Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Mastering the Basics
• Part 2 of 2: Practice the language
• Tips
• Warnings

Learning a new language can be challenging, but there are certain techniques you can follow to learn any language. There is no magic way to learn a language, but with a little effort and practice, you will be fluent in no time.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Mastering the Basics

1. 1 Know your learning style. This is the most important thing you should know when starting to learn a language. Everyone learns differently, especially when it comes to languages. You need to figure out if you are better off learning by repeating, writing down words, or listening to a native speaker.
   • Determine if you are a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. You can understand it like this: choose a couple of words from the language and read them several times. If you can remember them the next day, then you must be a visual. If you don’t remember, ask someone else to read these words for you several times, so that you don’t see them yourself. If you can remember them the next day, then you are most likely an auditory.If that doesn't work, read and write these two words, repeat them aloud, listen to someone else read them, connect them to memories and feelings. If you can remember them the next day, then you are probably a kinesthetic.
   • If you have studied languages ​​in the past, go over what you learned then and try to figure out what worked best for you. What helped you learn? What didn't work? Once you've got this figured out, you're ready to start learning the language.
2. 2 Learn pronunciation. Even if the target language has the same alphabet as yours, this does not necessarily mean that the pronunciation will be the same. (Just ask a Pole and an Englishman how to pronounce the letter combination "cz".)
   • Foreign Service Institute offers free online language learning materials that include audio recordings to help you learn pronunciation, and Duolingo offers helpful pronunciation tips (as well as quality, free language learning services).
3. 3 Pay attention to grammar. This is perhaps the most important part of the language besides the vocabulary. “Pasha wants Masha to go to the store” - the phrase, perhaps, conveys the very essence, but it is wrong. If you don’t pay attention to grammar, you may speak incomprehensibly in another language.
   • Learn the structure of the language, the use of articles (masculine, feminine, neuter). Mastering the structure of the language will help you understand how to connect different words when constructing phrases.
   • Be sure to learn how to express interrogative, affirmative and negative sentences in the past, present and future using the 20 most common regular and irregular verbs.
4. 4 Memorize 30 words and phrases every day. Thus, within 90 days, you will have learned about 80% of the language. Start with the words you use most. Learning is half the battle, and there are many different ways to do it.
   • You can practice writing down each word ten times to help you get used to using the word itself.
   • Try using words in different sentences. This will help you learn how to use the words and make it easier to remember the word when you need it.
   • Remember to practice the words you've learned as you move on to memorizing the next words. If you don't repeat them, you will forget them.
5. 5 Practice the alphabet. Especially if you are learning a language that is based on a different alphabet system. You need to know what the letters look like and how they work.
   • Try to associate a picture with each letter and sound, so that it is easy for your brain to remember the letter and the sound that accompanies it. For example, in Thai, the letter "า" is pronounced as "ah". If you're a guy, you can associate this sound with the sound you would make if you wanted to go to the toilet for a long time and finally found a suitable place. Associations can be very simple or silly, as long as they help you remember.
   • You may also need to learn to read from right to left, or top to bottom. Start simple and work your way up to more complex things like newspapers and books.

Part 2 of 2: Practice the language

1. 1 Listen. Hearing a language, whether in movies or on TV shows, in audio language courses or in music, helps you memorize the words you are trying to learn. Although just listening will still not help. You will need to repeat the words and pronounce them yourself.
   • The technique called "echo" is considered by many polyglots (people who know many languages) to be a very useful technique. Put on your headphones and go outside. Walk quickly while listening to the language. Repeat what you hear loudly and clearly with each step. Repeat, repeat, repeat. This will help you associate kinetics (movement) with language to refocus your attention so that you are not focused only on memorization.
   • Use audio books or audio language lessons. You can listen to them on the way to work or while jogging in the park.This will improve your listening skills. Continue listening to short sections from 30 seconds to one minute until you understand all the words in that section. Sometimes you have to listen to the entire course more than twice before you can fully cover everything it teaches.
   • Watch TV shows and movies without subtitles. Including TV shows, and news, and even those shows that you have already seen, which have been dubbed into the language you are learning. It's a fun way to practice and apply your knowledge.
   • Listen to songs in the language you are learning. It's fun and easy and will hopefully keep you interested in what you do. Just play the music when you wash the dishes or go for a walk, and pay attention to the words in the songs.
2. 2 Read in your chosen language. Start with simple books and work your way up to more complex ones as you progress. Try reading without a dictionary and let yourself put together the puzzle pieces of word meanings on your own.
   • Children's books are a good start as they are designed to teach children to read and understand their language. Since you are just starting out, you should start with something easy.
   • Find books you like in your own language and read them in the language you are trying to learn. Your knowledge of the content of the book will help you decipher the words and keep you interested in reading.
   • Try reading popular magazines and newspapers in the language you want to learn. Choose a topic that interests you. Journals are a great way to learn common idioms in context. Magazine and newspaper articles cover a wide range of topics and are usually much smaller than an entire book.
   • You can purchase a quality dictionary of the language you want to learn, or you can use a free online dictionary. Write the word, definition, and example sentence in your notebook. Then learn the words from the notebook. This activity helps you think in your chosen language.
   • Sometimes a picture dictionary will be useful for learning common nouns in some languages. Use a picture dictionary for Japanese, for example, because many words in this language have multiple meanings.
3. 3 Talk to native speakers. If you do not speak the language, then you are unlikely to be able to learn it well and keep it in memory. There are programs that will allow people to learn the language with native speakers via Skype. If that doesn't work for you, look for native speakers in your city. Chances are, someone you know will be able to refer you to someone who can help you with your practice. A language school is a good start.
   • Learn idioms, proverbs, and expressions. As you advance in your knowledge, learn some idioms or even slang. Even if you don't use them often, they will help you recognize and understand such elements when you hear or read them.
   • Don't be embarrassed if you don't speak the language properly yet. It takes time to learn.
   • This step cannot be overemphasized. If you don't practice the spoken language, you will not be able to speak it fluently. Talk to native speakers, ask a friend to learn the language with you and practice with him, answer the TV.
4. 4 Practice. Feel free to speak your target language in public and with native speakers. This will be helpful in improving your skills. Also, feel free to let other people correct you if you are pronouncing something wrong. Nobody can know everything. Accept constructive criticism. Test your knowledge at every possible communication.
   • Keep watching movies and TV shows. If you like football, for example, watch it in Spanish to refresh your memory. Be sure to yell at the TV if the game is not going well.
   • Try to think in the language you are trying to learn.

Tips

• Choose the language that interests you the most.
• No one ever has too much time to do anything! So why not use the time you have? Driving, taking public transport to work, or just taking a bath? Just listen and repeat! ¡Actuar! (Go ahead!)

Warnings

• Don't be too hard on yourself. Your inner critic is your own worst enemy. You will make mistakes and that's okay. The more you trust yourself, the easier it is for you to learn to speak fluently.
• If you are just watching a show or reading a children's book, you will not become fluent in the language you are learning. You need to practice speaking and thinking in this language before you can speak it fluently.