What determines the speed and quality of learning?
Science has not yet proven whether people have an innate predisposition to language learning. But there are factors that can help you get closer to the desired result.
Regularity of study
Studying a small amount of material regularly is far more effective than a few hours of textbook lessons once a month. It keeps our brains sharp and our interest in learning because we don’t get bored. It makes lessons fun and keeps them from becoming drudgery.
Plus, regular lessons make learning a habit. And over time, reading a foreign language book for 20 minutes before going to bed will become as natural as brushing your teeth.
So don’t neglect daily contact with the subject if you want to speed up your learning process significantly.
Have the right motivation
Motivation is a very important, if rather insidious, variable when learning a foreign language. It is all too easy to lose it on the way to your goal. To prevent this from happening, you should constantly ask yourself questions relating to your life and how it can be improved by your language skills.
Some people learn a foreign language to move around the world more easily, others want to expand their career opportunities, and still others may have met the love of their life abroad. But without the ability to communicate freely, there will be no success in any field.
If you suddenly lose heart, motivate yourself with questions like, “Do I want a cool new job?”, “Don’t I want to feel ashamed of my English (Spanish or whatever) when I communicate with people?”, “Do I want to travel without language restrictions?”. And so on.
It’s also worth remembering that learning a foreign language is a great preventative measure to keep the brain plastic. When learning a language, new neural connections are created in the mind, memory and attention are improved. But these are more like bonuses.
How to learn a language faster
Implement these methods in your life and the result will not be long in coming.
Read simple texts
If you have recently started learning a foreign language, you should not immediately resort to complex texts. Start with simple children’s stories. For example, you can read the famous works of the Brothers Grimm, which have been translated into many languages. And it’s best to start with books whose plot you already know.
Flipping Tape X (formerly Twitter) also helps to consolidate the foreign language. As this social network contains many short messages, it is much easier to concentrate on the essentials and memorize new words than if you read long, complex texts.
In addition, reading in a foreign language every day trains your brain and has a positive effect on your engagement in the learning process. Each time you read, you will understand more and more, and you will certainly enjoy it. This means that you will enjoy learning more and more.
Write difficult words on post-its
Everyone who learns a language has words that they can’t remember. Write them down on post-its and stick them on all the surfaces in the house that you often see: Mirror, closet, fridge and others. The fact is that humans work mainly visually. That’s why the words we see often will quickly stick in our memory.
