1. Study 30 minutes every day.
Studying every day is VERY important. It is better to study 30 minutes every day than to study 5 hours twice a week. In fact, many studies show that studying small things every day for half an hour gradually improves your skills. It’s the repetition that helps your brain learn the most effectively, rather than big chunks of time with several days in between. Help keep yourself organized with a study planner like this one.
2. Speak, speak, speak.
Yes, reading is important, but speaking is extremely important in learning a language. If you use words out of your mouth several times, you can learn a language faster! One way of practicing this is through “shadowing.” Shadowing involves repeating a piece of language audio word-for-word as you listen. You can watch a movie and try to repeat what the actor or actress says. A recorded e-course like Rola offers for beginner French and Spanish is the perfect resource to listen to the instructor speak and repeat as many times as you like - just keep playing the video back!
3. Do not be afraid to make mistakes.
People sometimes don’t want to speak a second language because they are afraid to make mistakes in pronunciation or grammar. Everyone learns from their mistakes, so don’t be afraid to make them! You would not laugh at a foreigner who tries their best to speak your native language, would you? Being confident is a key to success. Take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to practice, as practice is what will get you feeling comfortable. A resource like Spanish in 60 Days is designed around practicing many days in succession.
There you have it - 3 simple tips to keep in mind when you study a second language.
With over 10 years of experience, Rola Languages can help jumpstart you with studying a second language (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Mandarin and English).
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