Tips for learning a foreign language

[ilovelibraries]

I have unexpectedly found myself with one month off work and really want to learn Spanish.

The thing is, over the years I’ve tried to learn a number of different languages and have failed each time. I can say a few words, but then it just doesn’t stick. And that’s before I even come to the grammar!

I’ve tried written courses, adult education courses and even Michel Thomas (who I like but could only ever remember the first few lessons). And listening to Spanish radio - which would be useful if I understood what they were saying .

I am relatively time-rich (for a month) but cash poor.

Is there any chance? Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Well, immersion is the best strategy, but assuming that isn't possible, you need as much exposure and practice as possible. And repetition, repetition, repetition.

@paralysedbyinertia I’ve found Coffee Shop Spanish, which is a podcast - short lessons. Which should be good. I’ve been in the garden (weather permitting) this week and just repeated the first 3 lessons every day (which is very easy things) and I’m even struggling to remember the bits I didn’t know . Is there no hope?

I think I’m held back by my negative mindset more than anything. I would love to know other languages. But just get stuck!

What is it that you're struggling to remember, exactly, OP? Vocab? Grammar?

I'm very fortunate in that languages come very easily to me. However, I think it's very normal for people to need a lot of repetition before things stick. Some words are easier to remember than others, but don't expect to hear something once and just retain it. Sometimes, you have to hear things over and over before they stick. I'm convinced that this is one of the reasons why it's so much easier for little kids to learn languages - they don't get bored so easily!

I'm sure you're right that mindset is a major factor. Just give yourself time and have confidence that it will come. Are you able to find anyone online or in RL that you can practise with?

Apps like Duolingo and Drops and Memrise are free and encourage little and often (paying enables lots and often, but I wouldn't bother). I'd start with those, read up a bit on grammar, then every thing you read or listen to online is a bonus.

Also lots of international drama box sets on Ch4 catch up and Netflix are worth watching so that you get used to the general rhythm of the language. Also you'll start to click with words and expressions you can 'get'.
Sometimes it's worth having an actual goal in mind, like a trip to a Spanish speaking country (when we can!). You might also find language speaking groups helpful, Meet Up might have some or even doing online conversation classes with Spanish speakers might not be that expensive.
I think it helps to accept that you'll always be learning the language if you aren't there too. Good luck!

Learn some useful phrases off by heart.
Keep repeating, little and often
Try writing down phrases in different colours,
Try using scented pens
Paint the phrases in large writing on the patio in water with big brush
Write phrases with finger on carpet..

You may be someone who does not learn well with just listening.

And yes, apparently the attitude does not help...

I did well with Spanish(ages ago) and French but struggle with German because it looks hard...

I might take my own advice...

Duolingo is really good.

I recommend Duolingo as well, I've been learning Spanish and Italian since December and although it's not perfect it's good enough for beginners.

I usually do just 1 lesson a day, occasionally a few more.

I'm planning to re-watch Money Heist in Spanish (no subtitles) in the summer before the last season comes out, bit ambitious 😁
watch as many things you can in Spanish to get used to the flow of the language and also listen to music.

Watch things in Spanish with subtitles.

See if you can link any words written in the subtitles to words that are being said.

Listen out for those words again. Try and link the words around them to what's written in the subtitles.

Thanks all. Some great advice. I love foreign dramas, but so far the ones I have watched are all Scandi / German / French. But now that I have commited to Spanish, I will seek out Spanish ones (I do have a trip planned, it’s just when now @crosshatching!)

Everyone that recommended Duolingo - thanks. I have tried it before, but had my negative mindset. I’ll try again and not try to put too much pressure on myself.

@BlackeyedSusan at 50, I still haven’t found what type of learner I am! Repeating it lots of ways is a good tip - one of them must stick, surely? And German was one I tried for years but was scared off years ago when I was young and an au pair. The family I worked for put me on an intensive course, but then I missed loads of lessons as I had to babysit the kids. It was a very international class and pretty much everyone their already spoke English as a second language and it was the first time I’d heard the words “nominitiv”, “akkusativ” and “dativ”. Still brings me out in a cold sweat! (I left shortly after as they were a very wealthy family but just after a skivvy).

@paralysedbyinertia I think you are correct about the kids part. And that they don’t have the embarrassment about speaking the language - which is a huge bonus!

I don’t know any native Spanish speakers and can’t afford lessons. I need to stay at home this month too - which is another limitation.

@AppleBarrel a good tip, thanks. I think I get so bored of learning by rote. Personal investigation seems a good way to keep it interesting .

So, all you lovely people, thanks . I’m feeling positive and can-do. Fingers crossed!

One thing I did as a teenager when I was learning Russian was to stick little labels around the house with names of the items on them. Plus common phrases on mirrors etc! Worth a try?

