How to Learn a Foreign Language: 5 Ways to Increase Your Learning Ability

There seems to be this perceived notion that the English are notoriously bad at learning foreign languages. It is a point of interest that has plagued the nation for some time now; anyone would believe that it is simply not part of our genetic make up to be able to converse fluently in a tongue other than our own.

Many blame the way in which languages are taught as the problem for the British lack of learning. Yet, when considering the mix of different cultures and nationalities who have settled in this country over the years and learned our language, why is it so difficult for us to learn theirs? It has therefore been encouraging to learn that there finally seems to be a growing shift amongst young people in this country to embrace language learning.

With this in mind, therefore, I have collated some of the most effective methods to learning a language that may help to move away from this trend.

Learning a language through memorising endless lists of vocabulary is incredibly frustrating, and ineffective as unless you are able to put the vocabulary into a specific context, you are making life much more difficult for yourself.

Learning a language in context is perhaps the most central concept in language acquisition. Without being able to place the words you are speaking into a conversational level you are making life much more difficult for yourself. By building your vocabulary through learning from lists of words that come from situations that you have experienced yourself, this will enable you to make sure that the content is relevant and can be connected to your background experience.

While this is quite possibly one of most challenging ways to assist your language learning, it is also one of the most rewarding and beneficial ways of assisting your language learning.

Obviously you aren’t going to be able to read long novels to begin with; you should be seeking out literature that is aimed more at children and young teenagers if you do not have a strong grasp of the language. This is because this develops your vocabulary and grasp on grammar as a native would learn. I would also suggest reading out-loud in order to help you get used to speaking the language while also helping with your pronunciation.

It goes without saying that for this one isn’t possible for a lot of people, due to family and/or work commitments. However, if you are lucky enough to be able to go and spent an extended period of time in the country in which the language you are learning in spoken, this is an ideal choice as it immerses you within the culture, leaving you no choice but to engage in the language.

A Spanish friend of my daughter, who helped me immensely in the early stages of learning Spanish, informed me that she studied English for a short period of time in an English language school Cape Town and that her level of English improved rapidly after spending only a month in South Africa.

However, if something similar is not possible for you,
simply going on holiday in the country for a short period of time can give you great confidence and inspire you to continue your quest for fluency.

Despite what some will tell you, just because you are over a certain age, it doesn’t mean that you are unable to learn a language. There are some reports that claim that once you reach the age of 7 your brain is unable to process learning a new language.

As you can probably imagine this simply isn’t the case, and if you are determined, anyone can learn any language at any age.

As I am sure that you are aware, speaking your own native language is second nature, but you would be surprised at the number of people who do not have an in-depth understanding of their own language’s grammar.

With this is mind, if you can develop a strong awareness of your own grammar, then this will be a major benefit to you and will help reduce the time it takes you to learn a foreign language.