How To Learn A Language Fast

Learning a foreign language is often quite difficult for people, so here are some tips that should help.

First of all, the best way to learn a language is to move to a country where it is spoken. In doing so, you will be forced to speak the language and encounter it everywhere you go. This is the fastest way to learn a language and if you live in the place for six months or more, you can more easily attain fluency.

The next best thing to moving to a country, is video immersion. Watching videos in an other language puts you in an environment were you are completely immersed in the language. This is very useful, because you can even see what facial expressions and gestures are made in conversation. I would recommend finding a television series that you can watch online or on television if you have access to it. This will enable you to have a base of episodes to watch, rather than just one movie (although I do encourage you to try watching movies in other languages, as well.) Subtitles are very useful, since it tells you what is going on, but once you have a handle on the language, you might want to try using subtitles in that language instead of your own, that way you will be more immersed in the language. If you aren't able to catch what the people are saying, you will at least be able to read it. You can also try watching videos without any subtitles at all, which will also help you improve your language skills. At first you might not be able to catch much, but eventually you will understand more and more, especially if you are watching a show. You will get used to the characters' personalities and their manners of speaking, which will make things easier for you to understand.

Listening to music is also a good idea, since you are still being immersed in the language. As with watching videos, it also exposes you to the culture and helps you to keep the language in your head, so that you can start thinking in that language.

It is also important to read books or do grammar exercises in a foreign language. Although sometimes these activities seem tedious or impossible, it helps you learn to read and right, as well as exposes you to more vocabulary and correct sentences, that way, when you need help saying something or writing something, you might remember a phrase from a book that solves your problem or you might not need the help with, because you covered the grammar construction already.

Another good tip is to think in that language, rather than translating what you want to say from your own language. This is difficult at first, but he more you do it, the easier it becomes. Humans are constantly thinking, so once you have a good handle on the language, start trying to consciously think in another language. If you're on the bus looking out the window, think of how to describe the weather in the foreign language you're studying, or if you're thinking about what you did today, try thinking of it in the language you're learning. This is very simple and easy to do wherever you are.

Another idea is to write a journal about the things you do each day. It is sometimes hard to do exercises in other language, when you don't even know what you would say in your own language, so this makes it so you can still practice, since you just have to write about your day. You can write about what activities you did or will do, how you feel, what you wanted to accomplish, but couldn't, etc.

It is also very important to practice speaking the language. Repeating phrases helps to memorize them, but those will not be the only things people say or even the only things that you will want to say. Language is creative and there are an infinite number of sentences that can be made, so you have to understand how the language works. There are some websites (which I will be naming in later posts) that have free activities to practice speaking. One of them is on BBC languages. There is a video of a French man asking you questions, it pauses and then you respond. Another way to practice is to talk to people that speak the language, or organize a conversational group with your classmates. You can also join social networks, such as Livemocha, where you can contact native speakers via Skype or other chatting methods. If you are too embarrassed to speak with someone, you can also talk to yourself while in shower, the car or even while getting dressed.

Once you have a handle on how to construct sentences, you will need to build your vocabulary. This can be done in a number of ways. You learn from reading, watching shows or movies, songs, or from flashcards. There are a number of lists on flashcardexchange.com for many different languages. You can also download free flashcard sets from Byki. You can also get a word of the day here: http://www.transparent.com/wotd/

Language learning software, such as Rosetta Stone also helps, as well as taking formal classes. These options provide a more structured way of learning a language, which helps to keep people on track. It also makes it easier for people who don't like to spend time scouring the internet for the information that they are looking for.

Learning a language is a difficult process, but it is extremely rewarding and very enjoyable.

Good luck with all your language learning pursuits!