5 Tips for Learning a New Language

As a foreign language teacher, I am well aware that immersion is the best way to learn a new language. But how do we immerse ourselves in a new language when we are living, working, writing, and using English every day? As I get ready for my trip to Germany in just a few months I've discovered little ways to do this while still living and working in the US. I hope that you try some of these ideas and that they work for you too!

1. Taking a Class 

This one is kind of obvious but I needed to include it because it is a sure way to learn and improve your knowledge of any language. You can pay for a class or you can look for free classes like those offered by The Open University through their Open Learn program which partners up with other organizations to offer free courses to people all around the globe as part of their educational mission.  Or you can use web-based resources like Learn a Language or Open Culture for flashcards, vocabulary lessons, games, and more. I highly recommend the TPRS method (Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling) which is a more natural approach to language learning so if you can find a teacher that uses this method you are in luck!

2. Using an App or Two

When it comes to language learning apps you certainly have choices. Most of them have either a free version or a free trial you can try. Some of the top apps are Busuu, Memrise, Babbel, and Duolingo. I am using the free version of Duolingo and it is by far the one I like the best. I especially love the stories and the audio lessons you unlock after you've achieved a certain level. Duolingo offers the most for free but you can add a paid subscription to go pro and get unlimited "hearts" which allow you to continue a lesson even after you've made some mistakes without waiting for your hearts to be replenished. I've also come across apps such as Nemo. This is basically a flashcards app but they are read by a native speaker with their English translation which is really useful. The free version has a good amount of greetings, phrases, and questions that you can learn while listening so this is a great option if you want to learn on the go while shopping, driving, or working out.

3. Following on Social Media

I discovered this strategy by accident one day while looking for Instagram posts in German. There are many content creators and language teachers that post daily and weekly mini-lessons, reels, and great visual aids to help you learn and improve. You can also follow news, travel, and art accounts in your target language to help you learn and practice the functional language in context on any social media platform. And if you spend a lot of time on social media this is a sure way to immerse yourself in the language by doing something you already like to do! 

4.  Videos, Podcasts, and Music, oh my!

It goes without saying that YouTube has a wealth of learning material when it comes to languages so feel free to dive in, watch, and subscribe to your favorite language teacher or culture channel before you travel. I have also rediscovered Podcasts and my all-time favorite is the Coffee Break series from the Radio Lingua Network. I remember downloading the free episodes on my old iPod way back when they only had the Coffee Break French series. Now they have added many other languages including Swedish and Italian and have launched new series including their One Minute, My Daily Phrase, and Walk, Talk, and Learn language series introducing languages such as Japanese and Latvian as well as advanced level Coffee Break lessons. You can explore these series and maybe look for your very own favorite podcast! Another thing I have enjoyed doing to immerse myself in my target language is listening to music. It is so exciting when I can identify a German or French word in the lyrics of a song or be able to tell what the song is about. I can't wait until I am able to sing along! So fire up your Pandora or Spotify account and start listening - and singing!

5. Create Your Own Content

This goes along with the philosophy that our brain retains more when we teach what we are learning. Since I am blogging as part of my Fulbright TGC capstone project which is this website I am already creating content for my Instagram feed. I started a blog post about my German language learning journey but decided to keep it light and fun by creating memes instead. This has allowed me to read and look up words and concepts of the language that otherwise I may not have learned until later so it has been very helpful for me. So go ahead and start your own blog, channel, or social media feed to document and share your learning.

So what do you think? Are you going to try one, a couple, or all of these strategies to learn a new language? The most important thing is to have fun and grow as you learn! Habe Spaß!