A different language is a different vision of life, said Federico Fellini.
Apart from providing you with a new perspective on life, learning a new language is beneficial for developing your creativity, problem-solving skills, and analytical skills. It’s also a great exercise for your brain, as according to research studies polyglots start suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s on average four and a half years later than those who speak only one language.
Being multilingual significantly improves your career opportunities, as you’ll be able to apply for different jobs. This particularly applies to situations in which one of the languages you speak is English.
Finally, learning a new language is fun, and it will help you understand other cultures better, as well as help you gain a new, more profound understanding of your own culture.
Here are some tips that will make the process of learning English, or any other new language, much easier.
Set Realistic Goals
Learning a foreign language is a process, and it takes time to get into the swing of all the new words, rules, and accents.
So, don’t bite off more than you can chew, because it’s much easier to get frustrated and give the whole idea of a new language if you don’t progress as quickly as you planned.
It’s important to understand that you’ll be making numerous mistakes in the beginning and that it will take some time until you’re fluent in English no matter how hard you try.
Set realistic goals and don’t push yourself too hard if you don’t want language-learning to become a chore.
Polish Your Grammar
Rules are meant to be broken, but in order to do so, you first need to learn and understand them.
English grammar isn’t the most complicated in the world, but you’ll have your fair share of challenges, especially when it comes to articles, prepositions, and uncountable nouns.
Many people make a mistake of avoiding grammar and focusing on other language elements instead, but if you really want to learn a language, you need to know its rules.
Yes, it takes a lot of memorising, drills, and learning by heart, but once you get to the bottom of the most basic concepts, things will start to become much clearer.
So, grab your grammar book and learn why the past simple tense of William Shakespeare is Wouldiwas Shookspeared.
Study Regularly
This is one of the most important rules when it comes to learning a new language, or anything else for that matter.
What you should do is make a learning plan and stick to it.
Only if you seriously commit and dive into your new language on a daily basis will you be able to establish consistency necessary for acquiring new words and rules, memorising them, and “activating” the passive knowledge you’ve been amassing.
Tap Into the Power of Books, Songs, and Movies
This is a very important segment of learning a new language.
By consuming different kinds of content in English by reading books, listening to songs, and watching movies, you’ll accelerate the process.
These activities will help you put all the things you learn in a context, understand how native speakers use the language, and identify certain linguistic patterns.
Besides, these resources are a goldmine of information when it comes to learning new words as well as informal speech or slang and picking up the accent.
Have Conversations in English
Don’t shy away from using English even if your language is riddled with errors and mispronunciations, because that’s the way to eliminate them.
Having an hour of conversation is said to be more valuable than five hours you spend in a classroom learning a new language.
Putting yourself out there and engaging in numerous conversations with other people will help you hone your language skills.
This practice will force you to start using everything you have learned and do it quickly, as the interactive nature of a face-to-face conversation doesn’t allow you to check your dictionary or grammar book before composing your sentence.
That someone can sometimes be yourself.
Yes, there’s nothing wrong in talking to yourself in English and trying to come up with meaningful sentences and arguments for your one-on-one conversation.
Travel to England
Nothing quite compares to learning and using a new language in its natural surroundings.
That’s why a trip to England is a must if you want to immerse yourself in English.
Real-life experiences make all the difference because you’ll get to meet new people who are native speakers and with whom you’ll have to speak in English. Besides, you’ll also learn more about their history, culture, and way of life.
If you want to add an adventurous twist to your language-learning efforts, travel to Cornwall as this picturesque county situated in South West England. It’s almost completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, which means that you’ll spend a great deal of time outdoors, enjoying its long sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and breathtaking scenery.
By opting for an English Language School in Cornwall, you’ll also get an opportunity to take a Poldark tour, visit World Heritage Sites such as historic castles and museums, take a hot-air balloon ride, or even learn how to surf.
Get Used to Being Corrected
As scary as it may seem, making mistakes and being corrected is the right way of learning a new language.
Don’t be put off by and don’t let this hurt your self-esteem. Learning from your mistakes and a trial-and-error approach will set you on the right track, but before you are able to perceive all the nuances of English, you’ll be involved in a lot of miscommunication.
Idioms and phrasal verbs are particularly tricky, so be prepared for many mix-ups and funny linguistic accidents. Don’t expect that you’ll be able to immediately grasp the difference between through, thorough, though, thought, and tough.
But, you’ll get there eventually.
Being persistent and motivated are the key factors in the language-learning process. And whatever you do, make sure to never refrain yourself from using English out of fear that you’ll mispronounce a word or say something silly.