Learning Tips

We get asked often: How can I learn another language such as German, Spanish, Mandarin, or Korean fast? How to master language skills easily, even if I don’t have a lot of time?

Ready for some good news? Learning a language is not a big deal. So, why do so many people think it is? The answer is simple and somewhat sad: Most people simply do two basic things wrong. A good number of language learners relate what they learn too much to their native language and they stick with only one method at a time.

A very important thing to remember is that other languages function differently. Of course it is important to understand how they work but you will often come to a point where nothing makes sense. That will happen a lot and you have to realize that “that’s just the way it is” nothing more and nothing less. Try to get behind the rules but don’t try to figure out a reason, it just costs time and nerves.

Advertisements may have tried to persuade you that it is enough to buy a travel language course or that new book, or that special software. Almost all providers of language tool claim that their program is so comprehensive that you will speak the language of your choice in not time. Well, this is probably the greatest trouble students can run into. The most effective way is to use a combination of different methods, preferably at least three. You have to understand that there is no one-stop-shop to learn another language other than being raised in that language. But by carefully combining different approaches from different providers it can get way easier than you thought.

Of course, we want you to use Linguan.net as one of the methods in your perfect mix. We are here to help and we won’t charge you a cent, so what do you have to lose? However, we do not claim that you can learn another language solely through this website. We know that Linguan.net will be a great tool to deepen your understanding, to improve your vocabulary, even to understand grammar better – but all in combination with other tools.

So which other tools should that be then? Well, we recommend four specific helpers besides Linguan.net. If you choose these tools or others is up to you (and your budget) but it can’t hurt to know about them.

The first is a Pimsleur course of your target language. Dr. Pimsleur introduced an audio method to effectively study a foreign language. It is very helpful in giving you a basic vocabulary, sense of the grammar and most importantly the right pronunciation. Every lesson of these audio courses is about 30 minutes long. You can listen to them on your way to work for instance. This is unproductive time anyway. If you use Pimsleur in your car you’ll get less bored in rush hour. Hear the same lesson again and again until you feel safe with the things you learned, then move on to the next lesson.

Helper number two is any basic textbook for your language of choice. You need some basic information about grammar and the system how the language works. All by itself a textbook is not a great source to learn a language but as part of a well selected combination of learning media it is priceless. Go ahead and work yourself through a few chapters. It will seem a little hard in the beginning but it will soon be a lot easier when you find parallels with your other materials. You will find yourself reading about something you learned in your Pimsleur audio course and realize the connection. These insights are always a big step in understanding a language. This effect will also motivate you even more.

Another very powerful helper is the software “Rosetta Stone”. It is somewhat on the pricy side but when it comes to language learning software, there is nothing comparable out there. Imagine how a little child learns its native language: it mom points to a car and says “car”. In the child’s brain the picture is now associated with the word. It is proven that the learning effect is multiplied when visual and audio information is processed at the same time. Rosetta stone does exactly that. You will see a picture and you’ll hear a word or a sentence and your brain will learn the association between the two. Big companies as well as FBI, CIA, or the Army use Rosetta Stone.

Helper number three is somewhat similar to Linguan.net: flash cards. You will make your own flash cards with the words you need to remember. Write the English word or phrase on one side the flip it and write the equivalent in your target language on the other side. From now on you should always have about ten flashcards with you wherever you go. You can look at them when you wait for the bus or for the elevator, when you stand in line at the cash register in your super market and so on. Don’t take more than ten at one time, it is important not to overload your brain and to repeat the words frequently. At the end of the day put the words you feel comfortable with to the back of your flash card storage box, keep the rest and take some new cards to have a count of 10 again for the next day.

Once you get to a comfortable level of understanding your target language, you should extend your methods even further. Get some magazines or newspapers in this language and try to read the articles. If you don’t know a word, look it up and write it on the margin. Chances are that you have to look up the same word not more than three times. Also, try to get a TV channel in your target language or get some foreign DVDs with subtitles. Especially for Korean you will find a wealth of TV dramas with English subtitles. Do not underestimate how much you can learn, just by being exposed to people talking in your target language. TV and DVD are great ways to get this exposure.