Mastering a foreign language will give you added value, both in the world of education and the world of work. For example, for you students, are there reference books used for lectures that use English or other languages? Or even everything? But my foreign language skills are still a concern. Come on, follow these tips for learning foreign languages that are effective and fun.
Join a time-intensive foreign language learning program
Studying a language four hours a day on a regular basis for two weeks in a row will be more effective than studying it one hour per day for two months. This is also the reason why the foreign languages we have learned since elementary school are sometimes difficult for us to master. Learning a language requires a lot of repetition, reference, experience, and commitment. Therefore, it would be better if we invest some time to 100% actually learn a foreign language. You can take foreign language learning programs provided by several institutions, such as English First or take online classes. Don’t forget to always keep your learning commitment during the program, OK!
Want to be self-taught? Start by learning words “correctly”
With today’s technology, it’s not difficult anymore if you want to learn a lot of things self-taught. Likewise with foreign languages. Well, Minca shares a trick that you can use when learning a foreign language, right! A language has a very large number of words. For example, English has 600,000 to 1 million words. Wow, before I started, I wanted to go back first.
But don’t worry, you don’t need to memorize all the words to be proficient in a language. Due to the fact that the top 100 (most common) words make up about 50% of the English text, and the top 1000 words make up about 90%. Easier isn’t it?
When studying the top 100 words, learn the words ‘right’ too. Also pay attention to grammar (grammar), usability, writing, pronunciation to application examples. By focusing on learning the top 100 words first, you can minimize wasted time. In addition, it will increase the amount of information that you can understand very quickly.
You can access some of the top 1000 words in several foreign languages through the resources below, yes!
Use flashcards to study
During the process of learning the top 100 words you can use flashcards to help you memorize and recall the vocabulary you have learned. With physical flashcards that are simple and easy to carry anywhere, you can continue to study whenever and wherever you are. Like when waiting for the bus at the bus stop, you can use the time to review some vocabulary. You can buy flashcards in bookstores or create your own flashcards as creatively as possible. So if you don’t really like dealing with paper, you can use the flashcards application on your cellphone.
Do not be afraid! Use the language you are learning in everyday life
Ever heard of practice makes perfect? Yep, this is the key to learning a foreign language. Practice it in everyday life. The biggest challenge is to fight the fear that is within us. Fear of being wrong, afraid of shame, afraid of criticism. Get rid of your fear! Because if you keep busy thinking about your fears, the language you are learning will actually evaporate faster than your head.
The first step you can do, use the language you are learning yourself. Like when you’re hungry during the day, try to replace muttering “Oh, I’m so hungry!” to the language you are learning. You can also practice by talking to yourself in front of the mirror. If you like to write a diary, try writing it in the language you are learning and reading afterward.
Next, you can find friends, study partners, or an environment that allows you to continue to hone your foreign language skills through interacting. Such as joining a foreign language learning community, or making an appointment with a friend, partner, coworker, or family to learn from each other.
Make your learning process fun! Watch movies, listen to songs, play games and read books in foreign languages
Who said learning can only be done by sitting on a bench? You can learn languages from movies, songs, games, novels, other reading materials, and even social media that you often play on a daily basis. The trick that Minca uses when learning a foreign language is through the subtitles of the movie Minca is watching. Recently, MInca wants to strengthen Minca’s English so what Minca does is watch English films with English subtitles and without subtitles. Hey, what do you mean? So Minca watched the film for the first time with subtitles, then some time later (if you missed watching the film again) Minca watched it without subtitles. Another trick that Minca uses is that Minca follows motivational English accounts with attractive graphics, so when Minca plays social media in the morning before her activities or when she has free time, Minca will read and indirectly learn as well.