So, you have finally decided to learn a language.
Marvelous! Great news!
But whatcha gonna do now? And How you’re going to do this?
Are you planning to do it by yourself? If your answer is ‘Yes’ then great.
This is article is definitely for you as this blog will guide you on how to learn a language by yourself in the best possible way.
All languages are different from each other but there are still some basic elements that wrap them all together, similar to cooking rice as there are varieties of them but all of them have the same process of preparation.
So, let’s get started to learn a language by yourself.
- 1: Set a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
- 2: Learn Language as an Adventure
- 3: Study the Language Every Day
- 4: Carry a Dictionary
- 5: Listen, Write, Watch and Read
- 6: Start with Little Approach
- 7: Label the Objects at Work and Home
- 8: Read out loud
- 9: Crack Jokes
- 10: Record your Voice
- 11: Talk to Yourself
- 12: Try Cooking
- 13: Connect with The Native Speaker
- Conclusion:
1: Set a S.M.A.R.T. Goal
To learn a language by yourself you not only need to do hard work but also smart work by setting a SMART goal.
- Specific – Be specific in what you are learning, note down the things so that it will help to remind you to be focused on one thing that you need to do.
- Measurable – If you have set a target to complete a particular part of your learning, it is important to track your progress which will help you to keep motivated towards your goal.
- Achievable – Some also refer A as Attainable but I am sticking to Achievable. You should set a goal that is achievable rather than the one in which you give up. Set small goals so that it should be easy to achieve and keeps you motivated throughout.
- Relevant – Your goal of learning should be connected to your overall plan. It should be relevant (right on the money) and worth of your time.
- Time-bound – Fix an amount of time say 30 minutes or more as per your convenience daily to learn or understand a particular set of the language you are striving to learn. Good quality understanding will help you not to forget it later.
While learning a language you must be specific in each and everything should go deeper in knowing that language. This will help you with your SMART goal.
2: Learn Language as an Adventure
If you tell yourself that, ‘I have to study a language’ it sounds boring as if you are doing your routine, instead use something that motivates you like ‘Today I’ll explore a new language’.
A little change brings an overall effect on your learning. Learning a new language will make you familiar with a new culture, new music, new food, and new romance.
Every minute that you spend learning a language today will earn you a joyful road down in the future.
Huge varieties of ideas are there to learn a Foreign language you just have to be the one to get your shoes on and start the journey towards learning a second language.
Download any language learning app such as Fluencia, Duolingo, etc. to help you in learning a language.
3: Study the Language Every Day
Some people say that they have been studying a language for about three years and no fluency yet. Hearing this person may think that learning a language can take a long time but that’s not true.
You need a commitment to learning a language per day for a couple of hours. There should not be any gap while learning as it will break the flow and focus of learning.
Learning a language is totally based on repeating on and on. Doing repetition can train your brain to remember things for a long time.
If there is a break in the study then chances are that you can forget what you have learned and you have to go back to the basics which leads to a waste of time.
Your time won’t be wasted if you study regularly. There is no short cut or any miracle in learning you just have to be committed towards it which will make the whole learning stuff quick and easy.
4: Carry a Dictionary
If you are learning a language by yourself then try to carry a dictionary always with you as it will save you time. Whenever you find a new word you won’t get frustrated and can easily find the meaning and apply it in your sentences.
You can make use of a dictionary book or an app on your phone and can be quick whenever you get a word or need to frame a sentence.
Suppose you are having a conversation with a native speaker and don’t want to get the conversation disrupted by not remembering a word.
Carrying a dictionary will help you to look for that word immediately and also memorize it.
5: Listen, Write, Watch and Read
Submerging yourself in a foreign language means that doing all those activities that you will normally do in your mother tongue, over your second new language — whether that’s writing, listening, or reading.
- Perhaps the easiest thing that you can do is to watch television movies or shows in the language that you are willing to learn.
- Be sure to avoid subtitles, because you will get a habit to rely on them totally.
- Try watching those movies with whom you are previously familiar or try the dubbed versions of the movie, this might assist you to decrypt the meaning of that context.
- You can try attempting to write and read in your new language. Read a magazine or newspaper or an article daily and look for a new word that you don’t understand in your new language and simply note it down.
- Write a love letter to your mate and let them find out what’s your saying, you will get practice on the new language and get to express your feelings in a different way as well.
- Download tune or podcasts in the radio stations in the new language. This way you can dip yourself in that language while you are on the go.
- This will not only help you with your listening skills but also it allows you to hear common phrases and words with the correct pronunciation.
- Change the language settings of your mobile phones or any other electronic devices that you use. Let’s say you are learning Italian change your mobile setting to it and now try to find out the names of the app. For example, Calendario means calendar in Italian.
