Showing posts with label Lanugage Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lanugage Learning. Show all posts

Thursday, May 29, 2008

How To-22: How to Become an Advanced English Speaker


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


This article is a stub. You can help by expanding and clarifying it. Notice added on 2008-01-02.
How to go from a beginner to advanced (in English).

Steps

  1. Read English constantly, whether it is books like Harry Potter or non-fiction, scholarly works.
  2. Read aloud in order to build both your written and spoken vocabulary.
  3. Practice writing a lot. Essays, article contributions, blogging, etc.
  4. Communicate as much as possible in English.
  5. Make use of the dictionary or thesaurus.
  6. When speaking English be relaxed and Confident.

Tips

  • Grammar is very important. Lay yourself a good grammar foundation and your English will improve exponentially. Nevertheless, don't get bogged down and held back by grammar rules. You want to speak the language, not learn how it's spoken.
  • Grammar is not only about sentence/verb formations. You should understand the implied meaning associated with the grammar used.
  • Try to think in English instead of your mother tongue/the language you are familiar with.
  • Use an English dictionary instead of a bilingual dictionary (as you progress).
  • Practice using natural English instead of finding the English equivalents from your mother tongue.
  • Watch movies in English without subtitles or English language satellite channels like BBC or CNN and try to understand it.
  • Find a friend with whom you can practice English.

Warnings

  • Be patient. Language learning takes a while.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Become an Advanced English Speaker. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-20: How to Learn a New Language Fast


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialTeach-Yourself-a-New-Language" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2008-05-26.
When you're on vacation and see some people able to speak three, four languages, well you're first amazed, wondering how they manage doing that! Well I tell you here some tips on how to do the same easily.

Steps

  1. 'Learn' from 10 to 20 words a day (10 if you're beginning, 20 when you're medium, and upper if you're high). Keep saying these same words, so that you won't get the chance to forget them.
  2. Always have a dictionary with you.
  3. Learn whole sentences, which might be used on a day-to-day basis. It helps you two-fold. One you will never get stuck speaking the language, and the more you learn the better.
  4. Work on their pronounciation. At first, you might make mistakes but after five or six times, you'll see that you manage speaking this sentence very fast. isn't that crazy?
  5. Keep practicing it, even though you are all alone. Read more books about the country, presidents if any. That will also help you. If not now, then later...
  6. Try watching movies/serials/news in that language. While listening to it, try and identify words that you already know. Watching movies help, because you might learn some words based on the context.

Tips

  • Don't try to speak very fast and very good at first... you won't manage! Be a little patient!!!

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn a New Language Fast. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-15: How to Succeed in English Class


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever wanted to thrive in English class? Here are some ways to become the ultimate English student.

