Do you have dreams of travelling to Germany for
your friends aunt’s wedding and hope to make many friends as possible during
your stay so you can brag about it to your snobbish classmates?
Or you have super/ exclusive dreams of being a
linguist as your future career and you don’t even know a single rule about
learning languages, you are broke and can’t hire a tutor.
Ultimately, you are
left with crushed dreams.
Maybe you just want to learn little Chinese,
German, and Afrikaan to just have basic knowledge about them (plus some
showing-offs) and you have no idea where to start from, who to call or what to
do.
You’re also left
with crushed hope.
If you are experiencing one
of/all these three scenarios I just came up with, then you’ve come to the right
place. The easiest thing to do at that stage and your most promising solution
is to flush all your dreams of learning 10 different languages in 2k19 down the
drain and start your best idea of a side business........DIY crafts business.
JUST
KIDDING!!!!!!!
Actually, that doesn’t sound
so bad). Don’t ever lose hope, where
there is a will there is a way.
Moving on, I would presume
that you picked something from what I stated earlier. If you are left with no
tutors, no mentors, no councillors and no information about something, you
might as well Do-It-Yourself. Yes, Yes, Yes! Get your DIY spirit on because
it’s the only option you have now. Actually, people who learn about things or
skills by themselves tend to understand it better than those who learn from
others. But it’s still a win-win situation though.
Anyways, I will be giving you 8 solid and profound
tips you should keep in mind whilst learning a new language By-Your-Self (BYS
or DIY, which sounds better, drop a comment). I personally learn different
crafts On-My-Own. (That’s a Nigerian slang...OYO; it’s also a name of a state).
And I seem to understand it completely with little help from others. The two
main reasons why this is so are;
1.
My self-will
and 2.the
internet
The internet has an answer to
any question and most people share information, gain info and start business
ventures online. So, why don’t you go to the web and search for guidebooks to
learn a skill. Are you curious to know these 8 awesome tips that would help you
learn a new language all by yourself, and not only learn but also be able to
include it in your daily life?(don’t forget the show-off part too)well, here
they are. As always, I keep it simple.
1. Start with a positive attitude
Yes,
I will.
Those are three of the most powerful words in all
languages.
Those three words combined
and utilised have driven many people to success and have been responsible for
human achievement. If you have a goal in mind, such as learning a language by
yourself, affirming these three words beforehand will help boost your determination and will power throughout the
journey. If you start with a good attitude and firm, resolute spirit, ignoring
the ridicules targeted at you, focusing on your aim to conquer the language you
desire to learn and putting much effort into it, you’re bound to see wonderful
results.
·
Don’t let what anyone says to you affect your
decision. If you choose to learn Spanish this year, go for it!
Will
you learn German this year? YES, I WILL!
Will
you master Chinese this year? YES, I WILL!
Will
you get to know little Hindu this year?
YES, I WILL!
Then, what are you waiting for?
2. Watch a lot of videos and read a lot of posts
Since you’re going to do some DIY
learning, you will need all the help you can get.
Watch YouTube
tutorial videos on learning languages.
There are some YouTubers who
do series and some ‘teaching channels’ have those too. They do series or parts,
breaking the lessons into different videos. Some of these YouTubers don’t
really post all the lessons in serials because you can’t possibly learn a
language by just watching 5 videos of a man just talking for 30
minutes......reason?
1. Videos like that don’t get too many clicks because
of its duration so that’s a huge NO for the Youtuber.
2. It gets boring at a point.
That’s why
most YouTubers sell e-books on Amazon and such will explain that better later.
Watching these videos helps to enlighten you a bit about the language you wish
to learn. Also, reading linguistic posts can help with your knowledge acquisition.
Most of these posts aren’t tutorials like videos. They are mostly advice, tips
and opinions on learning a language by yourself.
·
Get as much knowledge as possible. More knowledge is wisdom
3. Read eBooks
E-books are the trending, stress-free,
economic and efficient way of sharing your ideas and concerns about something
or someone.
It is mostly used by aspiring
authors &poets, bloggers, YouTubers and social media owners globally to
share their thoughts and concerns. It is vastly in use that even youngsters (like
me) and businessmen and women of odd jobs use as a stepping stone to greater heights.
Nowadays, many bloggers and YouTubers make e-books on different topics ranging
from lifestyle to marketing.
Go find yourself an e-book (under
the category; learning or education), some are like handbooks, others are like
manuscripts. Look for the one that starts with;
A
step-by-step guide...
