How to REALLY learn languages.
Languages are tricky. That's why I like them.
You can study weeks, months and years to learn a language, write eloquent papers and understand written texts, but when you actually speak with a native.....it all disappears.
I've studied Chinese for 1 year, Spanish for 2, German for 8 and now Finnish for the past 2 years, and I have to admit:
There is no one trick that helps you develop language skills. There's not some magic pill you can take to become fluent. It takes time, practice and the courage to practice speaking it.
My advice?
Learn languages by living them,
and here are a few ways that you can do just that!
1.Get into the music scene of that language. Whether you like rap, pop, rock or whatever genre, there will probably be an equivalent in the language you are studying.
This is a great way to not only hear the language, but learn slang words as well. One of my least favorite things about learning languages was studying the words for months and then realizing that it's rarely used in real conversations.
When I was studying abroad in Germany, I really got into the popular music at the time. It was interesting because I loved German rap (especially Cro), even though I wasn't the biggest fan of U.S. rap.
Listening to the music not only helped me understand the lyrics/vocabulary of the songs, but how they flowed together to make a point.
When I came to Finland, I did the same. I even attended a concert here at a historic bar and met the rapper himself (cue internal fan screaming).
I now have a much bigger respect for both the language and the rap scene here, and I feel a little more connected with the language, now that I am experiencing it outside of a textbook.
2. Movies with subtitles.
Have Netflix account?
Use it.
Watch movies in your target language, or just put on subtitles. It's always interesting to hear a phrase you commonly use and see its equivalent in another language.
This also helps once you've been studying a language for awhile. You can easily start to see the different idioms and phrases used that are different from your native language.
3. Ask questions.
Don't understand a phrase?
Ask someone about it.
Not sure your pronunciation is right?
Ask someone to help.
Plus you wouldn't want to be that awkward person who asks for an explanation days/weeks/months later!
4. DON'T GET CAUGHT UP TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE WORD.
This is the #1 unwritten rule for learning languages.
DO NOT ASSUME THAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND EVERY SINGLE WORD.
Look for key words in a sentence, observe body language and listen to the tone.
Think about context, and if all else fails, just go with it.
Sure, it would be comforting to know every word being spoken to you, but if you get caught up in that, then it will take you even longer to adapt to the language.
5. Be a part of the community.
Don't spend too much time in your textbook. Go out and observe.
Living abroad has given me the opportunity to really put myself into situations where I hear different languages. I don't get the comfort of hearing English at every turn.
This immediately removes my natural instinct to latch onto English speakers.
Now, I HAVE to pay attention to Finnish.
6. Realize that you will not be fluent overnight, and no one expects you to be.
Your language skills aren't expected to be perfect. Native speakers' language skills won't even be perfect. The point is that you are trying, and for that, I commend you!