The Best Way to Learn a Language
Mastering a foreign language can be an agonizing experience, or it can be a journey that leaves you feeling empowered and accomplished. Which way it goes for you depends mainly on how you approach the project. Should you plunge in without thought or preparation, you are in all likelihood going to find yourself feeling disappointed and defeated, as has happened to many others. If you plan properly, on the other hand, you’ll likely become a proud and accomplished learner of a second tongue. The most crucial part of getting ready to learn a second language is defining fluency for your own purposes. There are three reasons why you should take this approach to learning.
Breaking Down a Large and Daunting Task
Many of us believe that becoming fluent in a language means speaking just like a native speaker. This is simply not correct, and, as you know, not even all native speakers of a language speak with the same level of fluency. So, why should you, a non-native speaker, define success in such broad and unattainable terms? You should not, and if you do you will set yourself up for failure. Instead, you need to set unique fluency goals.
Initially, at the very minimum, fluency should be defined in terms of daily activities. That is, you should consider yourself to be fluent in your target language when you develop the ability to complete daily tasks, such as going out to restaurants, getting directions, booking travel services, and making purchases. Breaking down this type of large and hard-to-grasp task into scaled-down sections will keep you moving forward, rather than becoming stressed and discouraged.
Defining Achievable Goals
As noted above, the absence of fluency goals causes language learners to inadvertently set unachievable goals, triggering aggravation along with a lack of motivation. Defining fluency for your own purposes, on the other hand, allows you to establish objectives that are both observable and attainable. Having straightforward, achievable goals keeps individuals motivated by providing finishing points throughout their studies; it generally feels good to conclude something that you have started. And, naturally, success breeds success, so after you reach a fluency target, you will be excited to try another. Using these attainable goals, expect your learning to be efficient and gratifying.
Learn What You Need
If you are learning a second language because you want to vacation in a spot where people speak a language other than your own, do you really need to develop the cabability to discuss scientific principles in your target language. No, you do not, but I’ve personally seen dozens of general language textbooks that include vocabulary words from the scientific and business disciplines. What is the result of this? Wasted time and effort. Define fluency for your own purposes, and you will have laser-targeted objectives, and you should become fluent much quicker. There is absolutely no reason to master vocabulary words and expressions that you are hardly ever going to use.
Needless to say, I’m in no way declaring that it isn’t beneficial to learn the language of business or science in a second language, especially if you intend to spend lots of time in a country that uses said language. I am declaring, however, that such an undertaking should be defined as an additional fluency. Define fluency for your own purposes and you’ll succeed. Take on your learning experience without focus and you’ll stroll off into the land of disappointment and failure.
Summary
Learning a language is a lot of work, and if you do not specify distinct, achievable objectives you’ll become one of the many who become overwhelmed and give up. If you define fluency for your own purposes, however, you will find motivation and success. Remember, studying a language is not about becoming fluent or not becoming fluent, but, rather, about obtaining different levels of fluency.
Best of luck with this and all of your future learning endeavors.
Want more? Visit my Best Way to Learn a Language page and get exact instructions for how you should learn a new language.
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