A handbook
on learning.....
Mastering
English language: what you need to know.
·
You can also consider buying CD’s that come with the books
for better understanding.
4. Don't read to many books
I
know I just explained how reading e-books are beneficial when it comes to
learning a new language. On the contrary, reading too many books is a
workload that is totally unnecessary. Your brain is the powerhouse of the
entire human body; the body organs, the body systems, and body parts. When you then overwork it by putting in so
much information at a rate your brain can’t process thoroughly, it leads to forgetfulness and surely stress.
Why do you think an average human being is
advised to read t least a chapter of a novel day, at least?!! It’s because the
human brain is designed to function in multiple ways at a time and at different
rates. You could do lots of things a day like going for a walk with your dog,
shop for groceries or go to evening classes and your brain is still in motion
and is working. So reading a chapter of
Nora Roberts’ novel is okay for one
day.
In addition, reading too many
language books or textbook at once/consecutively stresses your brain and
inhibits you from gaining more knowledge about the language. Also, alternate
the books you read so your brain puts more effort and performs better in
understanding and memorizing it.
·
Read 2 chapters of a step-by-step e-book, then
tomorrow, a handbook. Give your brain the energy it needs to work effectively.
5. Take notes and
memorize
Get your favorite DIY jotter alongside your laptop
when watching a tutorial video or when reading an e-book and jot down the key
points.
Make sure you write down the
key points of every video, post or book you read and watch about learning
languages. Look for points like:
.....................when
learning a language, have conversations with friends and family who are familiar
with the language.
.....................verbs
and consonants in the language.
...............,.......grammatical
structure and so on.
·
Look for the keywords, keep repeating them to
yourself and you will fully understand and late memorize them.
6. Watch shows of
the language preference
You have to keep on hearing something
over and over till it sticks in your head, you know.
This is another important thing that matters
when learning a new language by yourself. If you want to learn a language by
yourself, consider watching TV shows and programs that the actors and TV
figures/reporters communicate in the language. Apparently, people find visuals-audio
more appealing to them when learning and gaining knowledge than written or
worded information.
So, switch
on your favorite Chinese documentary channels every afternoon to learn a
little more about the language. Or if you are more interested in Dutch, go to
your favorite Dutch news or cooking channel to gain more knowledge about the
channel.
·
Make sure you pay attention to when your language
preference is being spoken on the TV channel.
·
Pay more attention to their use of grammar and verbal
position {of their mouths}
7. Learn to listen
Your ears have a purpose; to pick up
vibration and hear sounds.
In order for you to learn, you need to listen.
Maybe the language you have
dreamt so much of speaking is a local one (i.e. spoken in your hometown) but
you never take notice of the people speaking it around you. You need to learn
how to pay attention to what is going on around you and the language spoken in
your vicinity. Your friends may know the language you wish to know but you
never find the time to ask them. Your babysitter may know the language you are
dying to learn but you can’t summon up the courage to ask.
·
Be a good listener, and you are sure to learn.
8.
No pain, No gain!
Practice and Practice!
Can you memorize a 400 words
poem overnight or can you learn to dive from a 20m springboard into your pool
in just two hours? It’s not possible to me but it can be to you, I don’t know.
If you want to achieve great
things, you have to earnestly work for it. Success
comes to those who work for and deserve it. For you to perfect the language
you want to learn to speak fluently, you need to constantly practice it, again
and again, day-by-day, non-stop.......okay, you would need to take a break at a
point but you get what I’m saying, right?
However, there are people around you
that may decide to help you. For instance, if you are learning your dad’s
native language, he may help you if he isn’t too busy and if you are learning your
mom’s, the same thing goes. The more people around you communicate with you in
the dialect, there will surely be improvement in your understanding of the
language and sooner or later you will start speaking it fluently.
·
You know the saying; “practice makes perfect”.
Conclusion
Thank you very much for reading
this post. I hope it was helpful to you. These few tips are the tips I think are
the most important and really helpful to you when learning a new language...on
your own. Believe me; it will take time for you to really assimilate all you
need to know about the language. Originally,
an average person takes up to 8 months to learn a language, with aid from
tutors and various helping hands. Imagine if he has to learn on his own then!!!
Now, this may change depending on different factors like level of seriousness,
consistency, determination,
attitude and devotion.
Your case may be different; it may only take you 6 months!!!
Well, I have no say in that because you’re the only one who can decide that. I
wish you the best of luck.
Thanks again for reading.
Stay tuned and stay blessed.
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