CREATIVE WAYS TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE

INSPIRED TO LEARN

By Milan Carter

@milanophelia

I have always loved learning new languages, even difficult ones like Lithuanian and Chinese. One of my goals during the national shelter-in-place is to brush up on my French skills. These are my go to tips that I’ve used for years that help you pick up new languages quickly. Let us know in the comments what you hope to learn while staying at home!

1 | LISTEN TO YOUR TARGET LANGUAGE

This is one of the most fun parts of learning a new language! Listening to music exposes you to new vocabulary in a fun way. Music is low-stress because there’s no pressure to understand the lyrics as long as the beat is good! Watching TV shows or movies in your target language works too, and don’t be discouraged if you peek at the English subtitles once in a while. People repeat what they hear, and listening to proper sentence structure, tone, and inflection will only improve your speaking and listening skills!

2 | THINK TO YOURSELF

If you’re a bit further along in learning a new language, try thinking to yourself in the new language. Try to describe what you see around you, how you feel, and the activities on your to-do list. Practicing in your head improves reasoning and expression skills, and encourages you to use full sentences rather than phrases. It also helps you practice the vocabulary that you use the most. I do this all the time, and I love it because it eliminates feeling self-conscious about saying something wrong!

3 | FIND A STUDY BUDDY!

Above all, the only way to learn a language is to practice! Learn a new language with a friend or find someone who is a bit more advanced than your current level. It doesn’t matter what you talk about: the weather, shoes, food, anything! Just keep talking and you’ll improve super quickly.

Pick a new language, grab a dictionary, and in a few months you’ll be multilingual!