Learning a language might seem like an impossible task, especially without taking professional language classes and spending an enormous amount of time, money and effort on it. As adults, it’s no surprise that most of us do not even consider learning another language other than our native because of the seemingly hard task up ahead. Add to that, a home is never a place of productivity in our dictionaries.
However, learning a foreign language isn’t much different from working from home or creating online businesses at home. In fact, you can easily master a foreign language from the comforts of your home without spending money on private tutors or courses.
There are plenty of ways to begin your language journey where you can learn on your own time, as well as focus on topics that you’re interested in. The internet has truly revolutionised our learning spaces by bringing the world to our doorsteps. You can immerse yourself in the cultural films, music, dance, and literature of whatever language you’re determined to learn.
There is an immense variety of free eBooks, podcasts, videos and more multimedia content ready to teach you various languages. All you need is a strategy to navigate through the steps of starting your learning process, and you can learn any foreign language in a span of weeks or months.
Now that you’ve decided to embark on this fun, exciting and challenging journey, we have collected a list of recommendations for you to fully immerse yourself in the language you’re learning and make the best out of your time. Learning a language at home can be tricky if you are not motivated to continue or do not find the process engaging and interesting. To make sure learning the language doesn’t become a tedious and painful task, so it’s important to diversify your learning techniques.
Learn How It’s Spoken
One of the easiest and fastest ways of picking a language is by focusing on how it’s spoken and trying to mimic it the same way. Not to disregard learning the basics of that language by going into grammar and word formations, but even if you learn all the technical aspects, they don’t teach you how speakers actually sound or use the language. This is why it is important to listen to native speakers talking, interacting, and accommodating the language in their daily life to be able to do the same.
For this, we recommend listening to podcasts on your smartphone anytime you’re on the go, whether on the train or on a walk. Podcasts are a great way of picking up a language as they allow you to hear real conversations between native speakers of the language without being in the space physically.
You can try copying exercises for the sounds of the languages available on many language learning apps to practice your pronunciation. These free language learning apps, such as Duolingo and Babbel, come with speech recognition software that allows you to practice your pronunciation right after hearing a real native speaker utter the word. This is a useful way of learning that helps you confidently talk to real people in real situations.
Immerse Yourself in the Culture
There is no better way than understanding cultural identity than food and cuisine. Whether you’re learning Korean or Turkish, Japanese or Arabic you can completely dive into your linguistic journey by diving into their food and preparation. This can be done through cookbooks, food labels, menus and so forth.
As you gain acquaintance with the cuisine, you’ll find yourself getting familiar with many words. Cookbooks are a great way, whether you decide to purchase a tabletop hardcover or read recipes online. You can even watch cooking and mukbang shows in the language you’re learning as well as food critics try their hands at the many cultural dishes you can try making at home.
Foreign Language Entertainment
TV shows and movies are also great ways to learn a language and diversify the learning process. You don’t need to stick to traditional books and reading materials to master a foreign language. Entertainment media, such as TV shows, films, reality shows, and talk shows, are a great way to have fun while expanding your vocabulary and enhancing your language skills. Think of it as a necessary supplement to your learning process, whereby you can watch the content you love in your target language.
Experts recommend re-watching shows you’ve already watched in your target language without subtitles. For music, a great way to learn foreign language songs is by looking up the lyrics and memorizing them with meaning. This way, you get to tune in to your favorite songs, relax as well as improve your linguistic skills.
Foreign language TV shows that you can easily stream on your best laptop with subscription networks such as Netflix and Hulu are a great option to improve your language learning. With many foreign language films and TV shows becoming popular worldwide, such as Korean dramas and Japanese anime, many groups, including university students, are learning multiple languages using only these shows and dramas.
Real Life Practice
Finally, learning a language at home does not mean you have to consider your learning process a solitary journey. Once you’ve begun to gain basic knowledge of the word structures and grammar, practising is the best way to move it forward. Whether you meet people online through language learning communities on Facebook and other social media platforms or you happen to chance across a fellow language learner in the library, talk it out.
Invite your friends and acquaintances fluent in your target language to parties, get together, and start speaking the language. Making a plan with people who are welcoming and willing to help you converse better is the easiest way to socialise, make friends, and learn a new language as well. Of course, you can read as many books as you wish, but the knowledge and tips and tricks that a native speaker is able to pass on are unparalleled.
Besides linguistic nuances, you can get to know more about the culture, country, and more during your conversation with a native speaker. Further, you can also learn many things about social cues and etiquettes of the target language. You might even be able to pick up some slang and inside jokes in the language you might not find anywhere in your learning materials. You can use pirate bay to learn more.
Conclusion:
Hence, these are some tips for learning a foreign language and becoming fluent in it while being at home effectively. With these few engaging and fun strategies, you will find learning the language you want a challenge you look forward to accomplishing instead of a job. In addition, while learning the language, you’ll also be able to appreciate other cultures and gain an empathetic and worldly perspective on the world besides your own.