10 practical tips for learning a second language

Learning a second language doesn't have to be a chore, on the contrary it should be fun, easy, and a rewarding, active experience. The reason so many people never attempt to learn a new language is that the whole process of "learning" puts them off. "Learning" means hard work, long study, and a burden for your memory. Learning is boring!

In fact "learning" is just a word, and it's not the problem. The problem lies in how you learn. You learn new things everyday without effort, so the trick to making language-learning fun and easy, is to set it up so you learn without effort. And that means taking in the information (new words) and using them regularly in situations to create familiarity, and doing all this without trying hard to remember anything... just letting the information seep into your brain in a natural, casual manner. And here are 10 practical tips to help you do just that.

1)

Most general conversation is done with a vocabulary of less than 3000 words.The most important of these words are the Pronouns, Prepositions and Conjunctions : that is, the words that are used most frequently, to create the essential structure of phrases and sentences - such as : I, you, they, those, each, near, by, on, through, along, if, but, because, and, either.... etc.

You can create a list of these words just by going through a standard written text - preferably a conversational text - and note down all the words that are not verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs. You'll get an idea then just how frequently these words are used in conversation. Focus on learning these words first and you are practically half-way to learning the language.

2)

Practice reading aloud, writing, and listening. It doesn't matter if you don't understand what you read or write or hear, this is just to bring the language alive around you.

Reading aloud is essential - this is the practice for speaking. You learn to master the pronunciation and sound of the language, which makes you more confident later when using it in conversation.

Writing creates a stronger visual bond with the words than through reading alone. You should copy texts out often, thereby becoming familiar with the spelling patterns of the language, and each word, as you speak what you are writing.

Listening is the process of immersing yourself in the whole musical character of the language. You can do this - and all the writing and speaking - in a passive manner. You don't have to experience it as learning at all. Let your subconscious do all the hard work of memory-filing for you. If you put all the information in there regularly and repetitively enough, you won't have any problem remembering it.

3)

It may sound childish, but this tip really works well. Put stickers around your house on all the familiar items: wall,chair, lamp, carpet, table, vase, plant, newspaper, glasses, T.V., window, bed, door, handle, shelf, book........etc.

The advantage of doing this is that you will be learning unconsciously and continuously. Much better than studying for an hour a day trying to learn the words from a book.

Leave them up for a week to see how it works. In that week, read aloud each sticker every time you come across it, and start replacing the "new" word for the old in your daily conversation. Later, these words will be associated with the object visually, and you won't have to bother with translation.

4)

Another word-learning technique is to concentrate on all the words that have a similarity with words in your own language. Most European languages have many words in common - some with the same (or similar) spelling and meaning, some that look the same but have a slightly different meaning. Learning these first takes care of a sizable chunk of your 3000-word goal.

5)

Look at the "ingredients" information on all the food packages you have in house. Many have translations in various languages. If yours is included, make a habit of reading these and comparing the text with the English text. You'll become familiar with common translations quickly, without having to pick up a dictionary. And again, this is all in your free time - all done passively and playfully. What is so hard about that?

6)

Read children's books and comics. Especially picture-books and early-learning books are handy for getting used to the simple basics of the language. Comics for young children are a great source of everyday conversational language, and the more you understand, the more entertaining it is to read them. Once you're past the basics, comics are still ideal, because of the conversational element, but also because the texts are short and easier to translate. You could probably learn all your conversational vocabulary out of comics alone... who needs the text books anyway?

7)

As you advance in your knowledge of the language, you'll need to become more active in your practice. You can get to the stage where you understand a lot of what you read or hear, but when it comes to speaking it yourself, you don't know where to start. This is a natural stage to reach, but you have to overcome it, and that means forming your own sentences and speaking them aloud.

A good way to start is by conducting a "running commentary" as you go about your daily tasks. For example: "I am walking to the kitchen - I pick up a cup - I fill the cup with water - I am thirsty - I drink the water and put the cup down - now I am making a sandwich....." and so on.

You can do this anywhere and anytime. When you can't think of a word, just use the English word instead - it's important that you don't stop the flow of speaking. Make a note of the words that were missing and give them learning-priority - these are the very words you will be using often in your conversations.

8)

Learn with someone else. Learning together means inspiring and motivating each other, and helping each other to correct mistakes. Holding simple conversations together from the beginning will provide both parties with a head start when it comes to talking with native speakers. Together you can practice using your new-language words in place of English ones in your daily conversation - you'll be surprised how quickly the new words become "second-nature".

9)

Get yourself a pen-pal. With all the online meeting-places, forums and social sites, you could easily find someone who'd be willing to write to you on a regular basis - especially if they want to learn your language too. Alternating your correspondence language would give both parties the chance to play student and teacher, and you would be covering a wide variety of topics, increasing your knowledge, your vocabulary and your expertise in the best way possible. And... why stick to writing? There's no stopping you talking to each other online, in real time - this is second best only to being in the actual country of your new language.

10)

If you do visit the country of your new language, make a point to put yourself in an area where your own language is not spoken. You'll have no choice but to speak to the locals in their language - and even if it is slow at first, you'll be surprised at how easily you adapt, and how quickly you become confident and fluent in speaking.

A final tip - there are many different programs, books and methods to help you learn a language, but there is no right or wrong way to learn. Whatever it takes for you to learn a language, is the way you should learn it. Have fun with the language, enjoy the learning process, and don't try to be a perfectionist. Variety in your learning methods livens up the whole process, and makes it more successful. It's up to you to make it easy for yourself.