Steps

  1. Read, read, and read some more. Always have a book in your hand, and read it during every spare moment: between classes, while you're on line for food, as you eat, on the bus, etc. Read some of the English classics and, if you're feeling ambitious, read poetry (especially Shakespeare).
  2. Read what other people, particularly literary critics, are saying about the books you've been reading. Compare their views, and decide where you stand.
  3. Share your opinions. When people, whether it's a teacher or a peer, ask you about a book that you're reading, explain whether you like the book or not, and why.
  4. Raise your hand in class to ask questions. Teachers LOVE IT. It shows that you're paying attention. For example, if she's talking about, for example ... Oliver Twist, and you've read it, and she's talking about a part you like, raise your hand, and say, "Oh, yes, Ms. ___ (Mr., Mrs., etc.), I liked that part. I just LOVE how _________!" or something of the sort.
  5. Be specific. Instead of saying "Yeah, it's awesome," say something like "I like the way the author creates characters that seem to be polar opposites of each other..."
  6. Compare the situations you read about in books to situations in real life. What statement is the author making about society? Was he or she describing society at the time the book was written? If so, does the description still apply, and to what extent?
  7. Take notes. If you're reading and you come across a piece of text that strikes you in some way, or that really epitomizes the message of the book, mark the text with a temporary stick-on tab. Colored ones like the ‘Post-it’ tape flags that are easily removed. Don’t draw or underline directly in the book. A teacher who sees the colored tabs sticking out of an assigned book will know you are really working on the text. You can also copy the text onto an index card or in a notebook, along with any reactions, insights, or questions you may have.
  8. Participate in class. Don't dominate the discussion; try to get other students to participate. Share your opinion when you feel it adds to the discussion - don't raise your hand just to mention tiny little facts. The best way to participate is to (1) share your opinion, (2) explain why you feel this way, and (3) pose a related question.
  9. Write your own literary criticism essays, whether it's for class or during your own time. Read them out loud to yourself to make sure that the text flows smoothly and evenly. Copy-edit your work - poor spelling and grammar are inexcusable for top English students.
  10. Once you finish writing your essay (or whatever) just to check the spelling, turn on your computer and type it out on MS Word, to check the spellings and grammar. Sure, if your essay is long it can take time but at least you know that it's correct!
  11. If your teacher marks your work strictly (e.g: maybe a short story?) then don't be afraid to ask WHY they've been marking it stricter than they mark the others'. I did that once, and my teacher said that it was because she didn't want me to slack off in my writing.
  12. When you're writing, feel free to take a different perspective from the main topic, just make sure it all still makes sense. For instance, if you have to write a paper about nature, go right ahead and write about how you don't like it, or make the essay on the top ten things in nature that annoy you.
  13. Read your assigned essays or writing out loud. Read it to your friends, family or even your dog. Don't rush: Take a good pause after each period (called a 'full stop' in the UK). Mark any parts you find difficult to read out loud, and when finished, go back and simplify that text. Often the easy way to simplify your writing is to break it up into shorter sentences.
  14. Trade written work with your friends in the class. Get them to give you an honest appraisal. The teacher may not have time to do more than scrawl a letter grade on your work, but your classmate can talk with you in depth about your writing and the points you are making.

Tips

  • When writing, use your thesaurus! It'll help improve your vocabulary. (See Warnings)
  • When you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up in a dictionary, and practice using it in a sentence.
  • Learn Latin, Greek and French, which will help you guess at the meaning and origin of difficult words (in both English and Spanish) when you don't have a dictionary on hand. At a minimum, learn the English roots that come from these languages.
  • Teachers would rather read an interesting essay than a boring one. Everybody can talk about how their family has influenced them, but only one person can talk about how their transexual Asian friend has opened their eyes to a whole new world of BDSM. Of course, only write about that if it's true. And you probably don't want to read that out loud, some people might not like it.
  • A made up story or experience is just as good as a true one as long as it relates to what you are writing and proves your thesis. It's not as if your English teacher will call your family and friends to see if what you've written about actually happened. Be sure, though, that your stories are especially well written, realistic, don't describe your illegal activities, etc.

Warnings

  • When using a thesaurus, don't put in big words just because they're listed. Make sure you know what words mean exactly. Just because it's a synonym doesn't mean that it has the same exact meaning. Look the new word up before you use it.
  • Don't argue with the teacher about small points on a quiz or test, because some will get aggravated if you nitpick too much.
  • Don't read while you're walking. While it may demonstrate your dedication, you'll may end up walking into someone, something or worse - getting hit by a car.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Succeed in English Class. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-10: How to Learn Mandarin Chinese


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

So, you love China? Chances are, you also like the Chinese language, and wish you could speak it. This can be a difficult task, unless you know how.

