by Michelle Anama Abari | Dec 6, 2021 | Personal Growth
There are millions of ways to learn a new language by yourself quickly. Learning languages as a whole can be easy depending on the language of interest. You don’t only learn the language, you learn the culture of that language because the language is a huge part of that culture.
I can say that no language is hard. It all depends on your zeal and interest in that language. Languages are fun to learn. In simple words, learning a new language by yourself quickly all begins with your interests.
To learn a new language by yourself quickly, here are some very vital points to note.
Ways to Learn a New Language by Yourself
1. Download Apps Relating to the Language of Interest
If you’re looking to learn and enhance your ability in your desired language, then a good way is to download apps in that language. It could be Quizlet apps, dictionaries, or even pieces of literature written in your desired language.
The main idea here is to enhance your vocabulary and to also get familiar with words and maybe signs or rules in that language. Take French and Arabic for example, these are languages with rules and signs so getting an app on these languages should be vital to your learning of the desired language.
2. Listen to Audios and Videos in the Language of Interest
To be good in conversations and to learn your new language quickly, listening to audio and watching videos is another relevant point in learning a new language. By listening to audio and watching videos, you get to boost your conversational ability in that language. You get familiar with the way certain words are pronounced and sometimes in what context they are used.
Watching videos in your desired language also gives you an insight into the culture of the owners of the language.
3. Make Language Learning a Daily Habit
People complain that they can’t learn a language because it’s too hard or they aren’t “good” at it. In reality, the real reason is that people can’t get themselves to practice the language consistently.
To learn a language by making it a daily habit, you can do things like, opening your language app or revising your last 5 words from the lesson. All these are forms of active recall which help you to achieve your goal of learning the language quickly.
Again, you can reward yourself in some ways as it will help increase your chances of success. It could mean treating yourself to treats, but for a lot of people, just seeing their success is enough to prolong their habits.
4. Converse With Yourself or With a Native Speaker
A means of testing yourself is trying to converse with yourself or a native speaker. This helps because you get to construct your sentences and also you get to seek correction from a professional who is an indigene of that language.
Also, by learning the words and also trying to converse with them, your knowledge about that language tends to stick longer because mistakes make knowledge last longer.
5. Set Language-Learning Goals
By setting these language learning goals, you get to learn your language quickly and fluently. You set goals like:
Long Term Goals: This could be you saying that in the next 5 years of your life, you would have learned at least 6 languages.
Short Term Goals: This could be you telling yourself that by the end of the week, you must have learned 300 words in French.
Challenging Yourself: By challenging yourself, you get yourself together and also try to be consistent and determined. You also get to do this by letting yourself acknowledge your ‘why?’ and ‘how?’
6. Learn about the Culture of Words
It is not all about learning the words and how they will fit into a page of a book. It is also importantto learn about the culture and history associated with these words.
Learning and understanding the words of a language are deeper than just the language itself. You get to understand and why that language is the way it is and also why it has so many curves or signs as it does which differentiates its pronunciation (an example here could be French, Arabic, or even Mandarin).
Learning and acknowledging the culture of natives is one sure good and quick way to learn a new language by yourself. It does go a long way.
7. Change Your Phone Language to Your Language of Interest
To get familiar with your words and to understand how the vocabulary of these are used, changing your phone default language to the desired language of interest is a good way if I do say so myself. I have also been in the same situation of learning a new language and this point has been of help to me.
When you change your default langue to your desired language, you get familiar with words whether new or not. The main reason for this is familiarity. You get accustomed to the words and you also understand the meaning of these words and when and how to use them.
8. Have Fun
Having fun is one of the ways you can learn a new language by yourself quickly. This point is weird, yes I know, but it is relevant. When doing something that you were not forced to do, you do it with every ounce of passion and determination in your bones. You don’t have to make learning a new language a punishment or a must-do to strike off your to-do list.
Try to have a little fun. Try catching cruises sometimes and also have it at the back of your mind that the language which you are learning is not your mother tongue and it is ok to make mistakes. Laugh a little and take it the moment on your language learning journey as best as you can. People who are fluent in languages made mistakes too.
My Point Is…
When learning a new language, you should also take into consideration the 4 basic steps to learning a new language and these are, listening, reading, watching, and speaking. These are very basic but very important steps to learning a new language.
You also need to understand that learning a new language goes beyond talents and skills. It also deals with the history of those words coming out of your mouth or in those pages. Learning a new language is all about mindset and passion.
I hope this piece is of help to you. If it is, kindly leave a comment in the comments section below. Thank you.
You could also check on 3 Best Tips That Will Help You Achieve Any Goal In Life
by Precious Alex-Toji | Oct 16, 2021 | Personal Growth
I realized that having a good command of words is a sign that you a learned person. Whether you are trying to pass an exam or build speaking skills, learning how to improve your vocabulary requires your time and commitment.
While surfing the net, I discovered that the English language is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Hence, it is to my advantage if I consistently put in the work to learn new words weekly and apply them when I speak.