Going through your phone with the new language will build up curiosity to know what it means and also you get to entertain yourself.
- Listen to the songs in that language. Check the meaning and learn the lyrics.
- This way, if you hear the song again, you will be able to tell what it is all about and it could be fun to learn a new language with music.
6: Start with Little Approach
As it is said, “A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step”.
You booked tickets for Spain and then you realized that you only know “Hola!” and “adiós!” in Spanish. So now you want to learn Spanish by yourself to communicate with the natives.
Start with the basics:
- la chica (the girl)
- el chico (the boy)
- estoy (I am)
Starting with the basics will be fun as well as easy to approach people and side by side you will get a practice of the language.
7: Label the Objects at Work and Home
Let’s make learning more interesting.
If you see something repeatedly every now and then, take for example a movie, if you watch a particular movie on alternative days which no one will but suppose you do, it is obvious that you will get hold on some of the dialogues.
Similarly, if you look at the word often of a specific language that you are willing to learn it will become easier to learn. You can even learn a language at home.
Label your door, bed, refrigerator, mirror, bathroom seat, sink, chair, table, etc. in that language so that whenever you look at them it will easy to memorize those words.
For example, people often visit each other house so if you label your door Porte in French, every time you go to open the door it will get easier to remember that word in a specific language.
8: Read out loud
Reading in meditation will only make you sleepy and of course, the learning tends to be a bit boring and it won’t help you to learn much especially any foreign language.
Grab a book of that language and start reading it loudly. I know it sounds a bit odd as not everyone likes to read out loud but if it helps you to learn a language better what’s the issue.
This will not only boost your confidence to speak in Infront of the public but also improves the pronunciation and the accent.
9: Crack Jokes
Learning a language by yourself can be a bit boring as you only concentrate on the important things all the time.
Though vocabulary, phrases, and idioms are important but digging your head in the same thing all the time will lose the thread and make you unwilling to learn further.
Give yourself a break from learning a serious language and go with fun. Learn some slang words.
WHAT??? Do you think I am joking??? NO… I am serious.
If you learn some slang words it will relax your mind for a bit and on the other hand, you will able to understand if the person is using slang or not and you can answer them.
Also, try making jokes, you can easily carve an entry into the group.
10: Record your Voice
Everyone loves their voice and assume they are the best bathroom singers.
Record your voice in the language that you are learning and listen to it, you will get to know whether you are a Nightingale or Wolf. Jokes apart.
Recording your voice will help you to improve your accent and listening can make you learn a language by yourself faster.
11: Talk to Yourself
Stand in front of the mirror and start talking to yourself in the language that you are learning with all the expression as if you are doing a soap opera.
I know it’s old school stuff but trust me it works. Talking to yourself will teach you to point out your own mistakes without the help of any second person. It improves your speaking as well as listening power.
But don’t talk to yourself so much that your family started thinking that you have gone mad. (Just Kidding).
Talking to oneself is a good habit, I too talk to myself. I am not self-appreciating but I improved a lot and now my accent is breathtaking.
12: Try Cooking
Don’t get confused as this blog doesn’t teach you to cook. It helps you How to learn a language by yourself?
Neither I am distracted from the topic nor will let you. The language that you are learning must have some specialty in dessert or meal.
- Try making a shopping list with the new language it will be interesting as well as fun learning.
- Take a recipe book of the language that you are learning like French and make Mendiants (it’s a dessert with chocolate & nuts).
Yeah, I know your mouth is watering. So, go ahead try cooking something with the help of that specific language recipe. NO cheating.
It will make learning fun or I should say delicious.
13: Connect with The Native Speaker
There is no other better way to learn a language than to speak it up. People often spend all their time studying grammar and mugging up a huge list of vocabulary instead of going out.
Try speaking to a real live person and put into practice what they have learned this will help to feel motivated, rather than staring at the computer screen or a book and making it all boring.
Talk with a friend, colleague or any family member who knew the language that you are willing to learn. This will help you to learn as well as get you in practice daily.
On the other hand, you can search online for any tutor that participates with you in language exchange.
If you are unable to find someone nearby who speaks that particular language then take the help of social media like skype.
In foreign countries, people regularly exchange hours of speaking in their mother tongue that too with English.
Conclusion:
Steve Kaufmann “In language learning, it is the attitude, not aptitude, that determines success.”
Alright… My hard work is done here and it’s time for you to start.
All good things come to an end. And so, does my article
In this article, I have mentioned both serious and fun foolproof ways on How to learn a language by yourself?
Your learning totally depends on how you approach it and how much time you give in practice.
Make use of the tips to learn a language with ease and grace.
Good Luck!!! And don’t forget to share it if you liked it.