Steps

  1. Start small. Don't push yourself to do too much. Purchase some books from a bookstore (look in the Guides and/or Languages sections) to teach yourself the basics. If you can, contact a friend who lives in China, and they can get really good books from there.
  2. Test yourself and have others test you. But remember, this isn't an exam; it's helping you become fluent in Chinese.
  3. Find opportunities to practice what you learn. Maybe there's a Chinese restaurant down the road. If there are Chinese people there, order, and greet them in Chinese! If you can't find any, go to Chinatown. Maybe one of your neighbors speaks Chinese. Make sure they speak Mandarin, though, or it could mean a very embarrassing visit!
  4. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Learning a language is a gradual process - you have to keep at it. Chinese in one of the hardest languages to learn, so take your time.
  5. If all self-teaching attempts fail, try taking a class in Chinese. With the growth of Asian neighborhoods around the country, many classes taught by volunteers have popped up. They range in cost from $300 to $500 or more per year, plus other costs.
  6. Know your best way to learn. Do you learn best by rewriting phrases? Rereading? Saying them out aloud? Hearing them said aloud? If you are not sure, practice differently with new unique ways to help you remember.
  7. Rewrite every phase or word on the page. This will help - as you can always refer to it if you have trouble.
  8. Learn the tones. There are four tones. One type of tone is usually over each Chinese word. Each tone type is drawn over the word 'ma' to show the different ways of pronouncing it.
    • The first tone is a high, flat tone. Your voice stays flat, with no rise or dip in the way it sounds. e.g.
    • The second tone is a rising tone. Your voice rises when you say this, sort of as if you were asking someone to repeat something by saying "huh?" or "what?"
    • The third tone is a dipping tone. The way you say the word goes down then up. Such as when you say the letter "B".
    • The fourth tone is a lowering tone. Just say the whole word as if your voice is becoming more manly, or as if you're reading a book and have come across something new and interesting and are saying "huh". Easy enough? If not, don't fret. It's definitely recommended to hear the tones demonstrated from a native speaker, since it's hard to get an idea of what they sound like purely through text.
  9. Say hello. The Chinese say 'Hello' as "Ni Hao". This is pronounced: Nee How. To pronounce this word correctly, you should use tone 3 (dip and rise) for Ni and for Hao as well. Ni-(nee) means you, literally, in Chinese, and Hao (how) means good. So they are basically saying "You are good", but in Mandarin it is interpreted as "Hello!" (There is a technicality in that when one has two third-tone sounds such as "Ni hao", the first is changed to a second tone (rising). Thus, Ni hao, has a rising, falling/rising tones. This is one of several tone sandhi's or rules for alteration of tones in Mandarin.)

Tips

  • Tones/pronunciation is very important in Chinese. When first starting and learning new vocabulary, take some extra time to practice the tones. For example: what, to a native English speaker might seem to be "moo", "moo?" and "moo!" is actually three different, completely unrelated, words in Mandarin.
  • Remember, little and often.
  • Don't skip a day or a few weeks just because you don't have time. You'll forget everything and have to start from scratch.
  • Another thing to remember, find opportunities to speak it.
  • Get some friends that come from China or other Chinese speaking countries to teach you some Chinese. Make sure they know Chinese, as many schools in China now teach English.
  • If you need to learn in a hurry, try some software or use flash cards to learn before bed.
  • Get a 'How to learn Mandarin' Book to learn more.
  • Try to get a hold of a CD that you can play in your car or while doing homework or while just relaxing. It really will help if you just practice.
  • If you can, taking at least an introductory course on Mandarin at your school or local college can be an excellent way to be confident and accurate in your pronunciation and tones. Getting the basics down can help you have a good springboard for further studies on your own.
  • While there is much disagreement about romanization of Chinese and the use of such systems, learning the Pinyin system can prove invaluable if you intend to type in Chinese on a Western keyboard.
  • Flashcards are very useful for learning new vocabulary, but it is equally important to practice using new words in sentences.
  • If you intend to learn how to read Chinese characters, seek out a good reference book or character workbook at your local bookstore or library.
  • Persistance is key! If you think you know a lot, then just stop studying or repeating it, you will forget what you have learned. How frustrating will it be to have to relearn things over and over because you don't study at least 4 times a week.
  • One good skill to learn is how to downplay compliments that native speakers give you.
  • There are free podcasts available online.
  • By and large, Chinese people are very proud of their culture, and enjoy helping people learn their language. Don't be afraid to ask for help or practice with a native speaker.

