One of the first simultaneous interpreters in the world was the Hungarian writer Kato Lomb. Being a certified chemist, she independently mastered 16 foreign languages. She began her acquaintance with the language with a dictionary - the Hungarian did not learn vocabulary, but tried to understand the structure of words and “feel” the language. Besides, she read a lot fiction and listened to the radio. Kato Lomb called her approach the method of “total immersion in the language.” She formulated 10 simple rules which help you quickly master any foreign language.
Exercise every day
In order to achieve good results, you need to devote at least 10-15 minutes to a foreign language every day. What you will devote this time to is up to you. You can read, learn new words or repeat what you have learned. Not a large number of It’s easier to learn information, the main thing is to practice regularly.
Enjoy
Learning a language should be fun. Don't force yourself. Find an aspect of the language that you really enjoy. If you are bored with grammar, you can always watch a movie with subtitles or read a book. Variety will be good. To avoid monotony, take breaks - listen to music or go for a walk.
Pay attention to context
Learn not individual words, but entire phrases. Memorizing vocabulary out of context is pointless; you simply won’t be able to apply it later. In addition, some words may have different meanings in different contexts. If you learn entire phrases, you can avoid many mistakes.
Remember colloquial expressions
It is especially useful to learn colloquial expressions. This way, for many situations you will already have “blanks” and it will be easier to apply them in conversation. Remember, in order for a word or phrase to move from passive vocabulary to active, you need to use it in speech about 25 times.
Don't learn mistakes
If you learn texts and phrases by heart, then only the correct ones. Make sure that the design is written correctly, the dialogue does not contain errors, and the word is written correctly. Learned mistakes are wasted time.
Translate in your head
To fully immerse yourself in the language, try to mentally name the surrounding objects in a foreign language, as well as translate signs and posters, songs and newspaper headlines in your mind. This will help you learn to think in another language.
Learn phrases in first person
Memorize idioms and phrases (as well as verbs) in the first person. This way they will be better remembered and will always come to mind in the right situation. In addition, this helps many people learn to better understand spoken language.
A complex approach
It is best to develop all aspects of a foreign language simultaneously: reading, listening comprehension, writing and speaking. Just because you can understand printed text well doesn't mean you can do the opposite. Read books and magazines, listen to the radio, watch films and communicate with native speakers - this will give you a comprehensive understanding of a foreign language.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes
Many people are prevented from speaking a foreign language by fear. They are so afraid of saying something wrong that they prefer to remain silent. Don't be shy - we all make mistakes early on. Ask native speakers to correct you - this will speed up the learning process.
Believe in yourself
Don't doubt for a minute that you will achieve your goal. Be persistent, then you will definitely overcome the language barrier soon. And remember that every next foreign language comes much easier.
Many people dream of learning a foreign language, but not everyone has the time and money to attend courses. For this reason, the question of where to start in order to master the technique of speaking and writing at home becomes relevant. It's no secret that patience and perseverance are the best guides; they set the tone for the entire process and do not allow you to stop there. To properly approach the study, you must strictly follow the recommendations. Let's look at the important aspects in order and provide step-by-step instructions.
First of all, you need to set a specific goal. You must have a clear idea of why you need to start learning a foreign language. Perhaps you are planning to visit a certain country or start traveling around the world, are going on an exchange tour, or are going on a business trip.
It is not uncommon for people to start studying at will as a hobby, not out of necessity. It is important to identify this moment, because a person is suffocating without a goal. Such a move will make it possible to create a specific foreign language learning program tailored to specific needs. A goal is a great motivator that helps you move forward.
Daily training will provide additional support. It doesn’t matter if you came home tired from work or spent your nerves in a traffic jam. Practice is fundamental to successful language learning; it is inextricably linked to a specific goal. Practice self-discipline to improve your memory every day. An ideal assistant is a diary, in which you need to create a detailed schedule of classes.
The right attitude does not involve memorization, but analysis important aspects in order. For example, it is initially necessary to master grammar, punctuation, stylistics, word formation techniques and complex sentences. When you understand the basic basics, feel free to start cramming. As for “blind learning”, without this it is impossible even to partially master the language. Understanding words alone is not enough; it is important to be able to pull what you need out of your head in time.
You can often hear the phrase “A language must be learned in a natural environment,” and this expression is no coincidence. If, for example, you decide to learn English, it is better to carry out the procedure in America. In such an environment, everything improves: articulation, composing competent “conversational” sentences, the ability to memorize entire phrases.
For the most part, people do not have the opportunity to leave for the specific purpose of learning a language. There is only one way out - to create natural environment For curriculum at home. To do this correctly, you need to hang posters on the walls with inscriptions in an unfamiliar language; after memorizing, you need to replace one poster with another.