Furthermore, improving my vocabulary helps me communicate clearly. It also gives people the perception that I’m an intelligent person. Of course, when i can use words precisely, people will understand me more easily and this can lead to building a good relationship with my peers.
However, increasing my vocabulary does not mean I have the infinity stones to “big English”. No. It really means having the right words to describe things and knowing how to use them. If you are as interested as I am, here are 7 methods i used to improve my vocabulary.
Ways I Used to Increase My Vocabulary
1. I Cultivated the Habit of Reading to Improve My Vocabulary
Books have this way of building mental images in our heads. The more one read books, the more they get exposed to new words and how to use them.
The beauty of the world today is that what i can read is not just subjected to books alone. I have unlimited access to e-books, blogs, newspapers, magazines, newsletters… the list is endless!
For example, I’m subscribed to a host of newsletters whose topics range from sports, politics, self-development, technology, and economics. Every Monday, my email gets filled with varieties of news and I’m kept up to date. I also get to learn new words related to these industries.
Do you know the word stagflation means an economy that is experiencing inflation accompanied by stagnant growth, unemployment, and/or recession? That’s a new word I learned this week.
I’m cultivated the habit of reading anything and everything. I got to learn words and see how to apply them in my speech. And if you’re looking for newsletters to subscribe to, I highly recommend you visit northpad.ng and Muhammed’s (Not a) Newsletter.
2. I Became Friends with My Dictionary and Thesaurus
When I was in primary school, all kids needed to have a handy mini-dictionary in their bags. Our proprietress was fond of throwing strange words at us and anyone without a dictionary to check out the meaning was disciplined.
The word “nincompoop” still sticks to my head to date because on the day she read that word out of “Chike and the River”, I had no dictionary on me to check the meaning.
Today, you do not need to carry a handy mini-dictionary to have a dictionary with you. Thesauruses and dictionaries can be downloaded on your devices for easy access. If you want to go further, I recommend having at least two dictionaries on your device.
A good dictionary tells you the meaning of a word, how it’s pronounced, its synonyms, and examples of how you can use it in a sentence. A thesaurus, on the other hand, gives you similar words related to what you’re searching for, its opposites.
This gives you a vast amount of words that helps you improve your vocabulary. My favorite dictionaries are the Oxford Advanced learners and Merriam Webster dictionaries.
3. Playing Word Games Boosted My Vocabulary
Games are fun activities we all love to engage in. When you play word games, it only makes learning new words fun. I can bet we all have at least one game we play daily. For me, I do not end a day without playing Fifa21. When you mix learning with fun, you tend to have a fun experience with the knowledge that sticks.
Word games like scrabble, word puzzle, challenge me to learn new words and even gives me the meaning of those words. It also helped me get familiar with the spelling and improved my vocabulary.
Lately, I discovered a brain train game called Elevate. It has a variety of word spelling tests, their meaning, and even how to use them. You can download it on Playstore here. And if you’re building your child’s vocabulary, I recommend you try Encarta Kids 200 – download it here.
4. I Trained Myself to Write Everyday
When you write, you make use of words. Writing helps you to stay conversant with word spellings and how to use them.
The best way I use writing to improve my vocabulary is by keeping a journal to document a list of new words you learn each day. This way, I can always refer back to the list and gradually use them in my everyday speech.
Journaling new words helps me stay familiar with these new words and their similarities. Also, I get motivated when I see the number of words I have learned so far.
5. Learning “A Word Per Day” Helps Me Build My Vocabulary Skill
Learning new words can be very easy when one takes the process gradually. I play to learn a new word each day and focus on its meaning, synonyms, and uses. Various apps give me “word of the day” recommendations like The Oxford Online dictionary.
These help me get familiar with words and increased my frequency in using them. If you learn a word per day, that’s 7 words per week, 30 words per month, and 365 words in a year. However, do not feel pressured to learning a new word each day. You can decide to learn 2 words per week as your pace decides. The essence is your learning new words weekly.
6. Engaging in Conversations Help Increase My Vocabulary
Engaging in conversations allows me to learn new words and put new words I’ve learned into practice.
When I talk to people, I tap into the knowledge that they have. I get to hear new words and how to use them in a sentence. I first heard the word “obsequious” from my secondary school senior who was trying to let me know that the average student is never obedient to authority.
Also, when I engage in conversations, I get the chance to use new words I’ve learned during the week. Though, I’m being careful not to have people needing a dictionary every time I speak.
Conclusion
I realized that the key to improving my vocabulary lies in my hands. To have a good command of words, I needed to know their meanings and how they are used.
I do not restrict my reading to books alone. There are varieties of articles online to help me keep to date with new words and even parlances related to a particular sector. I made the dictionary my friend by constantly referring back to it when I hear a new word for the first time. I never forget to jot down its meaning too.
Following these 6 tips on how to improve your vocabulary can build your library of words. If you’ve learned any new words today, kindly let me know in the comment section!
