Learning a new language can either be a rewarding experience or a frustrating disaster, depending on the approach. When motivated by future travel plans to a foreign country, learning the language can be done quickly and there are many valuable methods to do so. Long-term learning in a classroom is beneficial due to the interaction provided in the target language with teachers and classmates, though the drudgery of learning grammar, for those not so linguistically inclined, can become a block. Depending on the reasons for attempting a new tongue, whether business or pleasure, there are many methods that lead to a satisfying result.
Self-Teaching Methods
The BBC has several informative language-learning programs on their website, ranging from Spanish interaction drama to a cartoon character and his dog that teach Welsh. These approaches are interactive both aurally and visually, thereby causing a deeper absorption and a more immediate grasp of the language. The Pimsleur methods are useful in the way it trades the classic “listen/repeat” approach for the “speak/listen” technique. In this way, the learner is challenged to speak the freshly learned vocabulary in the blank silence, before the teacher says it. Pimsleur programs can be bought in very basic to advanced levels of learning, depending on the fluency sought by the student.
Learning Enhancements for Quicker Results
Supplemental learning can be done in several ways. Watching foreign films in the target language, with or without the English subtitles, is helpful for tuning the ear to the sounds of everyday speech. Reading journals, magazines, and newspapers, many which are easily accessible online, is also a good way to learn the typical speech of a country, since the general population does not use proper grammar in conversation. Books written for children are a fun way to learn basic language skills, as well. Sparknotes, available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, makes study cards vocabulary and grammar that are helpful for improvement in several languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish.
Traditional Language Learning in the Classroom
The classroom approach is useful for learning the real foundation of a language. This is necessary for one who wants to know the building blocks of a language and is highly recommended, because only once the rules are known can they be broken correctly. Classroom learning usually involves more than the language, adding the history of the culture and traditions. This information is not only valuable when traveling in a foreign land, but deeply fulfilling in the realms of self-improvement and awareness.
Whatever the method chosen, self-motivation is the key to success. Knowing the reason for the learning, having a goal, and rewarding oneself for reaching certain levels or grades. Disaster in language learning can be averted by choosing the approach that best suits the targeted end result, whether basic vocabulary or professional fluency.
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