7 Steps: Best Way To Learn A New Language For Beginners!

Learning a new language can be fun, but mastering syntax and hesitancy can be hard. Here is a list of the 7 steps: best way to learn a new language!

First things first, when you choose the language you want to learn, understand whether the language follows the SOV (Subject-Object-verb) order like most Indian languages or the SVO (Subject-verb-object) order like English.

Once you have this basic understanding of the language family, structure and pattern of syntax, you should be able to make short sentences even with a limited vocabulary.

What is the best way to learn a new language?

• Book Matters: Investing in a good book matters. There could be free material available online. But, if you are serious about learning the language, nothing like a physical book — your own, where you can make notes and practice writing.

• Everyday matters: You have to set aside time for language learning every single day. Even if only for 10 minutes. This is much better than planning for a three-hour marathon weekend study which will never ever materialize.

The 10 minutes can be spent on memorizing vocabulary, recording your voice in the language and listening to yourself speak in the language or reading something from whatever book you are using.

• Fun matters: In these days of online streaming, language learning has never been more fun. Start watching a fun drama in the language – don’t get discouraged by the fact that you can barely understand anything.

Watch the same thing twice or thrice with subtitles – then again without subtitles – voilà! You can make out bits and pieces of full sentences here and there.

• Speaking matters: It can be very daunting to increase your vocabulary and even to retain the 100 or so words you have managed to memorize. Take help from people at home. Just add a quick word or two in the language while talking to your family – nouns work well here. For e.g. “Can you get me some “insert the foreign word.”

• Exam matters: If there is an exam for testing the proficiency in the language, apply for the exam. This will give you motivation to keep at it on a daily basis. Even if you are just learning the language as a hobby, you can hardly make any progress if there is no impending examination to prepare for.

• Teacher matters: Need I say more. There could be hundreds of free online courses. But nothing can come close to having a teacher to monitor your progress. Someone who will guide you. Someone with whom you can practice the language without any fear of making mistakes.

Any good teacher will be happy to help a sincere student — especially if the student tries to frame the doubt in the foreign language.

• Mental Preparation: Lastly, once you have a teacher, there is no point in transferring the “burden” and “stress” of learning onto him/her.

In other words, saying things like, “this language is tough”, “I cannot speak the language, although I have been learning for a month now”, “Can you make me pass” are all things you could avoid telling your teacher.

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All languages are tough. You would need a year to gain even basic proficiency in a foreign language. Give yourself time and set small, achievable goals.

For e.g. confidence in basic greetings at the end of week 1. Confidence in self introduction at the end of week 2 and so on.

Once you have the above points in place, there is nothing that can stop you from getting proficient at any language —be it Greek or Latin.

Image source: EdvanKun, free on CnavaPro

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