Speedy Ways To Master A New Language

How To Get Ahead In A New Language

Need to accelerate your learning of a new language? Perhaps you’re traveling in a few days and absolutely must know how to speak at least the basics? Being considered for a new job scope? No matter what your reason is for picking up a new language, it is definitely great to be able to learn it quickly.

Though it may seem difficult to learn a new language at first because of having to learn new grammar, new words, and learning how to speak it, the process can be hastened by following the right strategy with dedication! If you respond better to guided learning, however, then learning your target language at language school singapore may be the right strategy for you.

Follow these tips for a faster way to master a new language. 

 

1. Have a goal for learning

When learning a new language, it makes sense to start by first setting a goal. This allows you to measure what you want to work towards and gives you an idea of if you have achieved it or not eventually. 

Goal setting also keeps you from feeling overwhelmed and helps you to scope your efforts so that you don’t have to waste time fretting over the details. 

Research has shown that to achieve success, goal setting is essential.

To make full use of your goals, follow these guidelines: 

• Set detailed goals that focus on outcomes that are measurable. Focus on the study plan over the time allocated to study the language. A good goal-setting would look like “I will learn 30 Korean vocabulary words related to traveling this week”. 
• Goals should be short-term. While it is good to have a long-term goal on what you want to achieve eventually, it can easily cause you to become overwhelmed on a day-to-day basis. This goal should be broken down using the “swiss-cheese” method of having smaller goals for the week or fortnight, which add up to form the larger goal. 
• Push yourself to your limits. By pushing the limit, makes your goal work for you. However, take note not to be overly ambitious in the push to learn as this could backfire and cause you to be discouraged. A way to push yourself could be setting a goal that takes the form of a range such as “ I will learn 20-60 new words this week”. The lower end of the range is easily achievable, spurring you to push on. On the other hand, the upper limit of the range allows you to challenge yourself. 
• Pen your goals down in a notebook. This helps you to stay committed as writing helps to commit things to memory. Stick the goals somewhere you will always see them, such as in the toilet, or on your bedroom door.

 

2. Choose the “correct” words to learn

While languages often consist of hundreds or thousands of words, rest assured that you don’t have to learn that many words to be considered proficient! Did you know that 50 percent of English language texts only use the same 100 words repeatedly? The next 1000 words then make up the next 90 percent of English texts. 

By focusing on the more commonly used words, you cut down on time wasted and will be able to exponentially increase the information that you can understand.

 

3. Study Smart

Studying hard is overrated. Instead, study smart to help yourself learn faster. 

One of the best ways to do so is through the use of flashcards. Flashcards aid you in focusing on individual words, and you can test yourself on how well you’ve memorized the newly learned information. 

Follow our tips to make the best use of your flashcards: 

• Be environmentally-friendly and ditch the paper flashcards. Instead, switch over to electronic flashcards which can be easily accessed on your smartphone or tablets. Another advantage of electronic flashcards would be the ability to use publicly available cards made by other users. Programs such as Anki even allow you to jumble the card order and use spaced repetition — where the time between each flashcard being repeated gradually increases over time. 
• Have a go at guessing the meaning of each word before revealing the answer to yourself. Flashcards provide the best use when they are used to test your memory of the subject. Have a go even if you are unsure of a word, before flipping the card over
• Envisage the word and speak it out loud. By doing so, you connect the concepts of what the word is about and this aids in the recall of a new word. 

 

4. Use the language in your daily life as often as you can

Though it may seem difficult to use the language often, it is simpler than it looks. Incorporate the new language into your life to make learning more fun and engaging. 

For instance, bring your flashcards along with you wherever you go. In your downtime during your commute or when waiting for a friend, revise the words! Tired of active learning? Why not switch over to something more passive such as watching a video or TV show? You could also try listening to podcasts in that language, instead of doing such activities in your native language.

 

5. Put your newly learned language to use

Though it might be difficult and uncomfortable, the best learning happens when you can actually use the language you are learning. The easiest way to do so is to immerse yourself in an environment which speaks that language, by traveling abroad or taking part in a student exchange. This forces you to speak the language you are learning, as the people there are unlikely to speak your native language. 

Even if you cannot travel, you can still put yourself in situations that give you the opportunity to speak your newly learned language. Find yourself a language buddy to practice with, join a conversation site, and post messages on their forums or even visit businesses where the language you are learning is often spoken. Learning Chinese? Head to Chinatown for a meal. Dipping your toes into Spanish? Why not strike up a conversation with your friendly waiter? 

With these handy tips, there will be no more poring over books for ages and burning the midnight oil. Instead, learning a new language will be fun and easy!