How to Study a Foreign Language On Your Own
If you are struggling to learn a foreign language and are having a time of it due to lack of access to native speakers or classes, lack of study materials, boring study materials, or whatever the reason, there’s good news for you: It’s not nearly as hard now as it was in the past to learn to speak a foreign language! Below I’ll share some tips with you on how to make this seemingly impossible dream come true:
1.) Make full use of the Internet. Go to forums where the language you want to study is spoken…preferably forums such as travel and language study forums where there are a mixed number of both native speakers and foreigners. Register at some online language exchange websites. Track down radio and TV stations that broadcast online, as well as YouTube videos and podcasts (in particular study videos and podcasts. There are plenty for languages such as Spanish and French) in that particular language. These can be crucial to helping you practice your speaking and listening skills.
2.) Buy a shortwave radio and tune in to all the foreign radio broadcasts. This is particularly useful if you’re studying Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, etc.
3.) Buy or order some movies in the language you’re studying…preferably ones with plenty of special features in that language. You can find plenty of these through Amazon or Best Buy, but there are other companies dealing with foreign language DVDs. While you’re watching the movies, write down words you may not have known before, mystery words, pronounciation notes, etc. Also, be sure to practice along with the movie! You can also use this same method with music, but keep in mind that in many languages, tones get distorted while singing the song.
4.)Post a wanted ad on a bulletin board of a Mexican, Chinese, etc. restaurant looking for a language exchange partner who can do one-on-one tutoring at the same restaurant. I’ve heard some people say they’ve had success using this method.
5.) Speak and practice every chance you get. Practice with your cats and dogs if noone else is around! Also, don’t forget to type in that particular language whenever you are talking to your friends/language exchange partners. Don’t worry too much about accuracy. You can work on that over time. What’s most important is that you can listen, speak, and understand.
6.) Finally, no matter what, stay determined to learn that language and don’t give up! Just stay focused on learning the basics at first and gradually make bigger strides in your language studies as you move along.
Hopefully these tips will help you learn a foreign language and if you’re feeling discouraged, motivate you to keep going on!
Written by dreamcatcher381