I also find flash cards really helpful, even if you have to make them yourself.

It takes hearing a word/phrase 30+ times before you'll remember it. So say the phrase out loud and make sure you repeat it exactly. This is not easy but every time you repeat it wrongly you are going backwards. So don't cheat and think that's good enough when you know it's not exactly right.

The problem is that you need to concentrate on the word/phrase and it's very easy for the mind to just wander. Walk up and down as you say it - somehow this helps.

Once spent a fortnight in a language lab , roughly 7 hours a day, learning Spanish. By the end of the first day, not to mention at the end of the fortnight my mind was blowing but goodness me I learnt a lot!

If you have a couple of weeks free you should be able to make real progress. Start early am and do half an hour concentrated work - then do something else for half an hour to allow you mind to assimilate the work, repeat all day until you can't take any more.

Each time you start a new section / list of phrases etc, begin by going over all the previous ones first. Language learning is all about repetition, very hard ( often dull) work which is why people fail they lose interest and won't keep on with it.

But, everyone can learn language - we all do after all.

Have a look at The Language Tutor on YouTube, there are over Spanish 100 lessons on there, starting with the very basics. He is very good although I use these lessons alongside using Duolingo (and Babel). the Open University also have free beginners Spanish courses.

I bought this book on Amazon because some of the grammar ( conjugation for usted/ustedes for example) threw me completely and the free Duolingo app just doesn't have the capacity to go into great detail.
Having said that there's a chat option and some people give amazing advice & insight.

But I need test books to read about rules of grammar for myself then do the relevant excercise.

It depend on how serious you are about learning Spanish - but you may be able to pick up a second hand concentrated primer for £10 say, eg H Ramsden's 'An essential course in Modern Spanish' which I used years ago. Did A level with it, in 10 weeks. plus the 2 weeks in the Lab. Not for the faint hearted but I had already learnt Latin and French to A level so knew how to tackle language learning.

My uncle did a BA degree years ago as an external candidate with London University and learnt Latin and French on his own so can be done. ( He left school at 14.)

Motivation /repetition is everything.

Reality check: you're not going to learn much in one month. But something is better than nothing!

I find writing helpful - copying foreign language sentences again and again. The act of writing slows down your thinking and you really notice the words and how they are formed, eg word endings (masc/fem, singl/plural), accents, letter combinations that aren't usual in English. Handwriting also builds up 'muscle memory' of forming the words and not just visual recognition.

In terms of memory there's a difference between recognition and recall. It's easier to recognise words/information when you see it (eg reading something and understanding what it says) but it's more difficult to recall information from your memory unprompted (eg speaking). When learning a foreign language it's normal to feel that you know more of the language than you can speak/write.

If you liked Michel Thomas you could try the completely free complete Spanish course by Language Transfer on YouTube. Similar teaching method, but Mihalis is not grumpy like MT!

To make stuff (anything) stick in memory, just re-reading is inefficient. 'Effortful recall' is better. Basically this means keep testing yourself. It's the stuff you did at school..keep a vocab list, cover up the Spanish and test yourself on translating from the English words. Or listen/read a little dialogue, then try to reenact it yourself. Listening to radio is pointless, input (aka listening and reading) needs to be easy enough that you understand most of it, so you can infer the meaning of new words from context.

Best advice I've seen is pick one course/book/Youtube channel and stick to it for at least a month. (Maybe modify that to a week if you are studying full time ) Don't waste time looking for the 'best' course, just get on with the one you have. You do make better progress this way.

There are a lot of online language groups now which would allow you to practise conversational Spanish. Meetup is your friend for these - I've just had a look and there are loads of zoom option for Spanish. This one is tomorrow and covers from beginners: www.meetup.com/Easy-Spanish-Conversation/events/cqlnbsycchbdc/

One top tip I have for languages is to spend a year trying to learn Japanase, then realise how easy it is to learn Spanish in comparison It really works!

There is a free short course on how to learn a foreign language from open uni on OpenLearn.

This free pdf by Paul Nation 'what you need to know to learn a foreign language' is really useful (and there is a version of it in Spanish as well as English):

www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/paul-nations-resources/paul-nations-publications/publications

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba thanks for the book recommendation. I think this may help me too.

@Plexie I don’t need a reality check - I know I won’t be fluent. I just want to get past “hello”, “goodbye” and “my name is”. And you are correct, recognition is far easier than recall. I’ll try the writing out sentances to see if that helps. Thanks.

@Willdoitlater I quite liked Michel
Thomas - I just couldn’t remember the connections . I’ll look up Language Transfer. Something has to stick, right? Off to look at the OU link. Thanks.

@Boopear I’ve never heard of Meetup. What a fantastic resource! Thanks so much, I’ll take a look.

@StoneCat
"and my personal favourite: man falling off cliff"