Warnings

  • If you must use the internet, remember that it's not always accurate.
  • Some people might be picky and correct you, but that's alright. That's what you want, so you can correct your mistakes.
  • If you learn something offensive, please don't say it to someone who really is Chinese. It's just rude.
  • Make sure that the resources you use are reputable- the last thing you want is to be saying bad things that you don't mean!
  • When in doubt about how to use vocabulary, if you can, ask a native speaker.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn Mandarin Chinese. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-7: How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Even if you were born into English, it can be a tough language to master. It has widely irregular spelling and pronunciation. English borrows words from all sorts of different languages and new terms are emerging constantly.

Steps

  1. Read, read, read! It doesn't matter a whole lot what you read, so choose subjects that you like. Not everything in print is perfect, but the vast majority of printed works, such as books and magazines, have been thoroughly edited. You will pick up structures, tones and ideas from your reading. The more you read, the more mistakes and problems will start to "look" or "sound" wrong to you. Correctness will start to feel natural.
  2. Listen to talk radio, podcasts, and audio books. It's good listening practice. Audio books, especially, are an opportunity to hear writing. Besides hearing words pronounced that aren't normally used in conversation, you'll hear complex sentence structures inflected.
  3. Read out loud, with intonation. If you have kids, read to them, and ham it up with Dr. Seuss. Even if your dog or cat is the only one listening, reading passages out loud is one way to interpret their structures, and it will make you more conscious of their details.
  4. Study the creation of works using proper English. What makes the artful imagery in a novel so beautiful? What makes a good speech so persuasive?
  5. Build your vocabulary. Reading is the best way to do that since it exposes you to a far wider range of words than conversation or spoken media, such as radio or television. Collect words you don't know. In addition, browse in the dictionary, play word games, and subscribe to a word of the day.
  6. Play with the language. Start a pun war. Dust off your Scrabble game. Invent your own word. Try your hand at a garden path sentence or enter the Bulwer-Lytton contest for bad prose or one of its imitators. Making fun of the language is a great way to explore it.
  7. Brush up on the rules. Get hold of a copy of William Strunk's The Elements of Style, a thin volume covering the essentials of good writing. If you prefer a physical book, an updated version by Strunk and E.B. White is still in print. Other style manuals discuss common, frequently-confused rules, too.
  8. Practice writing. Write for a journal, blog, or wiki. Wikis, especially, need writers and frequently come with a whole community of editors who will help you. Whatever and wherever you write, practice daily, if possible. In email and text messages, use complete sentences. That's writing, too.
  9. Consider your audience. Just as you wear different clothing for different weather, you should write or speak differently depending upon your audience. Having an audience in mind will help to focus your communication, too.
  10. Consider your purpose. Is this communication factual or fanciful? Are you telling a story, arguing a point, or explaining a procedure?
  11. Proofread your writing. Even a thorough grasp of English does not ensure perfect typing or ideal sentence structures the first time around. Proofreading will also tell you what sorts of things you regularly do wrong, so that you can improve. Reading out loud is a very good way to catch things you might have missed.
  12. Have somebody else proofread your writing. Something that sounds right to you may not make sense to somebody else.
  13. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Language takes extraordinary amounts of practice to master, and mistakes are part of the learning process.
  14. Try learning another language. It will make you more conscious of the structures and grammar in your own. Many of the Latin-based and Germanic languages have words and structures similar to those in English, and exploring these similarities and differences will strengthen both languages.
  15. Avoid trying too hard to perfect the accent and criticizing other people for their not-so-perfect ones.

