Thoughts About Learning Another Language

Subscribe to this blog in a reader
I've just deleted two posts that I intended to publish today. I really wanted to give my opinion on languages and schooling but many people have done this before me.
I need to cater to my main audience (the English-speaking world) and I figured that going off on a tangent about the French schooling system was a bad idea. However, I will happily give general tips to learn foreign languages, and I might publish mini French courses in the future.
Blogging is a learning experience, and one that is similar to learning foreign languages in many ways. Learn from my mistakes. When you're speaking a foreign language, keep it short and relevant. (KISS!)

When I started studying English, I was very talkative. I thought that speaking a lot (and speaking loudly!) was the key to becoming fluent in a foreign language.
I passed up many opportunities to have intelligent conversations with native speakers because of my behavior. I had many English-speaking friends who were amused by my bubbly "persona"... but who didn't take me seriously.
Oh well, at least I practiced a lot.

In hindsight, I'm pretty sure I spoke loudly because I was afraid of being misunderstood. It's funny how humans start panicking when they're faced with the prospect of being ridiculed. :)

That's all for today. I will post a complete review of Rosetta Stone Level 1 as soon as I'm done with American English L1.

Can I Really Learn a Foreign Language? And Can I Become Fluent in It?

Subscribe to this blog in a reader
Yes, you can learn a foreign language. If you're reading this post, it means you're at least somewhat motivated to start studying another language. A little motivation is all you need to start! Give yourself a week to see if you truly like the foreign language that you chose. If you're too busy to invest a whole week into this project, study the foreign language you've chosen for 30 minutes a day (every day) for a month. Day 1 Look for language-learning resources for beginners. For now, use the internet or the library. Trust me, buying a lot of language-learning material on Day 1 is a big mistake! While purchasing books can be a good way to motivate yourself, you should wait till the end of your seven-day language-learning experiment to go on a shopping spree. Pick one book that is particularly short or start reading an online course that is really easy to understand. Most people think that reading a complicated course means that they will learn the foreign language faster. They couldn't be more wrong. You need to ease yourself into it. Diving headfirst into ice cold water can be dangerous. So is reading a complicated grammar book right away! :) I will post more tips for beginners soon! Try to study your new foreign language for two hours per day this week. Use the "dead" time you have at your disposal (Read tips on time management here: http://fluent-language.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-have-more-time-to-learn-foreign.html

I'm a Beginner Language Learner: What Should I Watch? Everything Is Too Difficult For Me! Part 1

Subscribe to this blog in a reader

What should you watch when you're a beginner language learner? When you're a beginner and you're just starting to immerse yourself in a foreign language, you will soon realize that there's a big difference between watching TV in your native language and in Japanese/French/Italian/Spanish. I'm aware of this because there are still American shows that I don't understand perfectly. That being said, I don't always understand French TV perfectly either! Some TV shows have bad audio, and even if my hearing is good (I got it tested), I just can't stand bad audio quality. Usually, if you don't understand a particular movie or show, it's because of the slang the actors use. Becoming fluent in a language is a great experience and you will be able to understand lots of material very well if you work hard... but slang is really hard to master, even in your native language! I highly recommend you give shows for toddlers a chance, at least for a while. You can learn a lot of things by watching Teletubbies or Dora the Explorer. Even if can only stomach a few hours of shows for kids, you will have learned a lot, trust me.

I'm a Beginner Language Learner: What Should I Watch? Everything Is Too Difficult! Part 2

Subscribe to this blog in a reader
This is the second part of the article. Please check out the first part too! Once you've watched a few shows for young children, it's time to graduate to show for teens or shows which deal with your favorite hobby. For example, if you like sports, watch a few matches/games. After watching ten baseball games in a foreign language, you will start to memorize the important vocabulary for that sport. Concentrate on a single topic for some time. Don't hesitate to use a dictionary if there are words don't understand. Using tools such as dictionaries will expedite the language-learning process. I also recommend you read the news from time to time. Websites such as the BBC are a gold mine for English learners. Find the equivalent of the BBC or NPR in your target language. News bulletins usually contain common words, no slang, and some of them can be particularly interesting, especially tabloids if you're into gossiping. May your language-learning goals become a reality!

Are You a Beginner Language Learner? Here's What to Do!

Subscribe to this blog in a reader
I try to write comprehensible blog posts but most of my visitors probably have never learned a language before.
Fear not: you've learned and mastered your native language, so you are able to learn a foreign language.

Most of the people who are disabled and thus see the world a bit differently and have some learning difficulties can become bilingual. No matter who you are, you can learn a language to fluency.
Second language acquisition isn't rocket science, thankfully!

I guess language-learning is a bit like playing a sport. If you want to attack the other team, you need a plan. You also have to work on specific elements of your game to get better = you need to set some goals for yourself. If you are good at dribbling (using vocabulary about yourself and your family), try to dribble around some cones without touching them (make some sentences with your newly learned foreign vocabulary).
Try to find some beginner content to start with. I will be suggesting material on this blog at some point.

I hope you like these language-learning tips!
And don't forget: setting your goal is the hardest part. Decide what you want to work on and memorizing vocabulary or finding time to listen to the radio will become easier. Share this page on social networks such as Digg or Stumbleupon if you like it! The social media icons are below "Share this page" on the right-hand side of the blog. It only takes a couple of minutes!

Subscribe to my blog (RSS feed): http://feeds.feedburner.com/FluentLanguageLearnANewLanguageToday If you like this website, recommend it to your friends!