Pressed by time, each of us rushes to learn a foreign language today, but unfortunately the initial euphoria often fades and we are left with the feeling that we have forgotten everything and can no longer cope.
How can we solve this problem?
I propose to you some of the things I find useful in the difficult endeavor of 'mastering a foreign language'.
- Set yourself realistic goals and follow them constantly, even in small steps. Learn a little, but often – better a few times a week than just once for five hours.
- It is useful while listening to text to try not to read it. This will help you concentrate on the sound and intonation, and in this way the foreign language is perceived more easily.
- When reading a foreign text, focus mainly on words you already know. The meaning of the rest can be extracted from the context, by sense or by similarity with similar words in your native language.
- Use every opportunity to practice reading and listening when learning a foreign language. Watch television (preferably films without subtitles), listen to international radio, browse foreign websites. Set yourself tasks.
- To improve your speaking, find a partner who is a native speaker of the language you are studying. Instead of chatting, try to speak in different settings. Choose popular topics and questions to discuss to develop your vocabulary.
- If you feel anxious about starting a conversation and are not confident you will manage, it is good to first rehearse the most important words and sentences in the foreign language from situations you have already practiced. Think about what you need to ask in a given case or how to ask for help if you cannot cope with a given task.
- When it is difficult for you to determine where the stress falls in words of a foreign language (a common problem in English), try to beat time when pronouncing it. This way it will be easier for you to remember the sound of the word itself. You can use this rule for the intonation of shorter expressions and sentences as well.
- When you accumulate many new words, do not despair. Try to incorporate them into your daily life. Numbers can be remembered by counting the floors in an elevator or by repeating your phone number. And why not empty your bag – you will organize it while rehearsing some nouns. If you have a zoo nearby, you can also take advantage – there are many words for animals.
- It is recommended to learn words that belong to one topic together. Topics that contain more words can be divided into parts. And you can also expand a given topic yourself by including other words. What clothes do you have in your wardrobe and what is your refrigerator full of?
- Grammar is learned most easily by making a book of rules yourself. Make tables, diagrams, or charts with information that seems useful or important to you. Learn by rewriting the examples and rules yourself, structuring them in a way that you like and find easy.
Turn learning a foreign language into a pleasure. After all, this is the best way to always be one step ahead of the others who have not yet started doing it!
teacher_yulia