A Beginner’s Guide on Learning a New Language

Learning a new language can be overwhelming at first but can become daunting at a later stage. This is because every language has different words, spellings, and pronunciation. Whether you want to learn the language as an interest or to add it in your resume, make sure that you learn it in the right way. 

The time-frame for learning a new language depends on the individual.

In this article, you will find different strategies for beginners who are willing to learn a new language.

1. Make a plan:

Plans or strategies are of utmost importance if you are aiming for something. If you don’t have a clear path, you won’t be able to reach your destination. Hence, make a plan or set some goals for your language learning journey. You can start with long-term goals and then break them into short-term goals which you can achieve within a time-span of weeks. 

Having a plan in hand will also help you to track your week-by-week progress. Start by creating day tasks and then dedicate a timeslot in which you will check your progress of the task. You can target a set of words such as learn 10-20 words related to a specific category in one day. You can choose your own ways of memorizing and learning them. Always keep them in front of your eyes and keep repeating until you become familiar with them.

You can also create some monthly goals, such as write a small narrative in this new language or write all the basic questions that you would require in a foreign country. These set of goals will keep you engaged in learning new words every day and help you in achieving your goals easily.

2. Buy Books For Basics:

If you are a bibliophile, then look for some of the books that teach the roots of words and their meanings. Although you will find all those things on the internet, reading from a book will be preferable for you. You will also be able to practice reading and writing in parallel with all the different words in front of you.

3. Use technology:

Technology has made everything easier and possible by offering different tools and resources for the public. You can use technology to learn a new language, practice, and test it. When it comes to learning, you can watch the online tutorials or connect with people speaking that language. If you have to practice, then consider using your keyboard with the new language’s letters. In this way, you will be able to try your hands on the language and rectify your mistakes. There are various tools or apps specially designed for language learners. Here, you can check if you are learning all the right words and pronouncing them correctly.

4. Write it all down:

Writing may seem to be boring or outdated for some people, but it is the best way to learn any language. If you want to learn a language, don’t learn it for the sake of speaking and impressing anyone. You should learn to write it correctly as well. Writing will help you to know the letters, words, and sentences better.

You can make a small notebook and start by writing all the letters, then move towards basic words, phrases, grammar, and so on. Practice these things regularly and make them a part of your routine. Even if you keep writing these things for a month, you will become familiar with them and find it helpful while reading big words.

One way of learning new vocabulary is to add those 10-20 sets of words on different sticky notes and place them in different corners of your house. Whenever you are sitting in that particular place, you will be able to see that word. Likewise, you can start speaking those words whenever you are walking around any corner of the room.

5. Listen to music and movies:

One of the most interesting ways of learning new languages is by listening to music and movies in that language. Learning new words can be easy if you get to hear them along with the subtitles. The same goes for lyrics. Once you are familiar with basic words, start listening to the movies or lyrics, and find the new phrases or words that you want to learn. Note these words or phrases in your book, and find their meaning. This way, you will realize the pronunciation of particular words and phrases. Don’t go for long movies as it will not help you in the beginning. Start with short movies or web series and accordingly shift to long movies as per your progress.

6. Test yourself:

There are various ways for you to test your language skills. You can either attempt online tests or play word games. Some people look for certifications that keep them focused on the goals. No matter what way you choose to test yourself, make sure you don’t get discouraged for any mistakes. You can also start following social media pages that are made in your target language and give a try by connecting with them through messages.

7. Find a mentor:

Finding a mentor is not necessary, but it is a good way to sharpen your language skills. You can look for any part-time teacher who can help you with your language learning skills. There are various apps that you can use to communicate with a person who knows that language. You can ask him/her to let you know about what all improvements are needed to upscale your language speaking skills.

Conclusion:

These were all the things that would help a beginner learn any new language. We feel that you will be able to achieve your goals if you are consistent and serious in doing what you want.