By Thea Jaffe
Ever heard the saying “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?” Adapted for language learning, this would become “a word in the brain is worth two in the book”. Learning new words and phrases is the exciting part, but if you don’t put the time into reviewing these, it will be much harder to incorporate them into your active vocabulary. This is why good language trainers incorporate regular review and revision into lessons.
Successful language learners recognize that language acquisition is a long-term process, and there is no quick fix. You may be able to ace an exam by cramming the night before, but if you had to take the same exam again a month later without studying, how do you think you would do? Learning a language works in the same way. Rather than working through five units of a textbook in one sitting, try practicing for a few minutes each day with a language learning app like Duolingo or HelloTalk. Without the time it takes to assimilate new words and structures into your vocabulary at a natural pace, these will go in one ear and out the other.
A little research into the culture of the language you are learning can go a long way. Love music? Listen to your favorite genre of music in your target language, and make it your goal to be able to understand the lyrics and sing along. Do you love sports? Look for news articles or audio/video broadcasts of your favorite live sports in your target language. Are you an avid reader? Identify the great literature original written your target language. Start small, for example with famous quotes, and work your way up to being able to read poems and novels. Into current affairs and business news? Seek out some websites, blogs, vlogs, online newspapers in your target language and get yourself genned up! The more you enjoy something, the easier it is to devote time to it. Our passions are an infinite source of creative energy – and successful language learners know how to channel this.
Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Make sure your language learning activities play to your strengths. Let’s imagine you bought a bookshelf at IKEA, and now you need to assemble it. Do you immediately look for the instructions and read them thoroughly before examining the parts? If so, you may be a verbal learner. Do you skip through the instructions but study the diagrams carefully? You’re a visual learner. Or do you go straight for the parts, unwrap each one, and assess how they might fit together before comparing them to the diagram? Maybe you’re a kinesthetic learner. If you go straight for the customer service line to get someone to talk you through the assembly process, you are probably an auditory learner. Find out more about this by clicking here.
Any of these approaches is the right one if it gets the job done, and the same applies to language learning. Some learners respond well to exercises like gap fills and multiple-choice questions, whereas other learners perform better with task-based learning activities. If you’re not sure which activities are best suited to your learning style, talk to your language trainer – he or she will be able to help. Learning a new language takes strength and energy. Don’t waste yours in battling your own nature.
To get the maximum benefit from your course materials, commit to them. A shelf full of course books is expensive but won’t help you if you’ve only skimmed through the first unit of each one. A book or an app is only as good as the energy and focus you bring to it. To avoid having doubts about the materials you are using, do your research before investing. If you are taking lessons, ask your trainer for recommendations, taking your learning style into account. You can also ask friends or classmates with similar learning styles what they have found beneficial. Read reviews and give materials a fair chance before giving up on them. Language learning is a complex process with ups and downs – expect to feel frustrated and even bored sometimes, and don’t let that scare you. Have faith in the process!
Successful language learners ensure to build accuracy alongside fluency and vice versa. Plenty of speaking practice will make you more fluent, but if you do not also take time to listen for gist and detail and absorb new vocabulary and grammatical structures, you will hit a learning plateau. Avoid this situation by ensuring to repeat and write down new vocabulary when you hear it, and consciously incorporate it into your speech. To build grammatical accuracy, read and listen in the target language with an eye turned toward the way grammar is used, and try to apply this to your own speech.
Language trainers love learners who make mistakes. Why? Because these learners are taking risks, pushing their boundaries, and making progress. If you refuse to make mistakes you limit yourself to sticking with what you already know. If a mistake you make elicits a correction from your trainer or another native-level speaker of the target language, give yourself a hand as you’ve just won half the battle. To finish the job, make sure you note down the new information – whether vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation – and apply this knowledge going forward.
https://www.lingualift.com/blog/8-habits-of-highly-effective-language-learners/ https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/five-habits-effective-english-language-learners
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