Learning a new language can open up so many doors in life, regardless if you’re doing it for professional development, as a hobby, or in preparation for a big move. One thing that many people realize fast is how difficult learning a new language can be. This is why it’s important to find some helpful tips and tricks to make language learning easier.
Another thing to keep in mind is that learning a new language can be a huge time commitment. Streamlining the process and focusing on efficiently using your time can save you hours, days, and even weeks of progress. Below are four great tips for learning a new language that will help keep you on the road to success.
Social Learning Is Best
For centuries, learning a new language has generally been viewed as requiring lots of reading and studying grammar in classroom environments. This method is called rote learning. This approach to language learning likely stems from scholars learning classical languages like Latin where the language itself is not frequently spoken in natural, social settings. Although studying books and doing lots of grammar drills is important for starting out, it should not be the only method for learning.
When you learn your first language as a child, it’s not through apps, books, or drills; it’s through socializing, being playful, and trial and error. This is the natural way that children learn to speak, and it doesn’t change as you get older. Many studies have shown how efficient social learning is for boosting memory, behavior, motivation, and more. As soon as you have something to say in your new language, try to find someone who is fluent in that language and have a discussion with them. You can even try out some of the many language exchange apps online. The sooner that you start socializing in your new language, the faster you will be able to pick it up.
Study Before Bedtime or Before a Nap
A quick nap during the day is great for recharging the brain, but sleep also plays an important role in learning and remembering new information as well. To put it in simple terms, when you sleep, your brain cleans out your short-term memory storage of non-essential information, allowing you to pick up more information after a rest. Additionally, when you practice a new language before a quick nap or before bed time, sleeping on it also helps to cement that information into your long-term memory.
Sleep is a complex process, even though it may not look like it from the outside. It gives the brain the opportunity to reorganize itself and file information away so that it can be recalled easily later on. If you’re able to work your language learning activities around your nap and sleep schedule, you’ll likely see the benefits pretty quickly.
Mix the New Language with Things that Interest You
When someone is interested in an activity or subject, it can give them motivation, improved concentration, and quicker mood stabilization.
In order to make language learning easier, think of activities that you like doing in your spare time. It could be a sport, watching your favorite TV show, gardening, anything! Learn the lingo of the activity in your new language and talk about it with other people. Begin speaking the new language while doing things that you love doing for better results. Learning is hard when it’s boring or forced but it doesn’t have to be. This is one of the best tips for learning language when things get tedious.
Short and Frequent Lessons Are More Effective than Long Sessions
While studying for long periods of time and cramming in as much as possible might be common for college students, it’s actually an inefficient use of time. When you study for many hours without stopping, it becomes easy to lose focus. That means information is not entering into your long-term memory and could be easily forgotten.
For example, consider breaking an hour-long study session into four 15-minute blocks spread throughout the day. Spacing out your study sessions is going to improve your concentration and memory. In between those study sessions, your brain will also be churning that information over in the background instead of becoming overworked. This method is called distributed practice, and it allows you to make better use of your time and absorb more information without wearing yourself out.
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are many other great tips for learning a language that you can work into your routine. These tips are simply the easiest ones where you may see the best results. Remember, learning a new language is like a marathon, not a sprint. The more efficient you are with your time, the faster you will pick it up.
