| If you’re trying to learn a new language you will sometimes have to contend with a whole new alphabet, complex grammar, and difficult pronunciation. Many new learners start out strong, but peter out after a short time. |
| But that doesn’t have to be your story. Don’t let the harsh reputation of some languages scare you away. Yes it’s not easy, but it probably isn’t as hard as you think either. |
| In this video we give you five ways to help you win while learning a new language. Follow these and it will be hard not to see improvement in your language ability! |
| Number 1, develop a good accent |
| When first trying to learn a new language the words might overwhelm you. Not only are some of them extremely long or complicated in ways you aren’t used to. As a result the new language can sometimes sound more like noise than an actual language. This might be because you didn’t have a good grasp on the new pronunciation yet. |
| So, focus on this weak point by learning and practicing how to correctly pronounce each individual sound in the language. Start with ones most similar to your native language, and then move on to the more difficult ones. Then start practicing with longer words and eventually listen to recorded audio of native speakers and try your best to mimic their flow of speech. By the end of this phase of learning your accent probably still isn't perfect, but you can already see a huge improvement compared to where you started. But even more importantly you'll be able to hear the language differently and continue to improve. |
| When you intuitively know how to correctly pronounce a sound it’s a lot easier to recognize that sound when it's spoken or read. Knowing these new sounds gives your brain some context for what it hears when you’re using the language. |
| Our language learning program is a great tool for working on your pronunciation. It lets you play back the words from a lesson in isolation and also at a slower speed. This is perfect for pinpointing the nuances of the language and developing your own native tongue as well as your ear. |
| Number 2, Break down the writing System |
| Every language has its own unique set of rules and challenges when it comes to writing. |
| Your best bet is to focus on one point at a time. Trying to learn the entire system at once is akin to trying to swallow an elephant. Work with section of a writing system until you become fairly comfortable with it. The point of going slowly and doing one piece at a time is to ensure that you have a firm foundation in the Russian cases. If you rush through this stage it will haunt you throughout your learning. |
| Number 3, Learn Grammar in context |
| This tip is applicable no matter what language you’re learning. Once you move past the basic vocabulary in the language, try to pick up the patterns of the grammar by learning the rules in the context of phrases or sentences. |
| Example sentences found in the lesson notes of each of our lessons are extremely helpful for this. After each lesson you can look at the examples to get a feel for how a particular aspect of the grammar worked. Then you could practice making your own similar phrases using the same rule. |
| Slowly but surely as you work through each episode, you will take a greater ownership of the language. This approach is a lot more effective than memorizing tables or rules. If you can use the grammar and vocabulary you just learned. You are much more likely to internalize it, and thus remember it the next time I try to say something in your target language. |
| Number 4, Get feedback from Native Speakers |
| Receiving correct and accurate feedback from native speakers is vital to improving your skills in the language. Whether you’re reading or writing you need to find out what your mistakes are, so that you can correct them. |
| Some people are willing and able to pay a private tutor, or take a formal class in order to help them progress. These two alternatives will certainly help, but they aren’t the only options. If you live near a major city there’s a substantial chance that there are some speakers in your area. Keep your eyes and ears open, because you might be surprised where you find them. You can look for a nearby meetup group or language exchange. You’re likely to find speakers there as well. |
| If these options don’t work out you can take your search online. There are several free language exchanges where you can chat via video or audio chat with other language learners. Look for a native speaker learning your own native language so that you can practice together and correct each other’s mistakes. |
| Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make mistakes. It’s all part of the process. As long as you’re getting good feedback when you use the language your skills will improve! |
| Hopefully this post took some of the fear and mystery out of learning a new language. Remember that the most important tip is to enjoy the language for its own sake. Seriously, if you enjoy the process of learning, then studying will seem more like a journey of discovery rather than work. |
| Use these pointers as tools for the road ahead as you find your way to fluency in target language! |
| And for even more ways to win while learning a new language check out our complete language learning program. Sign up for your free lifetime account by clicking on the link in the description. Get tons of resources to have you speaking in your target language. And if you enjoyed these tips, hit the "like" button, share the video with anyone who's trying to learn a new language, and subscribe to our channel. We release new videos every week! I'll see you next time. Bye! |
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