There are many ways to learn a language as there are many learners in the world. What learning style/ technique works for one learner, might be ineffective for another. We all learn differently and there are no right and wrong methods of doing so. But the tips we’re about to share today are sure to help you learn any language more efficiently regardless of the type of learner you are.
Keep reading and find our bonus infographic at the end of this article.
How to Learn a Language Effectively
Sitting down and taking the time to study the grammar structure of a language is no doubt an essential part of learning. But memorizing the syntax, grammar patterns, and conjugations of verbs alone are useless if you don’t put them to use.
The tips we’re about to share focus more on the “application” of your Target Language (TL). They don’t intend to undermine the importance of grammar, but rather applies it in more a practical context.
Learn the Alphabet
Knowing the sound of each letter in your TL provides a solid foundation for language learning. It helps a great deal in learning the pronunciation of words, as well as in building your vocabulary. Memorizing vocabulary words is a lot easier when you know how they are spelled and written.
Learn Basic Phrases
Basic phrases, greetings, and expressions give you a kickstart on your TL. It allows you to make utterances even before you can learn its grammar and structure. Plus, with basic expressions, you already have sets of words that you can practice and express yourself.
Learn the Present Tense of Everyday Verbs
The use of the present tense in any language allows you to state facts, daily routines, and habits. So when you’re starting to learn a new language, learn the present tense of the actions you do every day.
These include the verbs to do, to have, to be, to eat, to go, to walk, to run, to sleep, to work, and so on.
Learn Words about Your Favorites
This is especially helpful in building your vocabulary. Learning words that pertain to your favorite activities, hobbies, movies, songs, colors, items, and other things will enable you to talk more about yourself. They are also most likely to stick to your memory because you do and, use, or see them every day.
Learn the Basic Past Tense of Everyday Verbs
The basic past tense of verbs lets you narrate your own personal experiences that happened in the past. It also helps strengthen your grammar skills because you’re able to differentiate the conjugation of verbs for both past and present tense.
Learn Transition Words
This last tip is ideal if you’ve taken on the first 5 steps. When you’ve built a sufficient amount of vocabulary words and have a strong grasp of basic grammar, then you can start working on organizing your thoughts by using transition words.
Transition words are important because they help organize your thoughts so you can express yourself better. This way, you can use all the words you have in your arsenal in a more meaningful manner. You can also narrate your personal experiences with the correct sequencing of events.
The Takeaway: It's All About YOU
In case you haven’t noticed, all the tips we shared above have one thing in common: they focus on you talking about YOU in your target language.
Because that’s the whole point of learning a language. To be able to communicate and express yourself in a language different from your mother tongue. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to becoming fluent in any language you’d venture to learn.
And as promised, here’s the infographic for our tips to learn a language. Feel free to print it out, and post it in your study area to keep you on track in your learning journey. Share it, too, with your peers, family, and friends who are looking to learn a new language.
How to Learn a Language Effectively Infographic
If you want to learn more study tips and techniques, like and follow us on our Facebook Page.
