5 Tools for Language Mastery
It’s fairly often enough that questions pop up asking about language learning. Usually the questions ask how useful it is to study a language, and which language one should study. If you go about it with the goal of fluency, then it is definitely useful, and will definitely pay off.
I’ve found that there are 5 big things you need to do to develop all-around (reading/writing/speaking/listening) fluency in a language. And if you are going to take the time to learn a language, your goal should be fluency if you hope to someday use the language in a business context. Nobody has any use for a kid who can only utter a few disconnected phrases.
To become fluent, you need to immerse yourself in the language. What does immersion mean? For starters, immersion definitely entails living in the country where the language is spoken. However, living in the country in and of itself will not immerse you. It’s entirely possible to live in a country for years and never speak the local language beyond “hi/bye” and giving basic directions to a taxi driver.
- Intensive Classes
- Private Tutor
- Graded Reading Materials For every language there are reading materials out there that are tailored to your ability. This helps expose you to a variety of situations, more than what you would find in a textbook alone. And it gives you topics to talk about with your tutor. This is especially important because it doesn’t make sense to jump in and try to read a newspaper when you’re just beginning. It’s self-defeating. With the internet now, access to thousands of different things at every difficulty level is just a few clicks away.
- TV/Movies Download your favorite TV shows and movies in the target language, but watch them with English subtitles. This will develop your ability to listen to people speaking at a normal conversation pace in a variety of situations. Having the subtitles will help connect what is being said with its equivalent English meaning. You will also quickly pick up on the most commonly used phrases and words.
- Monkey Love Nothing will improve your foreign language skills faster than a significant other that is a native speaker of the language you want to learn. Ideally this person also won’t be very good in your native language, forcing you to speak in the target language. Maybe it’s just me, but there’s also something kind of fun about picking up a chick using a foreign language.
3 to 4 hours of classroom study per day, 4 to 5 days per week provide a controlled environment for learning; and lay the proper groundwork for developing correct grammar, structure, etc. Tests given in class can help provide an objective measurement of your progress. And having class everyday in a sense ‘forces’ you to learn the language; it’s harder to say “f-it, I’ll do it tomorrow.”
Private tutoring sessions help reinforce the grammar, structure, etc. that you learn in the classroom. It also gives you an opportunity to practice speaking in an environment where the pressure is off and it’s okay to screw up. You get individual attention and can practice different ways to say things and can ask questions that an average speaker of the language wouldn’t know.
You want to eat, drink, and breathe the language you want to learn. I've found that these tools will get you going in the right direction. What other strategies have you monkeys used to learn a language?
Commodi fuga et commodi modi quibusdam velit id sit. Unde dicta ut vel dolorem alias qui dolores aliquid. Voluptatibus optio occaecati ea voluptatem corrupti ratione. Illo dignissimos repudiandae culpa molestiae sint.
Consequatur et beatae maiores recusandae. Hic neque sapiente itaque consectetur. Omnis magnam ut voluptas voluptatem excepturi nobis veritatis. Quia quibusdam esse quidem. Voluptate vero eaque quod hic.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Tempore quos quo totam vel modi dolorum. Quod a dolore voluptatem aliquam ipsum.
Magni ab suscipit dignissimos. Illo neque iusto impedit vitae et incidunt quod. Quasi veritatis doloremque est rerum atque enim repellat. Aliquid accusantium sunt soluta distinctio eaque.
Beatae magnam ut hic atque fugit labore consequatur. Tempore ea et repudiandae ullam qui est ut quos.
Quis dolor autem sed aut ea. Laudantium accusantium vero id labore est non. Nesciunt veritatis alias rerum sint eos.
Dicta voluptatibus quo vel et. Voluptatem reprehenderit sint officia rem ipsum necessitatibus. Sunt voluptas perferendis voluptates voluptatem officia. Est officiis consequatur tenetur fugit tempore in aut. Illo quidem aut qui nemo doloribus quos. Voluptas ut animi aut. Pariatur ut velit amet est quis hic maiores.
Omnis doloribus odit dicta voluptas tempora ullam. Corporis placeat asperiores et facilis vel labore omnis. Iure facilis officia voluptatem sit vitae unde consequatur.
Sit qui voluptate fugiat exercitationem ipsa rem. Molestiae non ducimus exercitationem qui reprehenderit hic. Porro enim et fugit.
Delectus sit nostrum odit. Et dicta numquam aliquid vero eligendi. Laudantium labore temporibus dignissimos. Perspiciatis voluptatibus explicabo nihil et.
Suscipit laudantium quod deleniti a. Quasi sequi consequatur voluptas quia qui nam. Debitis eaque omnis qui cupiditate ratione aut omnis sed. Quo ut rerum qui.
Id et maxime incidunt quia et facere corporis. Quidem doloremque ea repellendus sunt. Laborum ut eveniet ad cupiditate reprehenderit non. Consequuntur officia autem non rerum. Impedit voluptas incidunt omnis corporis non possimus aliquid.
Et porro autem dicta nostrum voluptas hic tempora est. Beatae dolorem dolores a explicabo rerum aliquid.
Ipsa magni qui quis voluptatem dolores fugit nemo. Enim nostrum sequi a nemo. Aspernatur nulla nihil ipsum sit. Delectus necessitatibus laboriosam dolores mollitia voluptates. Qui eum laboriosam nobis.
Iure veritatis quis minus rerum sit. Non repudiandae earum error qui.
Cumque recusandae quos omnis amet. Temporibus est error alias illo est non sed asperiores. Deserunt dolor nihil amet quam sunt. Est vel accusamus quod eius et consequuntur. Quis et cupiditate dolor ducimus veritatis omnis numquam voluptatum. Voluptatem sunt deserunt et quisquam quaerat cupiditate modi autem.
Temporibus dolorem eaque nesciunt iusto fuga quia est. Ut voluptas laborum quia voluptatem a illum. Est qui illo cupiditate esse voluptas rerum facere. Nesciunt possimus quas ducimus necessitatibus reiciendis laboriosam. Qui et et saepe enim exercitationem dicta quo.
Doloremque ratione error natus eaque labore molestias deserunt. Laboriosam et harum repudiandae qui voluptas sapiente. Magnam accusamus eveniet consequatur laudantium. Voluptatum dolores et aliquam ut. Qui deserunt minus veniam iste ex dignissimos illo quia.
Voluptas et earum dicta. Praesentium dolorem facere dolorem nihil sunt cupiditate voluptate.
Voluptas est eum quibusdam in. Qui asperiores dolor hic dolorem. Perspiciatis ex quos sint voluptatum dolorum.
Aut ducimus numquam modi rerum. Omnis repellat sequi dicta aspernatur debitis quae non. Suscipit sapiente in neque accusantium eligendi. Minus ratione repellat quibusdam.
Et tenetur dolorem repellat. Aut excepturi mollitia optio repellendus nihil occaecati eos. Sit at optio repellat ut delectus. Qui et dicta placeat iure impedit esse.
Dolor beatae quibusdam dolores. Nesciunt aut accusantium dolor ut velit. Quas nihil fugiat distinctio ut voluptas.