We are all amazingly impatient. I so want that in an instant an unfamiliar language is in the piggy bank of the subconscious. And in fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems! These tips will help you learn a foreign language faster.
Let’s start with the main thing – your capabilities and desires. They make up the lion’s share of success in learning any foreign language. As for opportunities, don’t doubt: you have them. Back in 2006, American scientist Richard Sparks dispelled the myth that learning foreign languages requires some kind of extraordinary innate ability. So get started!
First Person
According to many linguists, learning foreign languages with the help of phrasebooks improves the process of memorizing individual words and the general principles of sentence construction. In addition, by memorizing a language with ready-made phrases in the first person, a person not only repeats the narration, which is typical for the traditional retelling of texts, but also subconsciously models a certain situation, imagining himself in it. This method avoids the impersonality of the memorized material and makes it possible to “try on” phrases that may be useful in real life.
A study conducted by psychologists in a Russian comprehensive school with in-depth study of the English language speaks in favor of the “first-person” methodology. During the experiment, primary school students were offered texts that were half third-person and half first-person. As a result, it turned out that 98% of schoolchildren were able to almost accurately reproduce that part of the text that consisted of direct speech.
Our advice: carefully approach the choice of a phrasebook, study topics sequentially, while memorizing related words. Allow 2-3 days for each topic.
Memory Formula
30 words a day, 5 of which are verbs. This technique is aimed at busy people who want to learn the basics of a new language without much time, learn to understand and speak. According to the formula, words should be chosen by the first letter, changing it daily to the next. Simply put, if today you learn words with the letter “A”, then tomorrow it should be words with the letter “B”. When the full circle of the alphabet is completed, you return to “A” again, and so on.
The effectiveness of this method is that it allows you to create certain rules for yourself, which over time will become a habit and transform into a system.
Our advice: in order to achieve results in learning a foreign language using this method, words must be learned daily, without days off.
Lyrics
Perhaps the most enjoyable and effective method of learning languages is to memorize foreign songs in parallel with their translation. This method was discovered by our compatriot, who was able to learn English in three months, resorting exclusively to “cramming” and playing English songs. Linguists admit that this method really helps to master a foreign language, especially if the translation is worked out by the student himself, taking into account the grammatical and stylistic features of the text.
The advantage of the “song” technique is excellent pronunciation as a result of repeated repetition of the same text, as well as imitation of the performer. The student receives a kind of master class. By learning a language through songs, you adopt a style of writing, get used to it, and reproduce it.
Our advice: start with your favorite lyric pieces, where the words are in a singsong voice.
Dash – dot
Psychologists who study the problem of perception of foreign languages have come to the conclusion that the mistake of most people is to try to “consciously” hear what the announcer is saying from the screen or the voice from the headphones. Don’t try to hear every sound. Instead, you should catch the general tone, that is, listen “unconsciously”. This is the secret of successful perception of a foreign language.
Children, unlike adults, are able to listen “unconsciously” and therefore they quickly and effortlessly learn foreign languages when they are in another country.
Our advice: it remains only to relax and listen to foreign speech as often as possible. Try to catch the melody of the language, frequently repeated words and speech cords, without delving into the details.
Bon Appetit
One of the most proven and effective ways to learn a foreign language is the famous “immersion method” of Berlitz. According to the author, it is necessary to speak the language from the very first day of learning, describing everything that you see around.
Students and the teacher “get” into various typical situations, for example, they sit down at the table and act out the dinner scene. During the conversation, which is conducted exclusively in a foreign language, the participants name and describe in detail table items and products, ask each other to convey something.
The main idea of express learning according to this method is that the student first memorizes key words and phrases and only then masters grammar. According to Berlitz himself, with such an algorithm of actions, the grammar of the language comes intuitively, as if “by itself”.
Our advice: if you study the language on your own, devote 30 minutes to classes daily. Separate the words thematically (lunch, shop, plane) and pronounce everything that you see or can see around. Feel free to talk to yourself!
Etymology
To quickly memorize foreign words, get acquainted with the history of their occurrence. For example, the days of the week in English are associated with the names of gods. Saturday is the day of Saturn (Saturday), Sunday is the day of the sun (Sunday), Monday is the day of the moon (Monday), Friday is the day of the goddess Freya (Friday).
The definite article “the” is an abbreviated form of the pronoun “this”. Therefore, it is used when the subject being spoken about is known, and the indefinite article “a” is an abbreviated form of the word one “one”, and simply means one subject.
Our advice: Every language has its own stories related to the origin of words. The more you know such interesting stories, the faster you get used to the rules for constructing phrases and unfamiliar words.
Finally, as you study languages, remember that you are a native speaker of a beautiful, rich, and complex language. Let this thought inspire you and give you confidence, because it is much easier for you to master any foreign language than for a foreigner to learn Russian!
About expert
Medina – You And I philologist, teacher of Italian, Spanish and French with 12 years of experience. Commercial Director of the British-Russian Academy. Her author’s method of learning the language includes the study of cinema, music, literature, as well as the mentality of the people who speak it.