Tips

  • Do not hesitate to split an infinitive when it is warranted. Grammarians, teachers, and writers used to try not to split "to" and the verb. The rule was supposed to make the English language more like Latin because the infinitive is one word in Latin. Strictly speaking, however, “to” is not a part of the infinitive, and both English and Latin use one-word infinitives. For example, in the sentence “I made my daughter clean her room,” “clean” is an infinitive without “to.” Split infinitives are not ungrammatical because they are unavoidable in some sentences. Infinitives lack subjects and thus do not have voice, meaning that split infinitives can be used in very formal English that avoids the active voice. In the sentence, “Her plan is to not use the active voice,” the split infinitive prevents confusion. If we place the “not” after “is,” we end up saying that it is not her plan to use the active voice, instead of saying that she is trying not to use the active voice. “To more than double” is another example. “More than to double” and “to double more than” are not English!
  • Do not be afraid to use a "split verb phrase." Some writers who do not split infinitives refuse to split verb phrases as well, but there is no such rule. If there were such a rule, we should all be saying, "I saw her not" instead of "I didn't see her." We should also say, "You are going?" instead of "Are you going?" but "You are going?" is a Nonstandard question. This rule is not consistent with the evolution of the English language. In fact, split verb phrases have the advantages (in terms of emphasis) of split infinitives.
  • Realize that you sometimes have to end a sentence with a preposition. Consider this line from Robots: "You can shine no matter what you're made of." It would be ungrammatical to write, "You can shine no matter of what you're made," and it should sound foreign to you! Also consider that like Latin, the English language is able to use intransitive verbs in the passive voice! Consider "Speak only when you are spoken to." "Spoken to" are treated as a single unit in English, and this sentence can be "corrected" only by rewriting it in the active voice: "Speak only when someone speaks to you." This sentence makes assumptions because you may be spoken to by one person or by a group. When your sentence uses a relative pronoun, try to place the preposition in front of the relative. For instance, "It was the ball by which I was hit" works better than "It was the ball that I was hit by." Your sentences will generally be stronger if you try to follow this rule. After all, few people are going to say that their favorite part of speech is the preposition. Your writing will be more exciting if you end your sentences with an exciting word.
  • An intuitive grasp of English usage, while not infallible, is the most flexible. You will write or speak most naturally if you can focus on the ideas and their communication, instead of thinking about the rules.
  • Remember that good writing calls for good grammar, good spelling, logical organization, clarity, attention to the audience, and a good selection of content. A good writer does not overlook any of those things. Be sure to allot plenty of time to check for grammar and spelling errors and poor organization.
  • Accept that the rules change over time. For instance, the word data was once strictly the plural of "datum", but has come to be used as a mass (or uncountable) noun, similar to "information" or "water."
  • Write first, fix second. If you do not know how to spell a word, keep writing! Do not stop to correct errors if you might lose your train of thought. You can always make corrections later.
  • The ability to spell is not necessarily an indicator of the ability to write, although the two skills are closely related. If spelling is not your strong point, use a dictionary or spell-checker before you publish a work or hand something in.
  • Attention to written English will improve your spoken English as well.

Warnings

  • Nobody is perfect. Even English mavens such as William Safire, Richard Lederer, and Lynne Truss draw comments and criticism on their writing styles.
  • Written works, especially on the Internet, may not be grammatically accurate.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

  • Librivox, a project to provide free audio books of public domain works.

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn Perfect English As a Native English Speaker. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How To-5: How to Learn Any Language


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Learning a new language can be tough, and takes a lot of time and effort. However, learning a language can be dramatically simplified by following a few basic steps.

