Learning a new language can be tricky, sometimes you'll have to learn a completely different grammar or alphabet. This requires a lot of time, practice, and dedication, but you could also make good use of some tips to either speed up the process, or making memorizing words and characters (if you're learning something like Japanese or Mandarin) way easier. We'll give you some tips that might help you a lot when learning a new language.
1. Find a partner
Things will be way easier if you find a friend to practice with. A partner can correct you if there's something you're doing wrong, and can also be of great help when practicing how to speak in a new language. Some people even say that having a friend learn a language alongside them, can help motivate them, they try to compete with each other to see who can practice or learn faster.
2. Leave your comfort zone
When you're learning something new, chances are you'll make a ton of mistakes, and the sooner you learn to overcome them, the better. The whole experience could be a little bit scary, but it'll all be worth it in the end. Remember, good things take time, and learning a language takes especially a lot of time, but once you're speaking fluently with someone else you'll find out the whole thing was just awesome.
3. Label things from your everyday life
Creating labels and pasting them around your house can help you learn words a lot easier. You'll be seeing them every day, and repeating them often can also help memorizing how things like cabinet, sink or drawer are said and spelled.
4. Keep practicing in your head
It doesn't matter where you are, you should never stop practicing in your head. When you're on your way to work/school, showering or working out, you should try as best as you can to practice what you've learned. Think about grammar and pronunciation of the words or phrases you've learned, try to translate stuff in your head...You could train your brain to begin thinking in another language, making it easier for you to get used to it.
5. Use entertainment to learn words and phrases
Many people will tell you that they learned a lot of English by playing video games or listening to music in that language. It can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it could turn into a fun tool for learning phrases and words. Don't forget to turn on the subtitles of the games you're playing, and even try to sing along with some foreign songs by looking up the lyrics online.
6. Learn from mistakes
It doesn't matter if, at first you make a lot of mistakes, it's all part of the process, so you'll need to know how to embrace them. Many times, getting something wrong one or two times can help you remember those mistakes a lot easier. Keep trying, everyone was in your place at one time or another, and you should never feel ashamed of mistakes, just practice a lot and you'll improve with time.
7. Technology is your pocket-sized teacher
Apps like Duolingo, Memrise, and Babbel can help you learn new words, grammar, and pronunciation from almost any language you want. These are basically teachers you can carry in your pocket, so you get to practice and learn anywhere. Many of these applications also have flash cards, that'll help you memorize words or characters (in Mandarin or Japanese), and could help you improve faster.
8. Stick to the basics at first
Don't try to get ahead of yourself by trying to learn almost every single word in a new language. Even in English, only 300 words make up everyday vocabulary, and no one ever learns every single word in their native language. This means you don't have to rush to learn everything, start with the basics, words you'll use on a daily basis, and after some time, you'll slowly start expanding your vocabulary.
10. Think about it as a door to many opportunities
After learning a new language, you'll see the world under a completely different light. Your perception of your surroundings change and you'll have so many new and amazing experiences. Speaking more than one language opens your opportunities to new jobs, employers appreciate bilingual workers a lot more. When you study a new language, keep in mind that by doing so, you're broadening your opportunities around the world.
10. Learning languages gets easier after a while
After you learn a second language, the ones following will be a lot easier, and you'll learn them faster. The first time you'll learn another language, you'll probably have a hard time. New words, grammar, and even alphabets can be really tricky at first, and it'll take you some time to get used to it. But after you've mastered that one, you'll find learning a third one way easier, you'll have your techniques in place, you'll know your strengths and weaknesses, and you'll already be used to the whole process.
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