Learning a Foreign Language: Seven Useful Tips

I've been bilingual from a very young age so I won't pretend to fully realize just how hard it can be for an adult to learn to speak a foreign language. However, I've had much success teaching English to adult students, many over the age of 50. I learned to implement some simple, but useful strategies to facilitate their learning. I was considered to be a strict teacher and tutor, but my students thanked me for not letting them "get by".

The first realization to reach is that learning a foreign language, particularly one that belongs to a different family from your mother tongue, requires extreme patience and dedication. To get a better picture, think of learning computer programming. Even people who don't really understand all that's entailed in programming know that it can be mentally exhausting. The same can be said of learning a foreign language as an adult, but it can be done. There are tips that almost any learner of any age can follow to attain their goal. The goal may simply be to get by in the language or it may be to reach full bilingualism. You will get out of your effort what you put in.

Tip 1: Listen to Yourself

Whether you're at a beginning or advanced level of learning, whether you're teaching yourself or taking a course, it's extremely important to listen to yourself speak. Don't just study a vocabulary list mentally to pass a test or to hurry to the next lesson. Take the time to say the words out loud following a provided phonetic pronunciation guide or the voice of the instructor. Preferably, instructors should be native speakers. Some students found it very useful to record themselves so they could compare their pronunciation to that of native speakers of the foreign language.

You can even use these recordings to study for tests and/or to facilitate memory retention. The practice of foreign language students recording themselves is followed by every reputable correspondence course.

Tip 2: Practice, Practice, & Practice Some More

It is a true saying that practice makes perfect. You must find native speakers of the foreign language with which to practice conversation. SharedTalk.com is one of the best places to meet a conversation partner. It's a free service for which foreign language students sign up to be a tutor and to be tutored in a language exchange.

You may think that the perfect exchange would be to converse with someone learning English and who speaks the foreign language you want to learn. But, this doesn't always work the best. Many people around the world are fascinated with the United States and the English language just as many Americans are fascinated with other cultures. The problem is that often students of English are more advanced in their foreign language skills than are Americans in theirs. This often leads to all of the exchange taking place in English which doesn't benefit you.

If you're a beginner you may have to exchange with someone who knows advanced English to be able to understand explanations when you make a mistake. But, as a general rule, try to partner with someone of equal skill language in English as you have in the foreign language. Also, don't allow the exchange to become one sided. Your partner should communicate in his language to allow you to practice and you should communicate in English to allow him to do the same.

Set some ground rules such as writing every other letter or having every other conversation in each other's target language. Some partnerships write or talk half of their message in one language and the other half in the other. Others write or speak in their native language and then translate what they've said in the language they're learning. It's up to each team, just be sure that the exchange is fair and beneficial to each.

Tip 3: Accept That You'll Be Laughed at Sometimes

Hilarious and even obscene mistakes are bound to occur during the learning process. Real life experience is always the very best teacher, but of course it's also merciless. Almost all adult learners of a foreign language will have a very pronounced accent and be readily identified. This is somewhat of an advantage as their errors in speech will be forgiven by reasonable people.

While the French are not known for embracing learning of their language, most other cultures are. Embarrassment is an inevitable part of the learning process. Laugh with those who are laughing not at you but at the mistake you made and then find out what you said. That's a mistake I guarantee you won't make again.

Tip 4: Insist on Being Corrected

Most beginning learners of a foreign language make a whole lot of mistakes. Their choppy sentences are riddled with them. Make others understand that you want and need to be corrected on each mistake otherwise you won't learn. Get ready to be interrupted a lot. It's imperative to receive correction before bad habits set in. This means that when your conversation partner says something like, "I no like...", you will correct him and teach him to say, "I don't like...." Learn to correct others and to be corrected. Don't tire of it, it's essential to learning.

Tip 5: Immersion Without Leaving The Country

Learners of a foreign language, depending on the language and the region where he lives, may have the opportunity to spend time in person with native speakers. Even if this is an invitation to a party or to dinner where you'll be surrounded by speakers of the foreign language, take advantage of the opportunity. Yes, you may be a little uncomfortable, and your gray cells certainly will be overworked, but it's worth it. Such opportunities are like being immersed in the culture and language without leaving the country.

Tip 6: Take Advantage of Professional Translations

Owners' manuals for electronics, pamphlets, fliers, books and movies have been translated into a number of languages. Learn to take advantage of these professional translations. When you buy a new electronic see if the instructions or owner's manual is in the foreign language you're learning. If you're at least an intermediate learner, attempt to follow the instructions in the foreign language instead of in English.

Many movies on DVD now feature a choice of subtitles in foreign languages. Turn the subtitles on and pay attention to how what's being said has been translated. This is an excellent way to pick up slang, the real language. A good number of movies have been dubbed into foreign languages. Beware that if both audio and subtitles are offered, what's spoken may not be exactly what appears as subtitles. I don't know if this is because one translator is responsible for the subtitles and another for the dubbing. I noticed this with the movie, "The Magnificent Seven".

Many recipes have been translated and are freely available on the internet. Some are bilingual recipes. Those who like to cook can follow a recipe in the foreign language they're learning and literally accomplish 2 things at once. If you're a beginner you may want to use only bilingual recipes to ensure you understand the instructions.

The point I'm making is to do as many real life and ordinary tasks in the foreign language you're learning as much as possible. This makes the learning process a more natural one which is how everyone learned his native tongue.

Tip 7: Beware of Dialects

Depending on the foreign language you're learning, you'll encounter different dialects. Castilian Spanish is different from Latin American Spanish in pronunciation and vocabulary. There are even significant differences within Latin American Spanish depending on the specific country. If you are learning Spanish and you practice with speakers from various countries, don't be afraid to ask questions about dialect if you don't understand why you're being corrected.

The words "laboratory" and "vitamin" are pronounced differently in the United States and England. Neither pronunciation is incorrect; it's simply a matter of different dialects but the learner of English wouldn't know that.

Arabic, Chinese and French are among the major languages that have strong differences in their dialects.