Do you still think that learning a language is tricky? It's not! Today, the process of studying a language is a completely different experience. Of course, the basics remain the same: you need to study grammar, vocabulary and discover the secrets of proper pronunciation, but the approach to it is different.
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| Language learning is great on rainy days. |
Gone are the days when you could learn a foreign language only in special classes. Now, you don't even need to buy books to study Swedish, Japanese or Hindi. The Internet is full of options and if you know how to use them, you can start speaking a new language just in a couple of months.
In this article, we are going to look at 8 activities that will help you master any language from the comfort of your own home. You don't even need to go abroad to practice your skill and work on your pronunciation as it can be easily done with any voice messenger. What’s even better about these methods is that you can apply them to study any language you want. It means that once you master them, you can enjoy their benefits for years!
1) Surfing the Web
How much time do you spend surfing the web? We bet that you even can’t tell for sure how long you're browsing. Nevertheless, you probably spend a lot of time and it's better to use surfing as a tool to learn a foreign language. If you have already started learning, perhaps you know some words and can read simple texts. That's all you need to start searching and developing your understanding of the language.
2) Use Sticky Notes
There are multiple ways to improve your vocabulary. You can learn words and word combinations off by heart. However, this approach isn't the most effective as you only see the word once or twice and in a couple of days, you'll forget it. When you're at home, it's better to use sticky notes with words. Stick them around the house and label all your furniture with the new words you want to learn.
Another good idea is to change the language of all your gadgets to immerse yourself in the new language environment.
3) Play Games with Your Friends
Have you ever played letter scramble? This is one of the most popular games and it would be a crime not to use it as a tool to help you learn a new language. All you have to do is create words in the foreign language. This will help you both remember the way these words are written and to increase your vocabulary.
4) Watch TV Series
This is perhaps one of the best ways to work on pronunciation and the way the words are used in everyday speech. You can watch series with subtitles if it’s too difficult to catch all the words. Of course, it’s better to write down the words you don’t know.
If your language knowledge is poor, it is better to choose movies and TV series that you've already seen. You won’t need to check every single word in the dictionary and you'll at least understand the basic plot and dialogue.
5) Play Computer Games
Although most of the people think that computer games are bad for personal development, they're a perfect tool for mastering your language knowledge. You can play the game in the foreign language, listening to the dialogues and reading the descriptions. If this is a multiplayer game, you can communicate with players who speak this language. Of course, it may be difficult first to understand each other at first but the more you practice, the better your language will be.
6) Talk to Your Friends in a New Language
If you want to speak a foreign language, you need to speak it whenever you have the chance! Of course, it's better to talk to the people who know it and who can correct your mistakes and pronunciation. However, if you don't have such an opportunity, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't ever speak.
When speaking, you can break down communication barrier, which is even a bigger problem than a lack of grammar knowledge. Therefore, speak as much as you can even if you make a lot of mistakes and don't know all the words.
7) Use Facebook to Practice Your Writing
Writing is difficult for most people, especially when we are talking about writing in a new language. If you want to improve your knowledge, you need to write a lot. If you aren't ready to create posts or write essays, it's be better to use Facebook as a tool to find native speakers and practice writing with them.
8) Use Apps
If you're busy, it doesn't matter if you can only spend 10 minutes learning new words with mobile apps. You can install them on your smartphone and use them even you have no access to the Internet.
Of course, even the most enjoyable ways to learn a foreign language won't guarantee results. You have to practice every single day and even if you have no time to write to your friends or play games, you can always learn some new words while going to work or just having a lunch.
These activities are what we like about learning language at home. To get better results, we recommend mixing and matching them as each of them is focuses on acquiring different sets of skills like speaking, writing, and listening.
We hope that this article has helped you some find some new approach to studying languages. We'd love to hear the ways that work for you. What activities do you use to learn languages at home? Tell us what in the comments below!
Lori Wade is a freelance content writer who is interested in a wide range of spheres from education and online marketing to entrepreneurship. She is also an aspiring tutor striving to bring education to another level. If you're interested in writing, you can find her on Twitter or Google+ or find her on other social media. Read and take over Lori’s useful insights!
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