Of course, you won’t be able to achieve maximum results, but this method is worth considering as an additional incentive. Read textbooks adapted for Russian-speaking people, watch films in a foreign language, listen to audio books, chat with users of a specific country. Surround yourself with the material you are studying on all sides to make adaptation easier.
As in any other business, you need to start from the goal. Set yourself up to memorize 25-30 foreign words every day, with at least 7-10 of them being verbs.
Foreign language teachers unanimously insist that it is better to start studying in alphabetical order. For example, today we learned 5 words starting with the letter “A”, tomorrow - with “B” and so on. After that, go to the second circle. But usually this process is too long, so it is not necessary to make such a structured choice. You can write out the words in random order, the main thing is to focus on the verbs.
Cards will help you present information correctly. Write on one side Russian word, on the other - foreign. Look through the version in your native language and try to remember the translation, then test yourself by turning the sheet over. You can also download a special program on your smartphone that automatically covers a foreign transfer. You must enter the word yourself. This option is much better because it develops not only memory, but also written literacy.
Listen to audio and video recordings in a foreign language, if possible, start communicating with a native speaker. Pay attention to the pronunciation technique, record the sounds in your head and try to repeat them. Over time, you will be able to catch the pronunciation trend and understand that one sound should be sharp, the other soft. It is necessary to pay attention to even the slightest features of pronunciation, and then try to try this technique on yourself.
This move will help you easily enter the field of linguistics, as well as adapt to the articulation techniques of your native and foreign languages. The undeniable benefit of this technique is the expansion of the vocabulary, as a result of which correct pronunciation will be developed at an arbitrary level. Soon you will stop obsessing over sounds; it will become a kind of norm.
When you have mastered a certain number of words, start reading easy books in a foreign language. Do not set yourself the goal of translating the entire text. Go through it thoughtfully, try to grasp the essence at least partially. There is no need to look up the translation of every expression in the dictionary; you will waste a lot of time and not remember anything.
If you want to know how a word is translated, do not use an online translator. It’s better to spend your time, find a picture that will depict this or that object. Visualize the process.
After 2-3 similar manipulations, you will be able to identify the meaning of the word from the context, this will be the starting point - a guess, but you will understand the general meaning. In addition to the fact that you will well develop inductive and associative thinking, visual memory will improve, as a result of which grammar and writing will be learned faster. It is important to understand that this technology Suitable only for people who have already learned the basics of a foreign language.
If you are planning to visit a new country in the near future, the phrases “How to get to the street...” or “How much does juice cost?” will not be out of place. Adapt the acquired knowledge to specific needs, choose phrases for all occasions. An interesting fact is that working with a phrasebook - exciting activity. Before you know it, you’ll have already begun to absorb the material like a sponge.
If possible, pronounce phrases/words out loud so that you are not embarrassed about pronunciation and can get used to unfamiliar speech. You should not be confused by the incorrect use of sounds; this is a matter of constant practice.
It is not difficult to learn a foreign language at home if you have basic knowledge of programming. First, decide on your goal, and then try to create a “natural environment” in your apartment. Learn 25 words a day, focus on verbs. Start communicating with the native speaker, memorize and interpret the method of pronunciation of sounds in your own way. Don’t try to keep up with everything at once, act gradually, use a phrasebook.
There are many reasons to learn new languages. From any perspective, this will never be superfluous for you. No one knows when another language might come in handy for work, study, leisure, or maybe you even want to move to another country. If deadlines are running out, then you should know how to quickly and effectively learn a foreign language. This will help you establish communication and easily navigate the terrain of other countries (especially if you learn English).
Encountering an unfamiliar language is a return to childhood, when native language was to you strangers
Many scientists who studied languages noted that thanks to this knowledge, their mental abilities and communication skills increased. Linguists talked about how to quickly learn a foreign language. The most important thing in this matter is to be an active participant in the dialogue with the teacher. Yes, the most quick way learning a foreign language means seeking the help of a tutor. At least for initial stages. If you combine your own activity and good teaching, then within a month you will be able to understand and speak another language fluently. To do this, you need to devote at least 4 hours a day to studying.
There is a system that is used by many specialists. It can help you reduce your study time from 4-5 years to just 3-5 months. To do this you will need the following:
At this stage, it is necessary to intensively study the words and grammar of the language. The use of a tutor is encouraged. If you are thinking about how to quickly learn a foreign language, then group classes are not for you. If you take seminars or classes at a university or school, you can definitely afford to underlearn or be lazy, because anyway, someone will learn it for you. There is no way to quickly learn a language. You must constantly be in some kind of tension and remember your goal. You need to learn at least 30 words a day. This will help you see results within a month. You will still have difficulty understanding the speaker’s speech, but you will already be able to answer him!
