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With the summer holidays glittering welcomingly in the not-too-distant future, many of us will be turning our thoughts to learning a new language, or brushing up on one we used to be familiar with. There’s nothing more nerve-wracking than turning up in the middle of Germany or a deserted part of Portugal and not knowing how to communicate. People have been trying to breach the language barrier for years, and innovative ways to make learning another dialect faster and easier are being developed all the time. But what really is the most effective way to learn a language? Here are a few ideas to help you sort through the options:
Falling in love
They say that one of the best motivations for learning a language – and sticking at it – is love. If you met your partner on a black dating website, for example, and they speak another language, you’ll suddenly do anything to learn their native tongue. Also, frequent contact with them and their relations will have you fluent in no time.
Pick a course
If falling in love with a bilingual isn’t an option, you could always go conventional and sign up for a language course. There is such a variety of these out there, so make sure you choose one that fits with your lifestyle. Evening courses are great to slot around a working calendar, and the conversational emphasis of a lot of these will kick start the learning process. Online courses mean you can learn a language at your own pace and from anywhere you want to. There are also computer packages you can buy for language learning, which is an even more flexible way to learn.
Living abroad
One of the certified ways to get to grips with a language is to throw yourself in at the deep end and go to live in the country of choice. A year in Paris will have your French rolling off your tongue. The advantage of this is you’ll be learning the modern vocabulary, slang included, straight from the people who speak it. Plus, they’ll all be keen to help and coach you.
Television teaching
Another popular teaching technique is watching films and television programmes in the language of your choice. Start small with kids’ TV and then work your way up to big blockbusters such as Amelie. Start with the English subtitles on and then switch to the subtitles of the other language, before eventually watching without anything. You’ll be amazed at how much you pick up this way!
Learning a language is not an easy process. It takes perseverance and a lot of hard work. Why not try one, or a few, of these language-learning options to give you a boost before the holidays? Whether this means watching the whole of Das Boot without subtitles or scouring the eHarmony dating website for single Spaniards, it will definitely be worth the effort.