10+ Tips To Make Learning a Language Fun, Easy and Fearless

Hello language enthusiast,

The fact is, learning a new language shouldn’t be a one-size-fit process. And the way you approach it makes it hard or easy because your motivation in general is what also makes a big difference too! When it comes to learning a new language, everyone has different personal goals and It is also a matter of knowing your learning style (check my previous blog on the topic “what language learning styles do you prefer?”).

First of all, avoid starting with the hardest languages to learn such as; German (with its three grammatical genders), Finnish (with its complicated grammar rules), and Japanese (with its entirely new writing system) These are all known as some of the hardest languages to learn just to name but a few. But you know what? Don’t let these deter you!

However, getting started with the easiest languages should be the smartest thing to do. Thus, starting off on the right foot by choosing from either; French, Spanish, Italien, Portuguese or Dutch would be a great adventure. Once you’ve got these figured out, you can determine the strategic steps you need to take to make your language learning easy,  fun and fearless.

I) Carve out a few minutes in your daily routine to practice through listening. You can listen to a language tapes, a language podcast, a song and anything to increase your vocabulary!

II) Keep a notebook with new vocabulary so you can see and keep track of your progress.

III) Start learning with your language tutor or coach to reach a level of basic comprehension and speaking ability.

IV) Study intelligently by hitting your deadlines, and plan your studying so you learn a little bit each day because language learning is cumulative.

V) If you’re confused and struggling with a concept, seek extra help from your language coach to get individualized help once or twice a week. Grammatical concepts also build upon one another, so it’s important to clear up confusion before it grows.

VII) Keep a language journal, so you can remember unique conversations, new words, and your experience in general.

VIII) Take advantage of every opportunity for interaction by combining your language learning with learning in a class, with a tutor, or with a language partner, don’t be shy!

IX) Join a language meetup or other social group to have fun while improving your language skills, in addition to making new friend of the target language.

X) Explore different teaching and learning styles to find the one that is most effective and enjoyable for you.

XI) Watching interesting films in the language to understand native speakers. You can start by watching them with English subtitles and then progress to just listening to them as normal.

XII) A few minutes of conversation every day can help you progress and get used to the particular language accent.

XIII) Learning conversational vocabulary and colloquial expressions are key to enable you carry out a social conversation and understand those around you. Focusing on themes of vocabulary that are most useful (for example, activities and hobbies, food, etc.).

Now that you're clear on how to make learning a language fun, easy and fearless, it's time to get started! Need a language coach.

Please comment below what tips you will start using to make your language learning fun, easy and fearless.

To learn a new language, VILA Institute got you covered. You can join my free French online whatsapp community by the link below.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HBhfg5ROCB5GBulP3F8Tm7

To your learning
of languages,

FrenchLadyDisi
Your Language Tutor.

Top 9 Adult Benefits of Learning a Foreign language

Hi language lovers,

Aquiring a second language in adultehood enables us to develop various mental abilities. In a globalized world, where mobility is facilitated, learning a language is a wonderful benefit. Not only does it help when traveling, it is also a great advantage for studying in general and for career prospects abroad.

1. Improves Memory : Use it or lose it. How many times have you heard that phrase? It is a simple fact – the more the brain is used, the better its functions work. A new language requires not only familiarity with vocabulary and rules, but also being able to recall and apply this knowledge. Learning a language gives your memory a good work out in the brain gym. This means that multilingual people have brains that are more exercised and Stretched.

2. Boosts Brain Power : A foreign language is a whole new intricate system of rules, structures, and lexis. Learning a new language means your brain has to cope with complexity as it makes sense of and absorbs new patterns. As our brains work out the meaning, endeavoring to communicate, we develop key learning skills such as cognitive thinking and problem solving. Highly developed critical thinking skills are a significant benefit both personally and professionally.

3. Keeps The Mind Sharper and Sharpened For Long : Several studies have been conducted on this topic, and the results are consistent. Language learning keeps your brain healthy. For monolingual adults, the mean age for the first signs of dementia is 71.4. For adults who speak two or more languages, the mean age for those first signs is 75.5. Studies considered factors such as education level, income level, gender, and physical health, but the results were consistent. It is no superise multilingual people are better at observing their surroundings. They easily spot anything that is irrelevant or deceptive. They’re also better at spotting misleading information. The study was conducted comparing multilingual and monolingual subjects and the former notably had the edge.

