How
to Learn Spanish, German, French, or Any Other Language on Your Own or you can
Learn anything by following the steps the only thing you need is interest
People often ask me how I go about learning a language.
Sure, communication with speakers of my target language plays an obvious and
significant role, but studying on my own is also vital. One needs some quiet
time in order to learn and understand the grammar and vocabulary before they
are practiced in real-world situations. So how can you study alone as
effectively as possible? The answer is to redefine your leisure time.
For many of us, leisure time no longer means recuperating
from a week’s physical labor. Spending 40 hours a week in an office means we
want to be out and active and engaged in our free time: pursuing sporting
activities and remaining fit, or indulging in other kinds of self-improvement.
With technological advances, more and more companies and products are catering
to the desire for staying in shape, both mentally and physically. In this
landscape of ever-evolving demands and modes of supply, how can one ensure the
most effective and lasting gains? Here are my 7 top takeaway tips from a
workshop I did in San Francisco to address this very question:
Here are the Following Tips it can be implement to learn
anything that you want
Tip
1: Make a plan
Set aside time to learn every day — even if it’s only ten
minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the afternoon and ten minutes before
bed. It’s somewhat tedious at the beginning, as there’s always the nagging
desire to jump straight into the language and get learning. You’ll save
yourself loads of time if you plan your process and note milestones and
potential rewards on the road ahead.
Tip
2: Organize your time
We often don’t realize that we actually have much more free
time than we think. We say things like, “I’m already so busy. How can I
possibly find time to learn?”, but even the busiest schedules have pockets of
wasted time that can be spent exposing yourself to the language you are learning.
You don’t need to spend six hours a day interrogating grammar books under a
bright desk lamp. The intensity of your learning schedule can ebb and flow.
Make things flexible, be aware of the time you actually have and organize it
according to your language journey.
Tip
3: Keep it regular
Make sure you dedicate some time every day to language
learning. This is really important — not only will you make progress every
single day, and enjoy the feeling of achievement that comes with that, but
you’ll also actually retain what you’ve learned. If you learn ten new words on
Monday, review them on Tuesday for a few minutes, then learn ten more, and
review those on Wednesday… slowly but surely the information will stick in your
head, and you’ll feel much more comfortable using it. Don’t let this routine
slip! Even if it’s only an online lesson over breakfast, or a podcast on the
way to work, maintaining and sustaining a connection to the language is vital!
Tip
4: Make it fun
Variety is the spice of life. You don’t limit the way you
receive information in your native language, so why limit it in another
language? Dive into the diverse world of the language you want to learn: watch
your favorite sports team with the commentary in your target language; listen
to music, podcasts and audio books; watch foreign films with subtitles; surf the
web in the language… Anything you can do in English can be done in another
language too.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand things
immediately. After a couple weeks of supplementing your studies with the
activities above, your ear will be better tuned, and some of the things you
hear will start making sense.
Tip
5: Try it out, make it stick
There is no point in learning a language if you’re not going
to use it. Find a way to put this language into practice because, if you don’t
use it, you are defeating your own objective to learn. Even if you are just
speaking to yourself, it’s better than not speaking at all. Go ahead, make
mistakes — it doesn’t matter because the name of the game is to use what you’re
learning. This is the best way to retain the information and become comfortable
speaking. It’s no use only having it in your head. When you put what you’re
learning into practice, you’re using several different techniques at once:
speaking, listening, getting immediate live feedback (which will usually be
positive), and immersing yourself in the language and culture. Force yourself
out of your comfort zone to reap the rewards.
Tip
6: Stay focused
Keep referring back to your initial plan and the objectives
you set for yourself. Why are you learning a language again? Ah yes, of course,
because you’re splendid. But you still have to train for it like anything else,
be it sport, music, a hobby or a new career path. If you put in the time, you
will be able to do it. The more you believe in yourself, the more you remain
focused. And it’s brilliant: once you reach your goal you’ll be able to speak
another language. Everything will fall into place. It won’t always be easy, but
there’s a bigger picture, so just go for it.
Tip
7: Reward yourself
It might sound a little bit indulgent, but you deserve it!
When you stick to your plans and work towards that ultimate goal, there’s
nothing wrong with patting yourself on the back now and then. It takes hard
work and commitment, so in order to stay focused pair your short-term goals
with rewards that are linked to the language. You’ve earned these language
skills, so why not enjoy them?
