No one likes the traditional form of studying,
face down in a textbook taking notes. At least very few of us do. So if
you’re interested in learning a new language, but don’t want to do it
through the most mind-numbing form of learning, then you should
definitely try these 7 habits that can help you learn a language on
auto-pilot.
The first step to learning a
language is, of course, picking one to learn. If you’ve already chosen,
skip straight on to the habits. If you haven’t decided yet, here are a
few things to ask yourself: Is there a language you have always wanted
to learn? If several(or none), which language would be more beneficial
to know given your current location and life plans? If several again, go
with your gut feeling, or check out this post for further guidance.
Watching TV shows/Movies In Target Language With Subtitles
Pretty
straight forward. The only thing I would add is that this isn’t going
to have much of an impact if you watch one TV show, or one movie every
now and then. Commitment makes all the difference here. If you manage to
substitute at least half the time you spend watching normal TV, then
you’ll see some drastic results over time. You can also, of course,
watch shows with target language as subtitles, but then you don’t hear
the correct pronunciation.
Sometimes access can
be an issue. But you could, for example, sign up to a site like Netflix
through a Spanish proxy, or sign up when you’re on vacation in Spain to
enable yourself to watch shows in Spanish without having to go out of
your way to buy box sets online.
Intentionally Hanging Out With People Who Speak Target Language
This
might sound selfish and self-serving, but it really doesn’t have to be.
In many cases, people will be happy to speak it with you, either
because they rarely get the opportunity themselves, or they simply like
that someone is trying to learn their language and want to help. If you
don’t know anyone who speak the language you want to learn, you should
try going to international events, or events specifically for people who
are from/interested in the country/language you want to learn. Don’t be
afraid to take initiative and arrange events and get-togethers.
Journal Or Blog In Target Language
Using a service like lang-8,
you can write random things and get what you write corrected by native
speakers. So not only are you getting practice and memorizing vocabulary
and grammar by actively using them, you get corrected when you make
mistakes. Sounds almost too good to be true right? Well it isn’t. And if
you’re too self conscious to share right away, you can always start off
writing for yourself, and then start sharing on platforms to be
corrected later on.
Change Operating Languages To Target Language
Many
of us are so used to the interfaces on our computers and phones that we
intuitively know where everything is, even if we can’t completely
understand the language. So changing to your target language, is likely
not going to affect your ability to use the device, even if you don’t
know it very well yet. This forces you to interact with the target
language many times on a daily basis, and will help by installing basic
vocabulary so you don’t ever forget it.
Play Games In Target Language
There’s
two approaches to this. If you play one or more online games, you can
go all out and play with people who speak the target language. That way
you’re forcing yourself use it to interact with other people on a
regular basis. If you only play games offline, you can stick to changing
the language where possible. Sometimes that means re-installing one of
your favorite games. Even in offline games, a lot of dialogue comes up,
and as such can be a great source for remembering basic grammar and
vocabulary. Particularly because it is a leisure activity and very easy
to motivate oneself to keep doing for long periods of time.
Study Vocabulary Using Pockets Of Time
There’s
a lot of downtime during any given day. If you’re stuck waiting for the
bus, or on the train, or sitting constipated on the toilet, waiting and
praying for something to happen… take out your phone and study some
vocabulary. There are decent free apps for almost any language, but you
want to focus on ones that make it very practical to study one piece of
vocabulary at a time. If you don’t have a smartphone, you could always
make your own flash cards. It takes a bit more effort, but because it
requires more active involvement, it is probably better for the actual
learning. My personal favorite for Japanese is the Obenkyo app for
Android.
Advanced: Read Books In Target Language
Again,
pretty straight forward. And again the key is commitment. If you read a
book every 7 months, not much will change. But if you start reading
books in your target language on a regular basis, you will see your
skills soar higher than you had imagined possible.
Advanced: Think In Target Language
If
you don’t have enough opportunities to do actual conversation, this can
be a way to test your grammar skills and notice any huge gaps in your
vocabulary. Try to think about things that would come up in normal
conversation at first, and then move on to more complicated matters as
you get better. Talking out loud to yourself is optional here, but
again, it is good training if you find yourself lacking opportunities to
speak to someone in the target language.
Alone
these habits won’t make that much of a difference. (Except the hanging
out with people who speak your target language part. That can really
make all the difference. I’ve seen it transform people who could barely
speak one phrase, into semi-fluent in a matter of weeks.) But
regardless, you will see the best and fastest results if you manage to
implement multiple of these habits into your daily routine. Start with 1
or 2 and work your way up. Pretty soon you’ll be learning a language at
a rapid pace and it won’t feel like you’re even trying that hard.
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