Being multi-linguistic has its own advantages in the modern world, where
people from different cultures and regions need to interact with each other on
a regular basis. Learning a language can be both fun-filled and challenging,
especially if you have never heard the language before. Moreover, some
languages can be learnt more easily while others take a considerable time for
mastering. This generally depends on the level of similarity in the sounds and
even spellings of the words from your native language and the one you intend to
learn. Also the amount of time you dedicate towards learning the language might
play an important role in minimizing the time it takes for you to master it.
The process of learning a language can be broadly divided into four
stages. Each stage takes you a step further in the direction of becoming an
expert communicator in the language of your choice. Each of these four steps
has been described in detail below.
First Stage: Understand The Sounds,
Pronunciation And Spellings
This is the simplest and the most flexible stage in the entire process
of learning a language. In this stage you master the art of hearing, producing
and spelling the sounds of the language you want to learn. In order to complete
this stage successfully, you need to stay focused on producing the right
spellings and sounds. Once you become familiar with these key aspects, the new
language will start sounding more familiar and it will become easier for you to
learn and understand its words and phrases. You can actually break down this
stage into three sub-stages which are listed below.
·
Develop the skill of hearing new sounds:
Most people adapt a totally wrong
approach to learning a new language by starting to learn its script and grammar
first. However, learning to hear the sounds of the language is the first and
most important step. This helps you to connect different sounds with different
words, which in turn ensures better retention.
·
Develop the skill of pronouncing new sounds:
The next step is to learn how to pronounce the sounds
you have heard in a correct manner. Here it is important to understand that
although having the right accent might be difficult in the initial stages, you
can surely improve the accent as you keep practicing. Also don’t stress
yourself too much if you are not able to pronounce the sounds correctly in the
first attempt itself. Just be persistent and you will soon master the technique.
·
Develop the skill of spelling the sounds
correctly:
This is perhaps the easiest part of this stage as you
can find the spelling of the sounds in book that teaches the specific language.
The tricky part is to combine the spellings and the pronunciation to produce
the right sound. This is more difficult in case of languages where the
sounds might be pronounced in an entirely different manner to how they are
actually spelled. Here you can seek the help of audio clips and grammar books
to ensure that you do not get confused by the difference in spelling and
pronunciation.
Second Stage: Use a Picture Book to Learn
Some Common Words
Once you have learnt the art of hearing, pronouncing and spelling the
sounds of the language you want to learn, it is time to move on to the next
stage. In this stage you should focus on identifying and learning the words
that are most commonly used in every day communication. However, rather than
trying to learn such words by grasping their meaning, using pictures that
describe the words best is a better idea. The concept is based on the fact that
we tend to remember pictures more than words and sounds. This process is
similar to teaching alphabet to a small child using a picture book. The only
difference is that in this case, you might have to create your own picture
book.
Listed below are a few important things that you need to remember,
during this stage.
- Rather than relying only on the pictures provided in a language book, search for images related to the words online. This will help you get a broader perspective of the words, which is not possible with a single image.
- Do not restrict yourself to a few dozen words but ensure that you set a target of learning more than 500 words over a period of a month or so. You can however start with only 5-6 words per day and then gradually increase eth number as your feel more confident.
- Keep a catalog of the words you have learned as well as the words you intent to learn. This will provide you a clearer idea of how well you are progressing towards attaining your goal.
- Finally, try to use the words in your everyday conversation, even when you are mostly speaking your native language. As you practice using the words, not only will your understanding of them improve but you will also be able to pronounce them in clear and crisp manner.
Third Stage: Learn the
Grammar
Once you become
proficient in the first two stages in the process of learning a new language,
move to the third stage. In this stage you can open the grammar books of the
language that you have already established a strong foundation for. The grammar
books help you to use the sounds and the words that you have already mastered
in a manner that makes sense in the language of your interest. Here it is
important to understand that every language has a unique grammar and structure.
As such a sentence or phrase that might seem perfect in your native language
might become totally absurd or even insulting in the language you are learning.
Learning the grammar of the language helps you to overcome such simple and
other complex obstacles that might prevent you from conversing flawlessly in
the language.
Before you
start learning the grammar of the language, remember the following points.
· Make sure that you
start with the most basic concepts of grammar, even if you well aware with most
of them by this stage. This not only helps in clarifying any doubts but also
provides you greater control over the language.
· Do not compare
the grammar rules of the new language with the rules of your native language.
This will only create confusion and distract you from the goal of learning.
Also, remember the fact that every language is unique and hence there is bound
to be some difference in their grammar and structuring.
· Use online search to
find countless example of using words and phrases in the right manner. This not
only helps in improving your understanding of the grammatical concepts but also
provides you with examples of actual implementation of grammatical rules.
Fourth Stage: Play the
Language Game
Having learnt
the words, pronunciation and grammar of the new language, all you need to do
now is put your combined knowledge into practice. Start by making simple
conversational sentences and move on to short speeches or giving a set of
instructions. Remember, the more you practice the more perfect you will become.
You can do the following activities to improve your flow of the language as
well as the accent.
· Continue the habit of learning new
words and phrases in the picture book pattern. Keep on expanding your
vocabulary and soon enough you will have learned all the words and phrases of
the new language.
· Make habit of reading
a book from the genre of your liking. Start small with kids stories, comic
strips, or even kindergarten essays. However, do not restrict yourself to these
only and move on to more complex reading for improving your language skills.
· Listen to newscasts
and even songs in your new language. Also try to watch the movies in this
language, even if they are only dubbed versions of popular movies.
· Finally, converse in
the language whenever and as much as you can. The best way to do so is visit a
locality inhabits by the native users of the language and try to converse with
them. This will help you improve your tones, slang and even the pronunciation
of some specific words and phrases.
The above four
stages can make the process of learning any foreign language a lot easier and
enthralling. However, the only way to truly master the language is through
constant practice and willingness to gain anew skill. Moreover, it is also
important for the learners to not jump from one stage to another without
gaining excellent proficiency in the first one. This will not only make the
learning process complex but will also create serious hindrances for the
learners, who might again have to start from, stage one.
Like any other
skill, learning a new language requires complete sincerity, dedication and
patience on behalf of the learner. In case even a single of these aspects is
missing, the learners cannot gain complete control over the language they
intend to learn, They might however, be able to make small conversation in the
language, which might not prove completely satisfactory for even their own
self.
No comments:
Post a Comment