So, if you have mastered grammar and a sufficient number of words, then you should move on to the second point. The main thing here is not to complete tasks from textbooks, but to directly use words and inserted constructions, which are much better learned in conversation. This helps in the question of how to quickly learn any foreign language.
With the transition to the second step, you can safely travel to another country and communicate with the local population. You can talk to young people in clubs, bars, restaurants, and just on the street. This will be the best practice in learning foreign languages.
If you have been learning 30 words for 2-3 months, you will probably be able to move on to the last stage. By this time you will know about 2000-3000 words. This is quite enough for conversations, reading books, and watching movies in the original. The third stage still requires you to learn words. It is at the third step that you need to consolidate and update everything you have learned in 2-3 months.
You may well stop at the second step, but if you still want to learn the language deeply, then continue to practice and talk with native speakers. Most the best option- find a mate. This person must be a native speaker, which is extremely important when learning. Constant communication will provide you with constant practice, which is exactly what you need!
A number of scientists can provide you with their own, “tested” methods of learning foreign languages. These methods are distinguished by their unusualness, atypicality and can help when combining them with the main one. The most effective are:
How to quickly learn a foreign language on your own if you don’t have time to study textbooks? Of course, find the application on your Android or iPhone. Every person spends a lot of time waiting in line or traveling to public transport. So why not put this time to good use? Foreign language learning programs can help you with this:
Most likely, if you decide to learn a language, you will find it more interesting to encounter it much more often. Are all the lessons, apps and other software not enough for you or want to speed up your learning? Change the language on your phone, computer, tablet. This will provide an opportunity to become familiar with technical words or phrases used for handheld devices.
Register on a foreign imageboard. Of course, there are your own native “dvachi”, but foreign forums will help you in mastering the language in the best possible way.
You have learned how to quickly learn any foreign language. Then it's up to you. Without motivation, all these lessons will be meaningless unless you decide to learn a foreign language for yourself.
Would you like to know how to learn quickly? new language without spending money on expensive language courses or language learning software? There are no secrets or tricks to this - you just need to set a goal, be prepared to do hard work and, most importantly, not be afraid to make mistakes. Read on and you will learn more secrets that will help you learn a new language quickly.
Meet a native speaker. The easiest way to learn a new language is to speak it. Very often, people spend all their time studying the grammar of a language and memorizing a lot of words, instead of putting all their learned minimum knowledge into practice. Start talking to a native speaker and it will give you more motivation to learn the language - much more than a book or computer screen.
Learn a language every day. Very often, many people complain that they have been studying a language for “five years” and still cannot begin to speak it fluently. But when they talk about five years, they most likely spend only a couple of hours a week learning the language. Let's agree on one thing - if you want to learn a new language fast, that is, in a few weeks or months, you will have to devote two hours to learning a new language in a day.
Always have a dictionary handy. Take a dictionary with you everywhere - this will help you avoid confusion (if you don’t know a word) and will save a lot of time, so we recommend that you spare no expense and purchase a good and convenient dictionary!
Watch movies, listen to music, read and write in the language you are learning. Immersion in a language environment assumes that you will do all the usual actions that you usually did in your native language in the language you are learning, regardless of whether you read, write or listen to music, radio, etc.
Visit a country where the language you are learning is spoken. Of course, the best way to improve your language skills is to travel to a country where your target language is spoken. Just go there and spend some time there.
Learn a few greetings before you learn the alphabet. This way, when you start learning the alphabet, you will already know a few basic words. For example, “Hello,” “Goodbye,” “How are you,” “I’m doing great,” “What’s your name,” “My name is...” and so on.
If necessary, learn the alphabet. It will be much easier for you if you learn the alphabet and learn to read and pronounce words - this will also help you remember words more easily. In addition, it is much better to say words out loud by reading them in the target language, rather than looking at their transcription.
Learn the words. Probably one of the most important aspects of learning a language is vocabulary. Even if you can't understand an entire sentence, being able to pick out individual words helps you understand the overall meaning of a speech or text.
Learn how to count in your target language. Learn to count to ten because numbers are usually very easy to remember. Every day, add ten more numbers to this set. Continue to study numbers every day until you feel that you can count fluently in a foreign language. If you want a real challenge, try learning all the numbers up to one hundred in one day!
Don't worry too much about grammar. The main reason that most people still cannot speak the language they spent years learning in school is that school program focuses too much on the grammar of the language and devotes too little time to oral and writing. It's grammar that slows everything down - if you want to learn a new language quickly, the first thing you have to do is master colloquial. The specifics of the grammar will come later.
Work on your pronunciation. Pronunciation is another aspect you should focus on. There's no point in memorizing hundreds of words and phrases if you can't pronounce them correctly to be understood. Therefore, it is very important that when learning a new word, you immediately learn its correct pronunciation.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Many foreign language learners are afraid of making mistakes. This fear will not allow you to go far enough.
