5 Strategies to Help Students Effectively Learn a New Language
There are many benefits of learning another language for students. These include improved memory, problem solving and creativity.
Foreign language skills enhance students’ career prospects. They also broaden their perspective by giving them an appreciation of other cultures.
Sadly, many students find learning another language at school to be difficult and boring. While it’s definitely a challenge, acquiring a new language should be a rewarding and enriching experience.
These five strategies will help students acquire and retain a new language.
Set Learning Goals
Learning a new language from scratch is a daunting task. It helps to break it down into a series of goals so that students gain a sense of achievement.
These goals may include learning to ask for certain items in a shop or being able to hold a conversation about a particular topic. Once students gain proficiency in one area, their confidence will grow.
Master Common Words
Studies have found that learning a language’s common root words and their variations is one of the most effective ways to learn a new language. Each language has roughly eight hundred to one-thousand root words.
Having some familiarity with common words makes it easier to follow conversations and grasp the rules of grammar. These words provide a foundation to build on. It’s a good idea to create a vocabulary list to review regularly.
Experiment With Techniques
Everyone learns differently, and it’s important for students to find techniques and styles that work for them. Some like to learn from books, while others need to put their skills into practice.
Some common techniques include the use of flashcards, games and vocabulary quizzes. Podcasts and Youtube lessons are excellent for auditory learners. There are many language apps available that are designed to cater to different learning needs.
Consume Foreign Media
An easy and fun way for students to learn another language is by consuming content from the culture they’re studying. This may involve reading newspapers, watching television shows and movies, and listening to music.
Students won’t understand everything straight away when they’re consuming foreign content. At first, they’ll only be able to catch a few words here and there. It helps to watch a show without subtitles and then play it back with subtitles to check their knowledge.
Chat With Native Speakers
The last and best practice for learning a foreign language is to regularly converse with native speakers. This is an excellent way to pick up on vocabulary, grammar and slang.
Technology has made it very easy to connect with people from other cultures and countries. There are many websites available which give people the opportunity to practice their language skills. Parents need to ensure that any contact with strangers online is done through a reliable source and that no personal information is shared.
These strategies can help students effectively learn a new language.