Essential Guide On How To Learn Any Language

Being bi-lingual, or multi-lingual, is not only important, but vital in today's world, where multicultural relations and integration are becoming the deciding factors in the development, success and survival of our modern society.

There are many more reasons to learn to speak another language than to be able to buy bread on your holidays - though this in itself is important enough... as I'll explain later.

Despite the heavy conflicts that trouble us the world over, we are in the process of becoming a global society. This is a natural development, and also a desirable one. If we want to survive as a species, as a planet, we have to work together. But for different nations and cultures to integrate successfully, without losing their unique identities, a greater level of understanding and acceptance is needed on all sides - in other words...respect.

But mutual respect is difficult to attain without a deeper understanding, and so we remain alienated from each other - falling prey to suspicions, mistrust and fear. How can we respect those we fear?

This is why "speaking the same language" is so important. And I don't mean expecting everyone to speak our language - this is one-way understanding. The only real path to understanding another culture is through learning their language too. The words, the thoughts, the expressions, the tone, the humor, the emotion, the vision, the basic founding values - herein lies the true personality of a nation. And it's all bounded in its language. This is the way to earning the respect of that nation - of proving our genuine respect for their culture.

When you buy bread on your foreign holiday using the local language, you get back more than bread. You receive a token of respect from the baker as he smiles at your willingness to speak his tongue - regardless of how well you speak it. You give him pride, he gives you appreciation, and together you forge a deeper bond between two alien individuals.

I've experienced this myself when I came to live in the Netherlands. Most people here speak English well, but only when I learned to speak Dutch, was I able to feel a real part of the community. And though the cultures are not too dissimilar, through the language I discovered subtle differences in character, in the emotional make-up that makes a Dutchman Dutch, and me English. Understanding these differences has made it possible for me to embrace the "dutchness" of the society, without losing my own identity. My son, born and brought up here, with a German mother and an English father, has been multilingual from birth. It is normal for him to be a union of three different cultures - he understands all three, loves all three, and appreciates and holds dear the subtle differences between them.

Whatever your reason for wanting to learn another language - for business, travel, personal pleasure, study, or to live in another country - if you are learning a new language for the first time, you may not be aware of the factors that ensure your success, or determine your failure.

You have set yourself a worthy task, and it doesn't matter which language you have chosen, getting the right mindset is your best preparation.  Below are four major points to attain this mindset.

The first thing you need to do is ignore any beliefs you have that you don't possess the talent to learn a new language. This is a totally false assumption. If you were stranded in a foreign land and had to learn the language, you would. This means you can.  You can learn a new language regardless of your experience, your intelligence or your age. I've worked in a school where the children had diverse learning difficulties - couldn't read, write or do arithmetic - yet many were bilingual.

At the very least, a language is made up of words, and the majority of daily conversation is conducted using a limited vocabulary of under 3000 words - so learn those words and you have the basis for nearly every normal conversation you would ever need. And your brain can easily accommodate another 3000 words. Every single day you are taking in new information and knowledge from the newspaper, the television, internet, books and conversation. You meet new people, learn new names. A new foreign word is just another, similar snippet of information. The point is that, even if it takes 10 years to learn those 3000 words, there is no denying your ability to do this.

So when you finally believe this, what can you do to help the process of learning a language?

To learn anything successfully and with ease, you need to have a genuine interest in the subject - otherwise it's going to be a chore... and take forever. So develop an interest for your chosen language, in the countries where it is spoken, and in the people who speak it. Also develop an interest, preferably a love, for the sound of the language - it's extremely difficult to get passionate about a language you don't enjoy listening to. Read books, study the history, learn about the geography, the religion, the art, the music,the customs - the deeper your bonding with the culture, the more passion you will create. The more passion, the easier the learning will be.

Pronunciation is probably the most important practical factor in language learning. Indecision, uncertainty and doubt as to the correct pronunciation of a word will make it almost impossible to learn and remember that word. You'll skip over it, mumble it to yourself, never be able to speak it aloud confidently - it will be a vague imprint in your memory. So prepare yourself well before you begin your actual study, by listening to the sound of the language as much as possible, copying those sounds aloud, and taking the time to understand fully the pronunciation rules that apply.

Lastly, you have to be prepared to let go of your fear, your embarrassment, and your feelings of shame about speaking. You have to understand that only in using, in speaking, can you make any progress in learning. You will make mistakes, but there is no shame in that. No-one will, or can, mock you for trying - more probably you will be admired, applauded and encouraged in your efforts, just as you encourage foreigners who take the trouble to learn your language.

Being able to speak one or more foreign languages enriches your life more than you can imagine. It improves your self-confidence, strengthens your self-image, gives you access to a deeper respect for other countries and their residents, and inspires you towards a greater interest and love of your own language. And if that's not enough, on a lighter note, it can help you make friends and influence people... and it makes shopping abroad so much easier.

For further tips on learning a language, visit my other hub:

http://hubpages.com/hub/10-practical-tips-for-learning-a-second-language