Steps

  1. Study the pronunciation of the language first. Practice the most difficult sounds with repetitive drills daily until you are confident. Practice the most common words and short phrases. Check your pronunciation with an educated speaker.
  2. Practice the native intonation, stess, and rhythm of common, short social sentences and social questions next (example: "Hi, How are you?" "Where is the restuarant?", etc). Try to imitate educated native speakers. Begin by listening carefully to a repeated phrase 5 to 10 times. Use audio and video to help you. Then, try saying the phrase correctly. If possible, ask educated native speakers to correct you and record correct phrases of pronunication. Repeat each of the phrases 50 times or more if needed. Many langauge students get into bad pronunciation habits that are difficult to break. Bad pronunciation will cause confusion and misunderstanding. Be patient and diligent with this early pronunciation drill as you will be rewarded with a near-native accent.
  3. Get audio books in the language you wish to learn. Choose a popular audio book in a subject that interests you. This will help your listening skills.
  4. Get a quality dictionary of the language you wish to learn. When you encounter a new word, highlight it in the dictionary. Then, copy the word, definition, and an example sentence using the word into a notebook. Then, study the notebook. This activity helps you think in the language.
  5. Get a quality translation dictionary which translates from your native language to the one you wish to learn. Use this only as a back up in case you don't understand the definitions in the native language dictionary.
  6. Getting a picture dictionary is helpful for learning common nouns.
  7. Get several classic, well-known literary works in the language you wish to learn, such as plays, short stories, or novels. These works should be written by a native writer (not translated into that language). For example, if you wish to learn French, read works by Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, Gustave Flaubert, etc.
  8. Get popular magazines or newspapers in the language you wish to learn. If magazines, get a topic in which you are interested. Magazines are a good way to learn common idioms in context.
  9. Spend some time reviewing the grammar and essential parts of speech of your native language. This will help you jump-start your study of the language you wish to learn.
  10. Get a book on idioms, proverbs, and expressions used in the language you wish to learn.
  11. Get teacher's copies of gradeschool and highschool textbooks in the language you wish to learn (ensure they include answer keys).
  12. Pay an educated native speaker to tutor you through one-on-one conversation practice. This is an immersion technique. This is best done after you've become more familiar with the language and at at least "low to intermediate" level. Conversation Tutoring should be done at 100% in the language you wish to learn. Ask the tutor to help you with pronunciation and conversational grammar. Record the sessions if possible and take notes.
  13. Pay an educated native speaker to record readings of books or magazines in the language you wish to learn. Ask them to make one reading slowly, and the next reading at normal pace. This will help with listening practice.
  14. Listen to news broadcasts in your target language. You can listen to live feeds free on many internet radio stations. Take notes of any words or expressions you don't understand. After the broadcast is complete, check the notes in the native language dictionary.
  15. Enroll in a class, if possible. Classes are possibly the best way to learn a language because you are given activities to do, and you have a teacher to guide you. The teacher is also able to tell you what you are doing right and wrong. Check your local community college and see if they are offering lessons.
  16. Visit your local library. Many libraries have an audio section with language books on tape. Check out the tape and make an effort to study 30-60 minutes a day.
  17. Work on your vocabulary. Learn the most commonly used words first, including how the words can be used grammatically. Next learn words that will be helpful in conducting business or traveling. A simple dictionary or similar books from the local library might be helpful.
  18. Attach labels to everything in your house/ at your desk/ etc in the language you are learning, picture/ word associations help best. Use mnemonics for vocabulary you have trouble with. You may wish to build a Memory Palace for your language.
  19. Study the grammar. This is probably the most important part of the language besides the vocabulary. "Paul want Mary go store" is not at all correct English, and sounds very unintelligent. If you do not pay attention to grammar, you can sound equally incomprehensible in another language. Practicing verb conjugation is essential. Ensure you know how to express questions, affirmative and negative statements in the past, present and future using the 20 most common regular and irregular verbs.
  20. Learn the orthography. The orthography is the written language. Countless other languages do not use the Latin script (which is what English uses), and you may need to study their writing in order to become literate. For example, Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, Chinese uses various ideographs, and Thai uses its own script. Many of these scripts do not resemble our alphabet at all, and will require a lot of adjusting to. In languages that do use a Latin script, pay attention to accents, diacritics, and letters which are pronounced differently than their English counterparts. Leaving out a diacritic can amount to misspelling a word and in some cases, it may even change the meaning; also, pronouncing a word incorrectly will almost certainly confuse whoever you are talking with.
  21. Educate yourself in the cultural aspect of the language. This is very important if you do not want to come across as rude to the other person. For example, in parts of Europe, it is customary to kiss the other person's cheek when greeting, while in America, this would be considered awkward. Often the cultural context will inform you of why certain language elements are used and will assist your learning process.
  22. Start to find good channels to practice with. This is necessary to get good at the language. Watch a lot of movies in the language with or without subtitles, read a newspaper in the language, or listen to music in that language. Are there a lot of people in your community who speak the language you want to learn? If so, ask one of them to help you with learning their language. If not, get online and look for somebody. This will give you the great opportunity of being critiqued and taught by a native speaker, and you can often return the favor.
  23. Practice! Do not hesitate to speak the language in public and with native speakers. It will be helpful in improving your mastery. Also, don't be ashamed to allow other people to correct you if you pronounce something wrong. No one knows everything. Welcome some constructive criticism. Test your knowledge at every social occasion you have. Good Luck!

