How To Learn Foreign Languages in Record Time

As we grow older, many of us are making bucket lists. We have some activities on our lists that we would want to fulfill in the course of our lives. Be it daredevil skydiving, boat rowing, horse racing – these all carry varying abilities to open up our worlds. They also hold varying opportunities and risks that give the whole experience its thrill.

One thing that makes it extra early to the list for some people, is mastering a new dialect. This is especially a useful thing to do for those who wish to spend significant time traveling around the world on an adventure. Considering that English isn’t spoken everywhere, and they would have to find some way of communicating the people they meet, it seems only fair for them to attempt a new tongue.

For many of us, mastering the second dialect had never been a pressing need, especially if we spent study time in our home countries. Even for those who studied in foreign countries, it’s still possible to meet people who don’t understand the lingua franca, having spent many years there.

Why is this so?

The foremost reason to be considered is the age factor. The task of learning a second language isn’t very easy. Not everyone has the ability to grasp languages once having attained a certain age. It’s a solid fact that children have a higher ability to learn some complex subjects than adults.

Another factor could be lack of interest. This is especially seen in youth who study for long periods in foreign countries, yet don’t make any attempts to master the dialect. When asked, they tend to give excuses like, “hard language”, “too complicated” and other phrases that mask their disinterest. They often feel that they don’t need the language, especially if they are planning to return to their countries after studies. From experience, I can say that no language learned is a waste of time. You just might not know when they come in handy.

The other factor that is available for student - independent teaching methods. We are all different. It means that the way we assess information and read meanings to even the simplest phrases like ‘Edu Birdie find here’ is totally different from each other. Teaching methods for languages are sometimes like teaching walking rules to everyone in the room, including fish. Of course, they would fail over and over, because they are being taught wrongly. Poor teaching techniques have a way of discouraging people who want to learn another language. They end up giving up and moving on with their knowledge of their mother tongue.

However, it is possible to master a second language in a time that has been seen as too short. The secret lies in finding the best way to learn a new language – one that works for you. There are folks who would have thrived in languages if their instructors used a simpler approach. The good news, of course, is that no one is too old to learn anything, much less a language.

Grasping dialects in a jiffy

Our lives revolve around the educational process. We only stop learning when we cease to exist. Having this in mind, anyone can actually learn another language, even master it. How?

1. Learn the words

Okay, this is not your off-the-mill glancing through words without paying attention to the right pronunciation. Here’s one thing you should remember: you will have to learn a lot of words. You would also need to learn the right way to pronounce them. This may be hard at the beginning, but if you are browsing around on how to learn a language fast, being correct from the very beginning is your most effective shot.

You can make progress by using audio-enabled programs that speak the words with the right pronunciation. Then repeat what is said. Do this for every word you want to learn.

2. Get immersed

Like mentioned earlier, living in a country without knowing the local dialect is very possible. The saying that you have to live in a country that speaks your target language is a myth. You can learn new dialects even without leaving your home country. Beyond trying to master a dialect, get involved in its culture. Study about its people, what they value. Watch culture-projecting documentaries. Try forming sentences such that you gradually talk without pauses. It will take time, but it would leave you feeling sure about your knowledge.

3. Free resources are your lifesavers

We have been tricked into believing that free apps often have very little to offer. This isn’t true at all. As a matter of fact, many free applications might hold key information regarding improving your grasp of a foreign dialect. And they do so while maintaining their cost-effective statuses. You can check online for worthy suggestions from language gurus. But never think that you have nothing to gain from a free online application.

4. Sounding like the original native

Every dialect comes with a signature-like accent, that serves as a trademark for that language. You could try sounding natural by imitating these accents when learning words. For instance, Indians tend to ‘roll’ words on their tongue, with a characteristic movement of their heads. Spanish people have a unique way of stressing the letter ‘r’. Attempting to sound like locals can also be helpful in getting pronunciations correctly.

Author’s bio

Sandra Hayward a writer at EduBirdie and she speaks three languages fluently and loves researching on the different peculiarities of the world’s most popular dialects.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.