Learning a language is like losing weight

There are three essential elements in learning a foreign language: method, persistence and motivation. Very often, people fail to learn a language well because of the same reason people can't lose weight - they lack one or more of these three.

When trying to make yourself back in shape, you need to understand what is important regarding diet and exercise and then implement your plan (the method). Further, you must keep doing it for months, if not years (persistence) and it would be ideal if you know why you want to lose weight (motivation).

In the context of language studies, the method includes your learning and practicing materials and the way you use them. Besides choosing the right materials for your level and learning style, studying or using them effectively is at least as important. In addition, you can't learn to speak a foreign language without persistence, which means studying/practicing almost everyday and continuing this habit for years to come. For many people, being aware of the tangible benefits of speaking the language fluently provides much motivation, which helps maintain their persistence and benefits them immensely in their studies in general.

If you integrate the above elements in your studies, your success will be just around the corner.

Find out more about learning a language on your own here.

Google Alerts as a language learning tool

Google Alerts, according to its Web site, are "email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic". See the link below for a complete description.

http://www.google.com/alerts

This little free tool can be useful for language studies. You can, for example, create alerts for terms like "language learning", "Spanish language" or "learn German for free". The Web sites or blogs contained in these email alerts may include tidbits of your target language like "word of the day" or language learning products that might suit your needs. One of the alerts I received included a video that taught me some vocabulary in Spanish about sexuality, for example.

The small important differences between sounds

Many who learn English as a second language find it hard to distinguish between the words "live" and "leave" in speech. Likewise, Spanish learners tend to confuse the "t" sound with the "d" sound which, according to some native Spanish speakers, are noticeably different. To avoid misunderstanding and to acquire the best possible pronunciation and accent, I recommend the following:

1. Imitate the pronunciation carefully as soon as you start learning a foreign language. (See this FAQ for more information.)
2. When practicing speaking in your target language, ask your language exchange partners to correct your pronunciations.
3. Improve listening comprehension so that you can learn more from native speakers.

It is difficult to speak a foreign language with a completely native accent, but the above techniques can help you get closer.

Studying vs. retention

When I first tried to practice Spanish after finishing the Assimil self-study course (El Nuevo Español Sin Esfuerzo or Spanish with Ease), I encountered my share of difficulties. One of them was that there were many words, including some rather basic ones, which I didn't know when I tried to read Spanish texts on the Internet.

I was almost stupid enough to believe that the course was inadequate. However, realizing I had always been forgetful, I went through some of the lessons again and found that many of these words have been introduced in the course, perhaps even several times. The problem was that I didn't remember them.

Simply going through certain materials, like reading an article or hearing them on television, does not ensure retention. In the case of vocabulary, it is important to employ some method, like flashcards, to avoid forgetting everything. You many prefer other methods, such as jotting them down on a notebook or through electronic means, but there has to be some way to enhance your memory. This applies not only to lessons in a self-study course, but also things you learn during classes and when you're practicing in a native environment.

My favorite free websites for language learning

Free materials are everywhere, but so far I've found the following particularly useful.

1. SharedTalk (by Rosetta Stone)

It features a voice chat facility where you can talk to another member who speaks your target language(s) instantly if he's online. Alternatively, you can have text chats with them. For me, this site is the best place to find language exchange partners.

2. Spanish as a Second Language blog (ssl4you)

Short articles with audio (in which some vocabulary is explained) are published periodically. These are like short Spanish lessons. You need to know the Spanish language quite a bit (perhaps at intermediate level or above) to benefit from it.

3. LingQ

This site contains a large number of free podcasts (with transcripts) from different sources and in various languages like Spanish, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Mandarin and Swedish. Additional features include writing correction by and conversations with tutors. You may need to buy credit points for these services.

The above websites alone are by no means sufficient for learning a foreign language to fluency. However, they are good supplements to your learning materials. See resources in my website for more listing.

Welcome to the Independent Learners' Blog!

This is a blog about language studies, and in particular learning foreign languages on your own (i.e. without regular classes). From time to time, I will post tips on learning languages and other language-related topics, in addition to those discussed in my web site.

Enjoy and feel free to comment!

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