Learning a foreign language can be a long and frustrating progress, and it can be easy to get discouraged along the way. But you can make the process a little easier with our top tips for speeding up your language learning.
Enroll in a language class
It might seem like an unnecessary expense - there are so many resources on the internet - but committing to a course of language classes really does make you more motivated. The financial investment is mirrored by a personal investment in getting the most out of the course. After all, once you've paid for the classes, you'll want to get your money's worth.
Intensity of study is key
You'll learn more if you study for four hours a day for two weeks than you will studying for four hours a week for two months. Language learning requires a lot of repetition and practice, and you'll build on and acquire your language skills more quickly if you are studying intensively. Ultimately it's more time efficient to commit 100% to learning as much as you can in a fortnight, instead of studying half-heartedly over the course of a few months.
Try to create an immersive environment for yourself
Read newspapers, watch films, listen to podcasts and cook from recipes in your target language. If you're living in Spain you'll be surrounded by people speaking Spanish, but if you're not living in a country where your target language is spoken, you can still create an immersive environment outside of classes, and this continuous exposure to your target language will build on the work you've been doing in class and make a real difference in a matter of weeks.
Find a language exchange
With the right partner, a language exchange can be a wonderful way to supplement your language learning. If you find someone with similar interests, you'll learn a whole range of vocabulary specific to the things you like to talk about. That desire to communicate soon overrides any embarrassment about making mistakes.
Have fun!
You speak more fluently and are more receptive when you're relaxed. Don't pressure yourself to achieve perfection - the most important thing is the ability to make yourself understood. And once you've had a successful social interaction in the language you're learning, the kick you'll get out of it is addictive and you'll want to do it again and again!
Languages4Life offers intensive courses in Spanish- why not kickstart your Spanish skills with a two week intensive at our lovely school?
