How to learn foreign languages

Lots of people across the world are faced with the challenge of learning a foreign language. You might be in your country of origin wanting to learn a language such as English for your work. Or you might have moved to another country and want to make progress with the local language. 

But how do you do it? Is there any prospect of making significant progress? Will you ever be able to give that talk or do that job in another language? 

Well, almost certainly yes, but it will take time and staying power. Accept that your ambitious goal may take some time to reach, but, as you make progress, every step is worthwhile in and of itself. 

What I can offer is some tips to make your learning more effective. 

Let me say straightaway: don't bury your head in an old-style textbook or rely on a language tutor to teach you (their job is to assist your learning) - that is not going to deliver the results you need. Nor is using Duolingo, on its own, although that is already more effective than the previous two approaches. 

To learn languages you need to work up motivation and build momentum. For me this comes as I am able to learn and use new things - this whets my appetite for more. You need to be curious and adventurous. Try saying or writing something. Think about what you want to say or talk about - and do it. You can start by just introducing yourself and talking about your family, work and interests. Then you can talk about events and experiences. And then just keep going. Say and write things - and find ways to get feedback from those who know the languages. 

As you build up momentum, it is useful to be systematic. Language tutors, such as myself, will choose particular issues and cover them in a given lesson or lessons. For example, particular parts of speech: verbs (go, eat, plan), prepositions (in, of, over, across) or adjectives (blue, angry, funny). A very useful thing to learn is how to build a sentence in your language. Start with a sentence you know to be correct and play around with it: change one of the words or turn it into a question or a negation. There will be rules about how to do all this. Make sure you have a mechanism to check that what you are learning is correct and sounds normal. 

Another aspect of language learning is exposure, i.e. hearing and reading (as opposed to active use). This is why native speakers are so good; they have heard their language every day since birth (and, research suggests, even in the womb) We live in an age where all of this is accessible via Youtube and other platforms. Find yourself clips or films to watch, ideally with subtitles, and pick up on the words and phrases. If you don't understand something, note it down and find out. 

I find it particularly helpful to listen to songs, learning the words along the way, and then to sing along. It's okay to repeat stuff you don't fully understand yet - that's how you learnt your native language! 

In all of this, always remember that language is a social phenomenon - you need someone to be writing or talking to. Post your sentences on Facebook or Whatsapp. Record your voice messages and send them to a native speaker. Find a native speaker and try out your conversational skills. Write someone an email. 

On the subject of staying power and perseverance, here is some advice from Martin Luther King! 

Happy language learning!

My name is Russell Phillips. I offer online video language tuition for English, German, Italian, French and Russian. I can also assist you to put together a programme for your language of choice.

My rate is GBP 9 (nine pounds sterling) per block of 15 minutes (a typical lesson might be 45 minutes), payable in advance.

Contact me via www.facebook.com/russelljamesphillips or on email at regnavit[at]gmail.com