They say that children learn languages the best. But that doesn’t mean that adults should give up. Learning a new language doesn’t need to be a slow or tedious process. Although nothing can replace the hard work and effort it requires, you can absolutely learn a new language fast if you follow the right strategy and dedicate yourself to the process. Tip 1. Set language-learning goals.
The first step to learning a new language fast is to set goals for what you want to achieve. When you think about it, this makes a lot of sense. If you don’t set goals, how can you know what you want to achieve and measure whether you have achieved it? When faced with the idea of learning a new language, most of us feel overwhelmed. There are so many words to learn and so many different ways to study. Setting goals narrow your focus so you can stop worrying about the details and get down to business. No matter your reason, once you’ve decided on a language, it’s crucial to commit: “OK, I want to learn this and I’m therefore going to do as much as I can in this language, with this language, and for this language.”
Tip 2. Find A Partner
Finding some kind of partner will push both of you to always try just a little bit harder and stay with it. Even when you have no one else to speak to, there’s nothing wrong with talking to yourself in a foreign language. If you don’t know how to go about learning a new language, this can keep new words and phrases fresh in your mind. It also helps build up your confidence for the next time you speak with someone.
Tip 3. Leave Your Comfort Zone
No matter how much you learn, you won’t ever speak a language without putting yourself out there: talk to strangers in the language, ask for directions, order food, try to tell a joke. The more often you do this, the bigger your comfort zone becomes and the more at ease you can be in new situations. “At the beginning you’re going to encounter difficulties: maybe the pronunciation, maybe the grammar, the syntax, or you don’t really get the sayings. But I think the most important thing is to always develop this feel. Every native speaker has a feel for his or her own language, and that’s basically what makes a native-speaker — whether you can make the language your own.”
Tip 4. Focus on specific, tangible outcomes.
Set detailed goals, and focus on what you plan to learn rather than how much time you plan to study. An example of a good goal might be, “This week I’m going to learn 30 Spanish vocabulary words related to shopping.”
Tip 5. Challenge yourself (but not too much).
Goals work best when they make you push yourself. But if they’re too daunting, they can actually discourage you. A good way to get around this is to set goals with a range of outcomes. For example, you might say, “I want to learn 30-50 new vocabulary words this week.” The lower number in this range helps you feel the goal is achievable, while the higher number allows you to push yourself.
Tip 6. Join a conversation club.
Many cities and schools have conversation clubs where language students meet regularly to practice having informal discussions in their target language.
Tip 7. Visit businesses where people speak primarily your target language.
Perhaps there’s a Mexican restaurant nearby where you can enjoy delicious food and practice your Spanish with the waiters or owners, or perhaps you can practice your Chinese at a grocery store that sells food to the local Chinese community.
Tip 8. learn about the culture
As you begin to study a new language, take some time to learn about the culture of the people who speak that language. Don’t feel this is a waste of time, even if it involves reading and watching videos in your native language. It will help you enormously and can even prevent you from making embarrassing and potentially offensive mistakes.
Tip 9. Have fun!
We tend to learn best when we’re enjoying ourselves, so don’t forget to make language learning fun.
Playing games is a great way to have fun while learning. Games take advantage of our natural competitiveness and can help us practice language skills even when we feel tired. If you like to sew, for example, study words in your target language related to sewing, watch instructional sewing videos and talk with tailors who speak your target language.
Tip 10. Visit a country where your chosen language is spoken.
Obviously, it would be a great boost to your language learning skills if you could visit and spend some time in a country where your new language is spoken. Force yourself to interact with the locals -- whether you're asking for directions, completing a transaction in a store, or simply saying hello -- and you will gain a new appreciation of the language and its speakers.
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