The Complete Guide to Learning a Language Fast And Effortlessly
Learning a new language is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons. Is it as hard as people make it sound? We've all heard stories about how difficult it can be, but if you follow these simple steps we'll show you how easy it really is.
Learning a new language is one of the best ways to broaden your horizons and open yourself up to a whole new world. Whether you're traveling, moving to another country or just want to get closer with friends and family, there's no better way to do it than by taking on the challenge of learning their native language. But how do you go about doing that? Is it really as hard as people make it sound? I'm here to tell you that yes, learning a new language is possible and fun! We've all heard stories about how difficult it can be, but if you follow these simple steps we'll show you how easy it really is!
Step 1: Find the Right Language for You
Maybe you've already decided your target language, then feel free to jump to the next step. If you are still selecting which language is best for you to learn remember you need to select a language that you are actually interested in, else it's likely that you will get bored and stop practicing.
Consider the culture and the countries that your target language is spoken, maybe you already have some cultural ties: if you are a big anime fan maybe Japanese is the best choice for you, if you are considering relocating to Tanzania perhaps Swahili is the ideal language for you, if your partner is from Mexico consider Spanish.
Consider the complexity of your target language, if this is the first foreign language you are choosing you may want to make sure that your chosen language has similar grammar structures to your native tongue---this makes it easier for learners who already understand their own native tongue because they already know how certain sentences are structured (such as "I eat apples").
If English is your native language the following languages are a popular choice:
Easiest (requiring about 600 hours of study): Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese, Dutch and Norwegian
Regular (requiring about 750 hours of study): German
Tricky (requiring about 900 hours of study): Indonesian, Malaysian, Swahili
Challenging (requiring about 1100 hours of study): Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Finnish, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Persian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese
Hardest (requiring about 2200 hours of study): Arabic, Cantonese (Chinese), Mandarin (Chinese), Japanese, Korean
Another factor that should be considered is where your target language is being spoken and how many opportunities you have to connect and practice with native speakers, with the internet your access to native speakers has gotten a lot easier, giving plenty of opportunities to join a language exchange community.
Step 2: Learn the Alphabet and Pronunciation
There are many types of alphabets and they can be sorted into two categories: phonetic and logographic. English uses a phonologic alphabet, where the written symbols correspond to sounds and combine to represent the strings of sounds in words (think "dog" from the "d" +"og" sounds). Chinese, on the other hand uses a logographic alphabet (狗 for dog).
You need to know how to pronounce each letter correctly and what sounds they make when combined into words. If you don't know how syllables work, this may be confusing for you at first. So let's go over some basic phonetics!
Phonetics are basically all about how your mouth moves when you speak out loud or even think about speaking out loud---it's all about sound vibrations (specifically vibrations of air). It's important for any language learner because different languages use different combinations of these phonetic sounds to create meaning among their words; in other words: if I try saying something like "I ate an apple yesterday" while speaking Spanish instead (which uses completely different alphabets), then nobody would understand me! That would be embarrassing...
Step 3: Understand Basic Greetings and Common Phrases
Greetings are a great place to start learning a language because they're simple and useful. Not only can you use them to start conversations with people, but you can also use them in your daily life. I recommend learning how to say hello and goodbye, as well as how to ask for help if something goes wrong. They're essential phrases that are easy to learn, so make sure you get these down first!
Learning common phrases will allow you to communicate more effectively when traveling abroad or interacting with locals in any other context. In addition, they're crucial for ensuring smooth communication with waiters or salespeople. Most importantly, they'll help break down barriers between yourself and native speakers of other languages!
Step 4: Get a Language Learning App
The next step is to find a good language learning app. Like I mentioned, there are many options out there, but not all of them are created equally.
The best apps will likely be those that you can use on the go - on your phone or tablet, for example - and that have a good mix of content and activities. They should also provide clear instructions on how you should use them. A great app will help you learn vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation in your target language while providing an interactive experience so that you can connect with native speakers and practice what you've learned in different ways.
Step 5: Read Books, Listen to Podcasts, or Watch TV Shows in Your New Language
So you've been learning a new language for a few months now, and you're feeling pretty good about yourself. You can get around in the country you're studying pretty well, and sometimes even make small talk with native speakers. But you've still got a long way to go before you feel like you can hold your own in a conversation with people who speak only that language---and that's okay!
But what if we told you there's something else you could be doing right now to help speed up your learning? Something that's fun and engaging, but also gives you an opportunity to practice your listening skills while enjoying yourself?
The answer is: reading books, listening to podcasts, or watching TV shows in your new language.
Reading books will help you improve your reading comprehension skills(which are necessary for communicating effectively), as well as increase your vocabulary knowledge. Plus, it's fun! There are so many great stories out there that have been translated into English from other languages - why not give them a try?
Podcasts are great because they give you practice listening to native speakers without having to deal with boring textbook dialogues every time. They can expose you to grammar structures that aren't present when speaking casually with native speakers. This will give more context than simple conversations do---and context is important because it allows us to make connections between different parts of sentences as well as get a sense for how various words function within phrases/sentences themselves!
Step 6: Practice & Speak Often
You've got to practice, practice and then practice some more.
When you learn a new language, it's crucial that you put your knowledge into action. In order to speak the language fluently and confidently, you must be able to practice speaking it on a regular basis. This can be achieved by:
- Speaking with native speakers in their native tongue
- Speaking with friends who speak the language you are learning
- Using apps or websites designed specifically for practicing speaking
- Using flashcards to learn new words and phrases
Step 7: Accept Mistakes as Part of the Learning Process
Everyone makes mistakes, and that's perfectly okay. No one is perfect, so don't expect yourself to be. Instead of getting upset about something you don't know, or getting frustrated with yourself when you make a mistake, remember that this is all part of the learning process. Everyone makes mistakes---some people just tend to make more than others! The important thing is not how many mistakes you make but rather how much progress you're making overall. If you find yourself constantly repeating the same ones over and over again (e.g., "I can't spell this word right!"), then it might be time for some outside help in the form of an online course or tutor who can give you personalized feedback and advice on ways around those particular roadblocks in your learning process.
Learning a new language is easier than you think.
Language skills can be learned and improved with practice, just like any other skill. You may have heard that it takes ten years of hard work to become fluent in another language, or some other intimidating number that makes it seem like an impossible task. But while it's true that becoming fluent in a foreign language takes time, the process itself doesn't have to be difficult or painful---it's actually quite fun!
Learning a new language has more in common with learning to play an instrument than it does with learning math or science: you're practicing something you enjoy doing for its own sake rather than just because someone tells you it will help you get ahead at work someday. This means your motivation level is much higher as well; when learning feels like something fun rather than homework or an obligation, people are more likely to stick with their lessons until they've mastered them!
Conclusion
We hope you found this post helpful. Learning a new language can be quite daunting, but it doesn't have to be! With these seven steps, we hope that you are able to make the most out of your learning experience and enjoy every minute of it.
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