15 Dec How to learn new language in a fast and effective way

Everybody usually wants to learn a new language fast and effectively without much effort! Well, the truth is one does not need much time and effort to learn a new language but more importantly, they need to learn for a purpose. For example, if one was to find work in China and needed to communicate with their team, they would most probably learn the language much faster than somebody else that was learning just for fun.

As the needs for everyone are different so are the methods used to learn a new language. Most of the time the method used is not as important as the reason, so gather your thoughts and information and read on for some awesome information on how to learn a new language in less than six months.

1. Take an online language test/course

First thing first!  Assess your level and try testing your language with some fun language quizzes that will help you choose the best level for your needs. Many times we underestimate ourselves and think we might be at a lower level than what we actually are. I am sure you have come across the English language hundreds of times and understand more than just the basics, but if someone asks you if you speak English you will most likely so NO! Therefore, it is best to take a quiz prior to registering for a language course that is relevant, meaningful, and important for your life, as it will serve its purpose and be less stressful to register for the language level you need.

2. Practice makes Perfect

Begin to practice right from day one! Just like young children copy by repeating the same word over and over again, adults must do the same. This will activate the sounds of your voice with your listening, as this is the most difficult part of learning the new language. Remember to use this new language as a tool to communicate in your daily conversation.  Don’t be shy to use simple one-word questions or answers to speak a foreign language.  For example “Yes/No” or “Yes, please” – “No, thank you”. The person might respond by using body language or writing it down on paper, but your purpose is to communicate. You can also start with numbers and say your phone number every day in the new language as this tool will help you begin speaking much faster than you actually expect. You can also try some online speaking sites with natives that will help you communicate on a daily schedule.

3. Surround yourself with Native Speakers

Simply by listening to natives speak the language you will automatically begin to understand the language without even realizing it.   Travelling is usually one of the best ways to pick up a language or living abroad is also very helpful.  Subconsciously, you will acquire the new language without having to make any effort.  So start communicating!  Find yourself a language parent.  This person should be native and correct you while learning the new language.  You will be surprised how fast you begin speaking the new language. Surprisingly, young children can also be very good at assisting adults to learn a new language, as they are very patient to repeat the same words over and over again. They make learning fun and cheerful without making you worry about mistakes.

4. Adapt hearing to the new language

As our brain has a filter to sound, we automatically become language deaf to unknown sounds and automatically stop ourselves from listening.  Imagine shouting at a young child because they do not understand what we are saying to them. Well, actually that child does not hear what we are saying because their ears are protecting them from the unknown sound. Another example is the sound of a loud airplane flying over us, again we cover our ears hence protecting us from this horrible sound that will hurt our ears if we listen to it. Therefore, we need to adapt our hearing to the new sounds which in this case is the new language. Expose yourself to the new language you would like to learn by listening to music, watch movies, read out loud simple advertisements in newspapers/magazines, listen to audiobooks, and repeat what you hear.  Surround yourself with people from that country and culture to make learning fun and interesting.  Restaurants, cafeterias, supermarkets, gym classes, the list is endless!  The more we listen to the new language we want to learn, the more our ears will filter the new sounds in, rather than filtering the unknown sounds out.

5. Start using your face muscles

Believe it or not, we all have 42 face muscles and we can use more than twenty while speaking. This means that at birth we are trained only to use particular muscles which we need for our native language. Therefore, once we begin to learn the new language we need to strengthen some facial movements which we have never used before in our lives. As going to the gym takes time to train your body the same will apply to your facial muscles. Begin physiological training by using and coordinating your face muscles to speak and make the sounds that will be possible for the listener to understand.  Copy mouth movement from people that are natives and don’t be shy to ask how to pronounce a word correctly, as this will help you improve speaking faster.  Watch videos that show accent reduction and repeat them every day to build face muscle and expression. This step is very important to make the correct phonetics for the new language.

6. Remain Positive because learning is fun

The psychological state of matter is the last and most important stage of learning a new language.  If you are sad, angry, or upset, learning will be exhausting.  On the other hand, by being confident, cheerful, and self-assured learning the new language will be an enjoyable experience.

Learning is a fun and memorable experience, begin your new language course today, and start using these six simple steps.   You will be surprised with your results!