5 Things to Know About Learning a Foreign Language

By: Leyla Saad

Learning a new language is something many of us attempt in our lifetime. A lot of people, like me, went through some formal language education in our secondary education. For most, this includes easily accessible languages like French or Spanish. However, I think some can agree those four years of practicing and memorization of vocabulary were thrown to the wind as soon as we stepped out of the doors of our high schools for the last time. When some decide to buckle down and learn a new language for real, it can be quite a challenge! It goes without saying that it is pretty overwhelming to learn something completely- well- foreign to us. Whether it be not knowing where to start or struggling with conjugations of French verbs like être, the good news is there is an amazing amount of resources out there for those that want to learn. I spoke to professional language interpreter and French teacher Claire Saad to learn some tips and suggestions on how one should go about this process. She says, “You’re never too young or old to learn a new language. Everyone should consider it. It is a wonderful art to speak more than one language and immerse yourself in the culture of another.” Learning a new language is extremely rewarding- and something that should be considered practicing by all. It is a timeless thing to practice and learn a new language. Here are some tips to help with that process!

1. Learn about the culture of the country first.
   Learning about the country of origin of the language is something one should always start out with. You need to know more about the place in order to fuel your passion for learning their language. Some things to start out with include geography. Knowing where the country is located, such as what region, and what kind of weather they have will help you to visualize where your studies are coming from. Next, take some time to learn about the citizens of the place. Learn about their lifestyles, such as what they like to do in their free time, what they like to talk about, and what kind of food they enjoy. Knowing more about the people and their lifestyles will only enhance your ability to understand how they converse with each other, making it easier to understand how to use tonality like them and what kind of vocabulary to focus on. When Saad was earning her degree in French literature, she visited France twice to learn more about the people, and get a first hand impression of how the French interacted with one another. This helped fuel her interest in the country and language and inspired her to become more and more fluent and finish her degree.
2. Always start with the basics.
   It might go without saying, but one would be surprised how often they find themselves trying to rush into complicated sentences or more obscure phrases. Saad says, “I have taught so many students over the years that wanted to skip the alphabet and go straight to asking questions. I always have to remind them to slow down. I like to remind them of how when we were children and learning to speak. It’s sort of like that.” It’s important to start with the basics of the language. This means, for example, starting with the alphabet. So, start with the alphabet, then go to numbers. This will help you feel like you are progressing in a simple way but productive way. Next, try colors, days of the week, and names of the month. Give yourself a good foundation to start off with. Then you will begin to progress into basic actions and the conjugations of those verbs. Pronouns and present and past tense should come next.
3. Find an in- person source to supplement your learning.
   I just gave you a whole list of things to learn. Do not get overwhelmed, however, because there are plenty of resources out there. Online programs are helpful, online video sources are helpful, but something that will put you on the fast track is finding someone in person that you can practice conversations with. Finding a native speaker of the tongue will assist you greatly on your mission. If that doesn’t seem possible for you, you can find a tutor. Furthermore, search for an adult language learning center in your area. Their programs will be beneficial in helping you say the words out loud, and learning proper pronunciations as well as tonality.
4. Watch foreign movies with the captions on.
   Watching movies with the captions on is extremely beneficial in learning a new language, especially when it comes to auditory learning. You might remember falling asleep to foreign language movies in your Spanish class in high school, but this process can actually teach you a lot. Sources say one should read the captions while listening to the audio. That is more important than what is actually going on on screen. By doing this, it helps one relate the printed word to how it should be spoken.
5. The most basic exercises are what will help you to learn.
   While they may seem childlike, Saad says simple things like making up a song to learn the conjugations of a verb or the days of the week will help keep these concepts stuck in your brain. “While it might seem strange singing to yourself while you study, you’d be so surprised how much music helps in retaining information,” Saad says. Coloring, doing word searches, and watching videos and skits are all things that encourage the brain to retain this new wave of information, and help ensure it sticks long enough to memorize things by heart.