How
can you cut expenses and time spent on learning a second language? Today
technology and online learning are the most obvious answers. A variety of
training videos, recordings of online books, real-time chatting with native
speakers, applications for memorizing words and tricky phrases are only a small
part of benefits you can receive paying nothing for it. Not only you can reduce
costs on expensive textbooks and supplementary materials but also save on
transport.
Yet,
if you strive to achieve tangible results, you need to find solutions that will
perfectly match to your personal study aims. Each of us has different purposes
deciding to learn a language. Most often people become more motivated to learn
a second language craving for a significant career advancement or getting the
desired internship in a world-known company. Although our purposes may differ,
we all need a unified approach to the same problem. Considering this, we have
come up with seven surefire language learning ways for those of you who prefer
studying in their home environment.
- Guidance from a Skype tutor
A
few people can learn a language without any guidance. Usually, these are
polyglots who have already succeeded in other languages and attained a
sufficient level of fluency. However, a person who has no professional training
and methodology for self-learning will hardly get the desired progress. Of
course, Skype-learning is a paid service but those who do not invest in their
studies usually do not move forward. Such a service like Preply offers both teaching by
Skype and traditional face-to-face tutoring either at your home or the tutor’s
place. Unlike orthodox teaching methods, being guided via Skype is more
convenient not only because you don’t have to travel. You can learn at any time
of the day not limited by the business hours when you have to work.
- Self-learning
via an interactive program
All the following ways you can use separately, yet
each technique functions better in interaction with another. Hence, if you
attend Skype lessons of a French teacher twice a week or more, the
rest of time you should allocate to self-learning via interactive programs or
applications like Rosetta Stone, DuoLingo, LinguoLeo, Babbel etc. They have
acquired huge popularity among self-learners because of availability and
visuals that help grasp more information in the short time. Moreover, all these
tools are based on the game elements which retain attention better and urge a
learner to return to the process of advancement.
- Simplified
learning of words
Many learners spend the
half of their time cramming dozens of words but see no result. Bad memory or no
flair for languages are supposed to justify their gradual failure. In such a
case, learners pay a lot of efforts to stuff their heads with new words.
Unfortunately, cramming is always a wrong approach because it’s almost like
torturing your brain which can’t understand the purpose of frequently repeated
words. Therefore, interactive methods of learning are better for long-term
retention of words. They make your brain willingly absorb the needed
information taken from the context. For this reason, I do recommend Quizlet and
Memrise as two complementary applications for training your memory.
- Practicing
grammar than studying the rules
To stop hating grammar you
should first try not to treat it as a bunch of complex rules. The more time you
spend on practicing grammar, the fewer rules you will have to learn by heart.
Today you can find thousands of exercises for one grammar unit. They are mostly
free and provide instant feedback. However, such free materials may contain
mistakes and inconsistencies. That’s why it is better to use your tutor’s
recommendations first.
- Speaking
at any moment of the day
It is especially hard to
develop such a habit when you are too tired to deliver a thought even in your
mother tongue. Besides this, many learners also get used to speaking on
particular days of the week and time when they usually have their lessons. For
them, the other time can even seem inappropriate for practicing. Yet, speaking
when you feel unprepared and awkward challenges a learner to engage all the
potential and knowledge to get the most.
- Discovering
new cultural traits of a chosen language
Any spoken language
belongs to a particular country or countries and populations with their
cultural differences. The last is a good way to keep yourself constantly
motivated and interested in the language. You can start with food and find out
about the origin of the most popular meals. You can even try to prepare some of
them learning the names of ingredients and the process verbs this way. Another
cultural exercise is to make a list of “must-see” places and begin researching
the most visited spots as if you already have a ticket to a particular city.
- Visit a country of your second language with the
saved money
Saving
on commuting, resources and time you can raise a good sum of money for a trip.
Delving into the language bubble is essential for those who learn a language
more than a year. Such an experience is the best motivator because you see real
people who use it as a part of their daily routine. Besides, you can get rid of
a fear to speak since you won’t have any choice but to communicate in different
situations.
