Are you thinking about acquiring a new language? From setting realistic goals to ignoring some language learning myths, here are some expert tips for you.

Sett realistic goals

Learning a new language is very much achievable if you have a goal in mind. Whether you are learning it for professional purposes, to boost your career prospects, traveling purposes, or fun, learning a language is easy when you break it down to manageable goals that you can achieve in a specific period. For instance, you can start with a target to read a newspaper in your target language without looking up words in the dictionary. When you achieve that, move on to the next goal and so forth.

Know your motivation

The initial step of learning a new language is being motivated. If you don’t have a good reason to learn the new language, you are more likely to be less motivated and quit before knowing it. For instance, wanting to impress English speakers with your French-speaking skills is not a good motivation. On the other hand, learning French to interact with a French person in their own language is a noble cause.

It may sound obvious, but why you want to learn a language in the first place is very important because it helps you stick to it. Always remind yourself why you want to learn a new language.

Focus precisely on what you intend to learn

Whether enrolling for a physical or an online language class, focus on what you intend to learn. That enables you to choose a language tutor well suited for your needs. When it comes to language learning, not all learners are on the same level. While some may be fluent in the language and intend to learn the language rules and achieve accuracy, others might be beginners who want to learn the language from scratch. So think about the skill you want to achieve and choose the best learning option to accomplish that.

Learn vocabulary in context

When learning a new language, vocabulary is often a challenge to many. Memorizing an entire chunk of the vocabulary of your target language is not only challenging but also dull. According to language experts, the association is the secret to retaining new words. The best way to stick vocabulary to your mind is to ensure that you learn it from situations you experience. That way, the content is relevant and connects to your experience.

Focus on fluency

When learning a new language, fluency is a bigger goal than it might seem to be. When you are fluent in a language, it becomes easier to understand its system, rules and achieve accuracy. Being fluent means, you can converse in the language with ease regardless of grammatical errors.

Ignore common language myths

Many people assume that it is hard to learn a new language as an adult. Or, if you are a monolingual adult, you have already missed the language train. Myths should not deter you from committing yourself to learn a new language. A language can be organic or systematic. Children learn a language organically while adults learn it systematically.

The final words

Traveling and living where the language is spoken can complement language learning in the classroom.