Learning languages has many advantages: feeling confident when travelling abroad, making friends internationally, being able to read books in the original, and a lot more, like studying and working in other countries. Most people live under the stereotype that they lose their learning abilities with age. Sometimes adults regret that they did not study well when being kids, considering, that they already lost their chance. However, if faced with a challenge when there is no other way except to learn the new foreign language, adult people can show brilliant results. Before deciding how to learn a new language, the first thing is to determine in which situation the language is to be used. In the process of learning a new language, the most important issues are consistency and discipline.
If the target is, for example, to travel or find new business at some international event, an intensive course with emphasis on speaking practices is recommended. The basic vocabulary and conversational structures, studied and practiced heavily during a short period of time, may lead to the needed result, which might be the ability to communicate on the streets or support a small business talk. Usually the two or three months of intensive study are enough to start communicating and gain basics for further language learning and practicing. However, if brought back shortly to the usual environment, the person might lose the majority of knowledge gained if there would not be any supporting practice afterwards. Unfortunately, without practical usage or further development, the newly gained language abilities may go away as easily as they came. The language cannot be learned once and forever.
The ways to continue practicing are numerous. There are many speaking clubs where the native speakers are conducting meetings and courses. In addition, one can deliberately turn his house into a learning environment: place stickers with new words everywhere, translate the names of objects at home, or read familiar children’s books in a foreign language. By the way, using children’s books might be very effective. “Firstly, the language used is simple and secondly, knowing the story helps you to guess the meaning of new words and avoid using a dictionary. Surprisingly children’s books are more entertaining in a foreign language” (Bailey, 2014). And finally, new technologies can be of value: listening to audio lessons in the traffic jams, uploading a mobile application that pops up with vocabulary and grammar tips, or taking Skype lessons, - a language learner has a wide choice. The main issue is self-discipline. Studying a new language is an everyday routine that can be clothed in an interesting wrap to ensure the success of the process.
Another obstacle that lies in wait for beginners is fear. The joy of the first small achievements may be replaced by the discourage due to considerations of the long way to go. The fear of the burden of the tremendous work to be done may lead to decrease of self-confidence and may paralyze the activity of the student. In this situation, remember not to compare yourself to others, but compare your current progress to your previous success only. If there is a positive trend, then there is nothing to worry about, you should just keep going. If you are not able to devote much time to learning, it is better to do a fifteen-minute exercise every day, than do nothing at all.
Each next foreign language is learned easier than the previous one. Of course, if the next language is from another group, it is required much more effort to master it than to learn a language from the same group. Nevertheless, the studying practice, the habits of regular work and the well-tried learning hints would be helpful. Learn languages, as this process elevates your mind and enriches your cultural background.
Works Cited
Bailey, D. “The Secrets To Learning A Foreign Language As An Adult”. Time. 2014
Web. Accessed 27 February, 2016 at http://time.com/3453841/secret-learn-foreign-language-adult/
