3 Ways To Optimally Learn A Language
From someone who has had to learn new languages many times!
How I studied law in a language I could barely understand. The tactics I personally use to learn languages optimally.
English has been my language of instruction for a very long time. I began studying law in 2018, first in English, then I made a turn to Dutch law. A year ago, I could not understand my language of instruction — Dutch. Today I am about to enter the job market for a legal job in the same language. This article is about what this experience has taught me about learning a language optimally. Please stay with me till the end, because perseverance is also one of the things you are going to require.
I had moved to the Netherlands a few years before I took upon this daunting challenge of studying in Dutch. However, I was just a school-going child, in an international environment where you never really needed the language. I had learnt the absolute basics, but nothing more. This was nowhere close to sufficient for studying law. I lacked knowledge of basic words. When I would try reading my textbook, it would take me about thirty minutes to read one single page, having to translate almost every sentence. I was unsure how I would be able to take subjects in Dutch for one whole year. But I did it, and this is how…
Immersive Passive Learning
Through my experience I have learnt that the best way to learn a language is to submerge yourself in it; just dive in. If you are learning on your own, do not aim to go from A1 to A2, leap directly to B1. Out of all the languages I speak, have learnt four languages with this technique (including English). This is similar to the way babies learn to speak. Start watching TV in that language. Even simpler, watch content with subtitles in the language that you want to learn. Sign up for a service that sends you daily or weekly lessons or words. There are multiple free services, and they are diligent. Even if you ignore them, at some point you are bound to skim through one of the emails. If you know anyone who speaks the language, request them to communicate with you in that language. I was naturally put into situations where I had to communicate with native speakers. Even if you cannot respond, you will develop by listening. Basically, set up systems where the language is automatically thrown at you, without you having to actively take a lot of initiative. Remember not to overdo it, otherwise, you might lose interest and it will become a mundane chore. This method will automatically create a steep learning curve.
Expanding Vocabulary
A method that did not work for me was keeping a track of new words in a diary or document. I never really felt like reading a list of words. It felt similar to reading a dictionary. I never went back to that collection of words. So, keeping a track of them seemed useless. A more useful method for me is to put conscious effort into remembering the words that you keep coming across. Try to remember where you saw them for the last time. Throughout the day try to think of situations where you can use the word(s).
Non-conventionally Improving Conversational Abilities
Another method I used to expand my vocabulary was trying to build sentences. I was once told that you truly speak a language when you can think in it. This has become my aim when I learn a new language. Whatever I wanted to say in English, I tried saying that exact sentence in Dutch. For example, “It was very foggy two days ago”. This is a general observation I made about my environment, something I do not necessarily need to know. I would try to say it in Dutch. The complexity of the sentence is something you can decide for yourself. You do not need to translate it yourself, simply use a translator. This way you expand your vocabulary and practice grammar. Be aware that the translator might not be able to show an exact translation, that is the challenge of languages.
These techniques are simple and can easily slide into your routine. They are adaptable so you can experiment with them and see what you enjoy the most. Remember that enjoying learning a language is also a key factor that helps you learn faster. Sometimes this happiness might not come from the language, but from the fact that you are making progress, the classic reward theory. To summarize:
→ Build passive channels of learning around yourself
→Identify words that you keep coming across and actively engage your memory
→Try to communicate with yourself
This is what has helped me in the past and I hope to improve and keep learning more languages using these techniques.
Very helpful tips!