Tips

  • Focus your time: During your first 50 class-hours studying a language, spend Approximately 50% of the time practicing pronunciation and intonation, 20% learning the 250 most common vocabulary words, 20% in listening practice, and 10% in grammar. After this, spend 40% in conversation practice, 20% studying written and conversational grammar, and 10% learning new idioms and vocabulary, 10% pronunication practice, 10% composing letters, emails and notes, and 10% listening to radio or watching television in your target language.
  • If possible travel to the country where the language is originated. For example, if you are interested in learning French, take a trip to France. By doing that, you put yourself in an uncomfortable environment where you have to survive for that few days. When you aren't able to use English, you must speak the language to get to where and what you want.
  • Quiz yourself from time to time. Don't continue to drill and study what you are confident in, move on to new things.
  • Associate with children who speak the language. Children tend not to be shy around people who do not speak their language and do not mind repeating themselves. Children also like to help you learn. If you are a child learning, get a pen pal and share your thoughts in the other language.
  • If you need help with your accent, try listening to music in the language you're learning. Those who learn languages with music tend to have much better accents than those who don't. Television shows are also helpful because sometimes music can be hard to understand and mimic. Choose a favorite actor and copy his or her speech style.
  • Ask someone you know who speaks the language to say common phrases or read you a passage or short story and send it to you as a .wav or .mp3 file, so that you can play it when you're doing things around the house. In this way, you can "absorb" key phrases and grammar structures effortlessly.
  • If you want to get better at speaking any language, force yourself to think in that language.
  • A conversation partner or pen-pal can be an indispensable guide to the culture as well as the language. Keep an open mind and a sense of humor, and be respectful of what you learn.
  • Another useful trick if you want to learn a language in the shortest possible time, is to learn the first 2500 most frequently used words of that language.
  • Learn to express yourself in the most direct, simple way first. Learn how to ask polite questions so you can satisfy your basic communication needs first.
  • Some language educators believe the truest test of fluency is to be able to be able to order a pizza by delivery in your target language, have a friendly exchange with the driver when it arrives at your door, and if your food isn't correct, be able to call back and rectify the situation. This test requires you to have good listening skils, learn local phone ettiquette, use idiomatic expressions, understand questions, ask questions, give directions, make a transaction, have polite conversation, and express disatisfaction. If you're confident that you can do this with few significant pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary errors, then you've probably achieved a decent level of fluency.
  • If you are under the age of 13, try using "Muzzy". It is extremely helpful.
  • While all the above tips and recommendations are accurate and well tested, a somewhat different approach is offered in this article on "Accent Addition" [1] (as opposed to "Accent Reduction"). This is for those who dare challenge the common myth that adult learners will by necessity end up with a sub-optimal version of the language they are learning. The author insists that it is indeed possible for adults to obtain a near-native-like accent. It's not another instant snake-oil commercial product, but a method that entails a lot of work and dedication on the part of the learner. But the principles are simple enough and can be practiced by anyone with a guaranteed better-than-expected result.

Warnings

  • You might be discouraged along the way but remember, nothing comes easy. Just remember what got you interested in learning the language.
  • When learning certain languages, such as Chinese or Vietnamese, you need to pay attention to tones. Be sure to use the right tone so that you don't unintentionally insult someone. Tonal languages are one of the most difficult for English-speakers to master.
  • Don't spend too much time with academic grammar and only learning from books. While those are valuable for perfection, many students find conversational, social communication extremely difficult.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn Any Language. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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