The best ways to learn a new language (tips and tricks)

A recently published a blogpost on why I think you should learn a second (or third, fourth...) language (click here to read it). Now we've got that down, I wanted to provide you with some tipps on how it's best done. We had two additional languages in school (English and French) and I always liked those subjects but it wasn't until a few years back I realized how important languages really are. So I started to develop a personal interest and started doing  language courses abroad during my time off. But as learning a new language requires a lot of time and effort i've collected some tipps in the hope to suit any interest and budget out there. So here we go:

• Know your reaons and set an objective

Before starting off it's important that you know the reasons why you want to learn a language. Don't expect yourself to stay motivated without a clear objective in mind. Ask yourself prior to learning a new language why you are doing it, what your motivations are and what you want to achieve. Do you just want to pick up a few words for travelling or do you need to become fluent in it for a prospective job? This may also be important to know because depending on where you want to get yourself, different approaches make sense. But whatever the reasons for learning a language may be, become aware of them and even write them down on paper. That way when you are experiencing setbacks along your language learning path you can look at them and perhaps regain your initial motivation.

• Get your hands on proper books

If you like it or not if you want to approach this in a serious way it also means getting your hands on some proper grammary and vocabulary books. This is actually how I first started too, I just went into a bookshop and got myself a copy and it even came with audio CDs which was quite useful. When you do a language course you will work with workbooks anyways but I always invested in some complementary books as I like to have the vocabulary and grammer neatly laid out and in ONE place.

• Squeeze in small study sessions

The important thing when learning a language is repetition. Also it's said that it's better to do 10-15 minutes various times a day than 1 hour straight. That way your brain is able to process the new information better and you will be able to hold on to it for longer. The good thing about these small study sessions is that you can basically squeeze them in any time. During your commute to and from work, during lunch or during that afternoon coffee-anytime that suits you. Good thing is that you can trick your brain that way as its way easier to tell yourself to sit down and study for "just 10 minutes" than force yourself to a straight 1 hour session. So it's a win-win situation.

• Make use of language learning applications

There are many apps out there that help you reach your language goals. But be careful because not all of them are of equal value. I can recommend Duolingo and Babbel which are both cheap ways to get you started. With the free version of Duolingo you already are able to get hold on some basic vocabulary but if you want to dig deeper you might consider investing in a subscription at Babbel. Even then it's way cheaper than a language course. Still, you need to bring some discipline with you in order to stick with it.

• Watch foreign movies and read foreign books

I think this is one of the best ways to learn and practice a language. If you're not that advanced yet you can add subtitles in your own language but switch to the foreign language subtitles as soon as you feel ready. It's good to not only hear them speak but also be able to see how the words are written in the subtitles. If this is yet to big of a challenge for you, you can opt to watch movies or read books you've already watched or read in your own language so you already have an idea of the plot. You can even start out with children movies and books as they are an easy start without any hidden meanings to it.

• Do a language course

Especially for the one's who lack self-discipline a classic language course may be the way to go. But be aware that you still got to do some self-study. A major disadvantage is that by only studying 1-2 hours every week your progress will be quite slow and you're dependent on the learning speed of your class mates. On the other side it's nice to have a professional correct your pronunciation and to practice conversation in class.While this is a great way to start experience a new language, I prefer to do intensive language courses abroad as the porgress is immensly faster (due to 4-5h of class per day), the classes are cheaper and you have the opportunity to practice with locals.

• Get yourself a private tutor

If you think the progress you achieve in group classes is too slow and you're not quite reaching your goals, you might consider investing in a private tutor. Have a look at the notice board in your supermarket or your school or simply check out adverts online (or write one yourself). There are always sites available online specialized to set you up with your own language tutor. The good thing is that nowadays with skype it's way easier and mostly cheaper to arrange such kind of meetings.

• Look for an interpal or a language exchange buddy

Long before tinder was a thing they already had interpal which hooks people up too but with a different objective: To practice a new language. So it's basically an online language exchange which is nice as there is also a social aspect added to it. Mostly it works as follows: You two are both native or fluent in the language the other one wants to learn and both of you get a chance to practice a new language. Compared to getting a private tutor this is the free option but it might not work as efficiently.

• Go have a look into language cafés 

While I was studying in Valencia for 6 months I checked out a so called language café. People meet at a certain bar or pub once a week and there are different tables dedicated to different languages. Not only is this a good way of meeting new people when settling in a new city but it's also a good way to practice a new language. Most of the time there will be native speakers involved too. There are organizations out there that set these cafés up. Simple google if there is anything similar near you and if not, why don't you start organizing your own?

• Try to make yourself think in that language

This may sound a bit silly but believe me when you start switching your thinking into the language of choice it helps a lot. You can practice the particular language through inner dialogues and the best part is that eventually you will start dreaming in that language. If you think you are not good enough yet to be able to think in a different language you're wrong. You can start mixing in a few foreign words step by step and you will get better along the way. Also, lead conversation with yourself and speak them out loud so you can actually hear yourself talk too.

• Go live abroad

I know not everyone is able to just leave everything and go but still I think the best way to learn a new language is to go live at the place where it's spoken. Be it even for only a few weeks, it will probably get you way further than any language class out there. You will be able to interact with the locals and practice the language in daily situations. In language courses you always have to act and pretend certain situations but if your're right there it's authentic and real. Also there are plenty of other reasons why I think you should take the step to live at least once in your life abroad (I wrote about it here).So I hope these tipps were useful to you and feel free to let me know in the comments what you think is the best way of learning a new language.xxxthe_escapedstudent