{"id":42274,"date":"2018-06-25T19:07:13","date_gmt":"2018-06-26T03:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=42274"},"modified":"2019-05-02T13:43:41","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T21:43:41","slug":"12-language-experts-share-12-tips-to-learn-a-language-faster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/12-language-experts-share-12-tips-to-learn-a-language-faster\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Language Experts Share 12 Tips to Learn a Language Faster"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

In a world that demands rapid learning and massive change, the ability to learn a language faster is an important skill to acquire, whether you want to learn Spanish<\/a>, take French lessons<\/a>, or Italian lessons<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As we shared in our previous post on learning faster, skill acquisition can be transferred to just about anything you want to learn.<\/p>\n

The most common mistake we see people make when trying to learn a language, is going at it alone.<\/p>\n

It makes sense if we take a step back, as this is how we\u2019ve been taught to learn our entire lives. After enduring years of long nights at the library reading textbooks or hours of sitting through boring lectures, we\u2019ve naturally transferred over this habit to language learning.<\/p>\n

But learning a language, like any skill, has already been learned from language experts around the world, who have revealed some of their best kept learning secrets. By modeling someone who has achieved what we want, we can learn from their mistakes, and get to our end result much faster.<\/p>\n

Here are 12 of the best ways to learn a language faster by 12 language experts around the world.<\/p>\n

How To Learn A Language Faster By 12 Language Experts<\/h2>\n

1. Don\u2019t Look Up Every Single Word<\/h2>\n

\u201cThere will be times when you\u2019re simply dying to know the meaning of a particular word. Fine \u2013 but if you stop to look up every word, you\u2019ll never get anywhere. Instead, only look up\u00a0words that seem to be cropping up again and again \u2013 they will be the\u00a0key to understanding what you\u2019re reading.\u201d -Olly Richards, iwillteachyoualanguage.com<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. Set Specific Goals<\/h2>\n

\u201cTo be successful in learning what you need for your trip, you need as much specificity as possible. I\u2019m lucky enough to typically have three whole months before a trip, in which I can devote most of my days to\u00a0learn a language, and that makes fluency a realistic target.\u201d -Matt Kepnes, NomadicMatt.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3. Act Like A Child<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe idea that children are inherently better learners than adults is proving to be a myth. New research cannot find a direct link between age and the ability to learn. The key to learning as quickly as a child may be to simply take on certain childlike attitudes: for instance, lack of self-consciousness, a desire to play in the language and willingness to make mistakes.\u201d -Matthew Youlden, fluent in 9 languages, Babbel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

4. Learn The Cognates<\/h2>\n

\u201cStarting to learn a language \u201cfrom scratch\u201d is essentially impossible because of the vast amount of words you know already through cognates. Action, nation, precipitation, solution, frustration, tradition, communication, extinction, and thousands of other\u00a0-tion words are spelled exactly the same in French, and you can quickly get used to the different pronunciation. Change that -tion to a -ci\u00f3n and you have the same words in Spanish. Italian is -zione and Portuguese is -\u00e7\u00e3o.\u201d -Benny Lewis, Founder of Fluentin3months.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Modal Verbs: Embracing The Infinitive<\/h2>\n

\u201cLearning all forms for every verb can be exhausting, especially for the dreaded imperfect\u00a0or simple past. How about instead you merely learn to conjugate just seven words that will let you express almost everything you need? Sounds better, right?<\/p>\n

As a formula it looks a little like this:<\/p>\n

Subject + Verb + Object \u2192 Subject + Modal Verb + Object + Verb (infinitive)<\/p>\n

How is that helpful? Because it allows you to use all kinds of verbs in a great number of sentences without knowing how to conjugate each and every one of them. As long as you memorized how to conjugate the modal verbs, all you need is the infinitive form.\u201d -Nick Schaferhoff, FluentU<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

6. \u00a0Learn 625 Basic Words: Using\u00a0Pictures, Not\u00a0Translations<\/h2>\n

\u201cTo begin any language, I suggest starting with the most common, concrete words, as they\u2019re going to be the most optimal use of your time.\u00a0This is the 80\/20 Rule in action; why learn\u00a0niece\u00a0in the beginning when you\u2019re going to need\u00a0mother\u00a0eighty times more often?\u201d -Gabriel Wyner, author of Fluent Forever<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Establish Consequences<\/h2>\n

\u201cA lot of people fall short of their goals because there are no ramifications if they quit. Remedy the issue by committing to negative incentives (such as doing your roommate\u2019s laundry for a month) should you fail to stick with your goals. Or, sign up for StickK<\/a>, an online service that holds money in escrow and donates it to an \u201canti-charity\u201d of your choice if your goal isn\u2019t met.\u201d -Nick English, Greatist.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Focus On Immediate Immersion<\/h2>\n

\u201cOne of my more controversial pieces of advice, but one that I absolutely insist on when I advise beginners, is that you must speak the language right away if your goals in the target language involve speaking it.\u201d -Tim Ferriss, Fourhourworkweek.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

9.\u00a0Be An Active Learner<\/h2>\n

\u201cyou must be an active learner. Most people allow themselves to be taught to, but you have to take an active role in asking questions. The best way to understand this process is via video\u201d -Maneesh Sethi, Founder of Pavlok<\/a> and Hackthesystem.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

10. Mix Old Concepts With New Ones While You\u2019re Learning<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not as easy for adults to pick up a new language<\/a> as it is for little kids with their sponge-like brains. But you can still master a new language and learn efficiently if you know how your brain works when confronted with this challenge. The\u00a0cience of learning a new language shares\u00a0why spaced repetition is best, you should study at night, look for content in the other language in subjects you enjoy most, and why you should mix the old concepts with new ones while you\u2019re learning.\u201d -Melanie Pinola, writer at Lifehacker.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Let Technology Help You Out.<\/h2>\n

\u201cDmitrochenkova has a great idea: \u201cA funny thing like resetting the language on your phone can help you learn new words right away,\u201d she says. Ditto for changing the language on your browser. Or you can seek out more structured learning opportunities online. Dutch translator Els De Keyser recommends\u00a0Anki<\/a> for memorizing vocabulary with its \u2018intelligent\u2019 flashcards\u201d\u00a0\u2013Krystian Aparta, TED.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

12.\u00a0Conversation, Conversation, Conversation.<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s a \u201csecret\u201d or \u201chack\u201d to learning a new language, it\u2019s this: hours and hours of awkward and strenuous conversation with people better than you in that language. An hour of conversation (with corrections and a dictionary for reference) is as good as five hours in a classroom and 10 hours with a language course by yourself.\u201d \u2013Mark Manson<\/a>,\u00a0Author of Models: Attract Women Through Honesty<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a world that demands rapid learning and massive change, the ability to learn a language faster is an important skill to acquire, whether you want to learn Spanish, take French lessons, or Italian lessons. 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