How to Learn New Language ?

This post was taken from my previous travel blog.

It is never a waste of money to learn new language especially while you are still studying, that's when you have all the time in the world. It is not very hard compared to passing A-levels Biology test with flying colour. All you have to do is give some efforts & practice!

Here are some tips that might help you learn new language :

a. Go to language classes.

There are many institutions providing courses, if money is not a problem, you should take qualified certificate, for example from British Council (English) or Alliance Francaise (French). Not that I'm saying other institutions are not good, but while you want to learn something, it's better for you to learn it from the best. Learning language from native speakers are much better when you want to learn right pronunciation and accent.

b. Buy exercise books.

If you can spend your weekly money to watch movie or go to karaoke, surely you can spend some money to buy a book. One exercise book is enough for a start. Do weekly exercise, and make sure you finish it. 

c. Podcast

There are a lot of free podcasts on itunes. My personal favorite is Coffee Break : French. This way, it gives you other way in learning language. It is much cheaper than going to classes. You can learn listening and pronunciation better. I listen to 2 podcasts daily while working, using ear-phone ( each podcast will take about 5 minutes ). Easy, right?

d. Read 

For a person who just started to learn foreign language, this can be a tough task. You can start by reading short articles from your text book, stories from children books, and simple blog posts online. You will catch familiar words here and there, familiarize yourself with their words formation & grammar.

From my experience : After years of 10 years of reading excessively in English, I hardly use dictionary anymore and my vocabularies expanded extensively :) I can watch English movies without subtitles and understand it without any strain of muscle.

e. Speak

Oh yes, using the chosen language while speaking is another good way to practice. If you have a hard time finding people that can understand the language you are currently learning, just use simple phrases instead : such as greetings, and such. This way, you will also indirectly teach them :)

f. Rewrite
I found this method quite useful. Maybe because it is easier if you combine several senses together while trying to remember something. In this case, you will use your eyes to see, your hand to write, your lips to say it out loud and your ear to listen.
From my experience : Keep a small book to write all your new phrases and new words. Write in it daily. As for me, I've been doing that since my school days for English, so I've collected about 2-3 notebooks full of new words learned. My dictionary used to be my bestfriend.

written based on my experience.
Feel free to share your learning experience.