Try Anki. Anki is a very popular application for computers and smartphones that helps you memorize new words and phrases using flashcards. You will be able to upload your own cards with specific words if you need to learn specific terminology, for example, or download any sets of cards from those offered.
Try Duolingo. Duolingo is a free language learning tool. There is an online version of the application, as well as versions for Android and iOS. Instead of focusing on memorization, it helps you learn to read and speak a new language by allowing you to see, listen to, and translate words and phrases. Users earn points by completing lessons, which makes learning a language with Duolingo a lot of fun.
Try Livemocha. Livemocha is a web product that offers online lessons and tutorials, as well as the opportunity to chat with a native speaker. And while most of the content on Livemocha is completely free, you can always pay for additional services, including personalized training programs and more advanced language courses.
What's the fastest way to learn a foreign language? Many people dream of going to another country and mastering the local language so that they can at least carry on a conversation. But we don't want to spend years on this. Is there a way to learn a language in a week or two, as online advertising promises? It's hard to believe, but in some cases it is possible.
Nothing stops you from learning the language
For a long time, American educators believed that some people had an aptitude for learning foreign languages, while others exhibited a kind of learning disability in the French classroom. However, as various pieces of evidence emerged, this hypothesis fell out of favor. In 2006, education researcher Richard Sparks wrote his famous article, “Is There a Foreign Language Disability?” After reviewing many studies of students who had problems learning foreign languages, he concluded that there was strong evidence that some students had an innate problem with learning languages or, conversely, innate abilities to languages, does not exist. Some have to put in more effort than others, but this is more likely to be due to study technique than to inability.
The good news is that almost anyone can learn a foreign language quickly, you just need to choose correct language and the correct study methodology.
Immersion method
If you need to learn a language quickly, the most established method is the immersion method, usually associated with Berlitz language schools. In the 1950s and 60s, followers of Maximilian Berlitz discovered that their students learned faster when they stopped using grammar books and simply started speaking the language on the very first day of the course. At Berlitz schools, students learn language through intensive immersion in situations that make sense. So, for example, you and your classmates can “sit down to lunch” and talk about it in Arabic. It's easier to learn if your teacher hands you plates and food while describing them. The idea is to grab first key phrases and words, and then almost unconsciously master the grammar in the process.
Although it seems self-evident to us now, when the Berlitz schools first began to use this method, it seemed quite revolutionary. Today, most language schools aimed at rapid language learning use some version of the immersion method.
Choose the right language
Tim Ferriss, master of all things made on a quick fix, on his blog 4 Hour Workweek work week") indicates that before attempting to master a language in a few weeks, you should analyze it and see how similar it is to your native language(s). The closer it is grammatically to your language, the faster you will learn it. For example, English speakers will have a harder time learning Japanese or Mandarin Chinese than Spanish or German, and Finnish will be hard for everyone to learn (no, seriously, what the hell is with Finnish?)
So before you invest in immersion courses to quickly learn a foreign language, make sure you choose a language that is not too radically different from the languages you already speak. It's not that you're incapable of learning the others - it's just that most won't be able to master them within a few weeks.
Somewhat strange, but useful tips from a guy who speaks 50 languages
One of the most famous living language learning specialists, Alexander Arguelles, a linguist who has learned more than 50 languages (some of them, however, are already dead), has developed a couple of techniques that he shares on the Internet. You can get acquainted with the techniques on his website - he posts videos with instructions that can be watched for free, and many highly recommend them.
Here is his famous technique of “shadow mapping” - students listen to the language and at the same time repeat out loud and read from the book.
He describes it this way:
“The videos I made demonstrate and describe the application of my shadowing technique - listening and simultaneously repeating a recording in a foreign language, while working with a manual with texts in two languages... For the most effective shadowing, it is important to follow three rules:
1. Get outside as quickly as possible.
2. Stand perfectly straight.
3. Articulate carefully - loudly and clearly.
He's writing:
"To do this exercise correctly,
1. Read the sentence out loud.
2. Say each word out loud again as you write it.
3. Read the sentence out loud as you wrote it.
The goal of this exercise is to force yourself to slow down and start paying attention to details. This is the stage where you need to check everything you don't know in grammar books or dictionaries, although this was not easy to demonstrate on video."
So, if you want to learn a foreign language quickly, there are three things to keep in mind. First, you need to choose a language that you can objectively be able to master in a few weeks. Secondly, you need to immerse yourself in it either in language courses or in discussion clubs. And third, try a few tricks that involve you listening to foreign speech, reproducing it out loud and reading it at the same time.
The main thing you should not forget is that nothing can stop you from learning a new language. Your brain is ready. You just need to train it correctly.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.
