How to Master a Foreign Language Quickly

Whether you study a foreign language alone or in a class, these strategies will help you get more mileage out of your efforts.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• determination
• language textbook

1. Study every day. Even if you don't have time to learn a whole new lesson, spend at least 15 minutes reviewing what you've learned, to reinforce the connections your brain has already built.

2. Set goals. If you're working with a book or cds, decide how many lessons you be completing every week or month. Don't let yourself slack off!
   If you're in a class, give yourself objectives outside of the classwork. Write an extra composition each week, or download a couple podcasts in the language and listen to them a few times. Then see how much easier the coursework becomes!

3. Focus on the vocabulary most interesting to you. Don't spend hours memorizing how to make hotel reservations if your purpose for learning the language is to read classical literature.

4. Try to think in the new language throughout the day. While going about your daily tasks, imagine you're having a conversation with a friend in your new language, and try to tell him or her about what you're doing or anything you're thinking about. Carry a small notebook so that when you come to a word for which you don't know the translation, you can write it down and look it up later. Study these little lists; you'll learn these words, which are of interest to you, much more quickly than the vocabulary in a textbook.

5. Find movies and music in the language. Even movies with English subtitles will help your ear become accustomed to the sound of the language.

6. Speak with native speakers whenever possible.

7. Every so often, review things you learned some time back. Practice makes permanent, and you don't want to lose the work you've already done.

8. If a particular verb tense is giving you a lot of trouble, find out whether an equivalent tense exists in English under a different name. Even if the construction doesn't translate word-for-word, understanding the significance of the tense and the situations in which it's used will help it come more naturally to you.

Tips & Warnings

• I highly recommend the textbooks from the 'Made Simple' series.
• Don't give up!

[pj69]

on 10/5/2009 very helpful!!