Looking to add a little edge to your language learning efforts? Here are 13 things language learners have done to give themselves a lift, a boost or a swift kick in the backside.
1. Use wasted time to sneak a few lessons in. Those times you spend waiting at the dentist, sitting on a train or staring into nothingness during office breaks can be put to use to further your language training. Learn a new phrase, practice some lines or try to recall earlier lessons from the week. You can also listen to audio-based learning materials from an iPod or leaf through a phrasebook during those times.
2. Listen a lot. The amount of structured input you can process, such as formal lessons from your language software, will be limited during the early stages of your studies. We suggest supplementing it with lots of listening time — Youtube videos in the target language, songs in the target language and similar resources can help a lot to get you accustomed to hearing the language and its various qualities. It’s a great way to get acquainted with the way native speakers use tone, accent and pace in the target language.
3. Learn phrases not words. Forget learning individual words (e.g. reading from a dictionary). Instead, learn full phrases. Not only does it let you learn more words with the same time investment, it makes everything easier to remember because of the context it establishes.
4. Involve your imagination. Use your imagination to visualize new phrases and concepts, seeing them as real scenes or colorful objects, instead of merely letters on a page. A visual, especially a vivid and memorable one, can help you recall new vocabulary much better than rote memorization.
5. Make up stories in your head using your target language vocabulary. One of the things that really help me with language learning is constructing stories in my head using the target language. I limit the stories to what I can construct with my existing vocabulary. Not only is this a fun way to use your mind productively (instead of thinking negative thoughts or whatever), it helps you practice putting newly picked up language elements to use immediately.
6. Use your phone as a learning tool. Most everyone’s got a smartphone today. And if you have one, you should be able to use it for language learning while you’re on the go. You can keep your journal and notes in there; you can download a digital phrasebook; you can watch foreign YouTube videos; you can use a flash card app to test your recall of new phrases; and a whole lot more. If you enjoy using a language learning software on your computer, then a smartphone is the logical extension of your digital education — it just makes sense.
7. Find children’s books. If you’re looking for reading material in the target language, it’s usually a good idea to try children’s books. If they’re effective enough for use by children getting better at their native language, they should be good enough to help you in your training. Of course, children’s books from a foreign country probably aren’t the easiest to find. You could try an online search, though, especially for popular languages. For instance, I was able to find a lot children’s textbooks and fiction books that were either scanned or transcribed (not sure about legitimacy, though) online.
8. Read materials in the foreign language. Blogs and websites make for free, easy-to-get reading materials in the target language. Plus, you can choose to read about whatever topic interests you considering how many websites there are right now. Blogs and forums, in particular, are great for getting acquainted with colloquial and informal writing styles in the target language.
9. Use what you learn every chance you get. If you happen to sit next to a native speaker, say a phrase or two. Have a friend who studied the same language? Say a phrase or two their way the next time you meet. You don’t need to get into deep conversations every time you use the target language — just gaining the confidence to use the new phrases and the feedback you get from it can really boost how your mind process the new language.
10. Think in the target language. This is something a lot of language learners ignore. That’s a huge mistake, as this is usually one of the changes in behavior that can really trigger a steep improvement in your language learning progress. In fact, it’s probably the single most important adjustment you can make, as thinking in the target language puts you in the same mind space as a native speaker — all without having to open your mouth.
11. Talk to yourself in the target language. Can’t find people to practice with? Talk to yourself. Use the same tone, pace and accent you’d use if you were talking with another person. Just make sure to do it in the privacy of your home, though — this isn’t quite the kind of thing that goes over well when performed in public.
12. Put labels on everything. As in, little adhesives with the name of the object in the target language written on it to help you memorize them. At least, everything that is yours. Don’t put labels on public property and, most certainly not, on other people’s stuff. Sticking a label on your neighbor’s truck might be helpful and all, but it won’t earn you any neighborly points. We’re pretty sure there’s enough stuff around the house and in your office workstation to append adhesive strips of paper to.
13. Read jokes in the target language. If you can pick up a joke book or a funny comic strip in the target language, use them as your downtime reading materials. Humor makes things memorable, allowing you to remember the language used a lot easier compared to reading lines off a phrasebook that don’t mean much to you. Comic strips are particularly easy to remember because of the visual accompaniment the cartoon brings.
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