue.
Oftentimes, newer language learners start their journeys because they want to understand foreign media. Makes sense, right? Learn a new language, and have a reason for doing so; but while that can work, it requires a significantly higher amount of effort in order to do so. I have heard countless horror stories about English speakers attempting to learn Japanese, Hindi, or Russian and failing miserably. If one wants to learn a second language, start off simple with ones closer to English. I would personally recommend Spanish, German, or Dutch as they are fairly similar to our lovely American dialect both phonetically and grammatically.
- Find a native speaker to talk with.
Now, I know mileage on this may vary depending on what language they are studying but, stick with me here. When I was learning German, I began talking and playing games with a native speaker over the internet. Doing so helped me a lot, as it kept me motivated to continue learning, helped me pick up on errors, and I made a new friend along the way.
- Use multiple resources.
While learning a language, learners may get to a point where you feel like services like Duolingo are starting to feel inadequate for your proficiency level. Do not give up, I felt the same way, too. There are plenty of ways to learn a language, try to look for some online.
- Practice makes perfect, seriously.
When learning a language, it is crucial to practice the skills that have been learned. Conjugations, grammatical rules, and pronunciations can really trip up learners; so it’s important to get them down pat.
- Do not use translators.
This should go without saying, but do not use translators. Native speakers and educators can easily tell the difference between generated and authentic text. If you want to build respect with them, try to genuinely learn the language, as translators can be filled with inaccuracies.
Learning a language is a very difficult and time-consuming process. Hopefully, these tips will help one learn the language they are choosing to learn, whether it be for a class or for fun.