4. Enhances The Ability To Multi Task : Multi tasking is very stressful for those who are not used to it or don’t do it well. According to a study from the Pennsylvania State University, people who are multilingual and proficient at slipping from one language system to another are practiced at this very demanding work for the brain. People who have developed the ability to think in different languages and move from one to the other become much better multi taskers, reducing stress levels.

5.  Enhances Decision Making : According to a study from the University of Chicago, decision-making ability becomes an easier process for multilingual people. Aside from the rules and vocabulary that go with learning a foreign language, there are nuances and regional expressions that a student of language frequently judges for appropriateness and hidden meanings. Multilinguals are more confident in their decision-making choices as a result of practice, practice, practice!

6. The First Language Is Improved : Learning a new language makes you more conscious of the nuts and bolts of your own language. Terms such as vocabulary, grammar, conjugation, comprehension, idioms and sentence structure become everyday phrases, whereas your own language is probably absorbed more intuitively. Learning a new language also makes you a better listener as you are used to having to interpret meaning and judge nuances.

7. Improves Performance In Other Academic Areas : As a result of higher cognitive skills, studies show that the benefits of learning a new language include higher scores on standardized exams in math, reading comprehension and vocabulary by multilingual students compared to the scores of monolingual students. Children may ask why they have to learn this language, but parents and teachers know better! Language skills boost your ability to do well in problem solving tasks across the board, a fact recognized through compulsory foreign language learning curriculum in schools.

8. Increases Networking Skills : Opening up to a culture allows you to be more flexible and appreciative of other people’s opinions and actions. As a result, if you are multilingual, you have the advantage of seeing the world from different viewpoints, enhancing your ability to communicate in today’s globally connected world.

9. Provides Better Career Choices : According to Eton Institute’s Language Development in the Workforce survey (September 2014), 89% of our clients stated that multilingual employees add value to the workforce and 88% stated that recruiting team members with language skills is important to their organization. A multilingual ability is definitely a competitive edge in today’s world.

Recap : Language learning helps develop strong cognitive skills, such as a better concept formation, mental flexibility, multitasking, listening skills and problem solving, in addition to improving social interaction and encouraging connection between peers.

Learn a new language and start enjoying the benefits of a sound mental health as an adult.

Comment below what benefits you would like to experience by learning a foreign or global language .

To your learning
of languages,

FrenchLadyDisi
Your Language Tutor. 

What Language Learning Style Do You Prefer?

There are about eight different learning  styles in Human Behaviour.

Hi language lovers,

But for the purpose of Learning languages, we will be concentrating on only five.
Our different learning types should be nurtured and celebrated, and identifying their characteristics can help us learn better. When people identify the style that suit them best, they tend to stick with it. However, research has shown that the most effective study comes from blending different learning styles together. Everyone has a mix of learning styles and techniques.

There is no right mix. Nor are your styles fixed. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that you already use well even in learning a new language. By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your language learning.

The 5 Different Language learning styles are as follows :

• Physical (kinesthetic): Physical learners prefer and involves using your body, as well as your sense of touch ‘hands’ to learn. Physical language learners learn by doing, touching, moving, building, and are described as a ‘hands-on”. If you find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time, chances are you’re a physical language learner. That is to say that you are also scientific in nature and must interact with objects in order to learn about them.

• Aural (auditory): Aural learners prefer using sound and music. Auditory learners develop understanding and memory by hearing and listening to music in the background. If you find it easier to understand spoken instructions rather than reading them, then aural language learning will benefit you. But it can also be a person who learns best while humming, whistling, toe-tapping, tapping their pencil on the desk or wiggling. For this person, music isn’t a distraction but instead actually helps the language learning process.

• Logical (mathematical): Logical learners prefer using logic, reasoning and systems. They often learn by asking a lot of questions because they want to understand the whole picture.  They also tend to understand relationships or patterns, numbers and equations, better than others. They are natural thinkers who learn by classifying, categorizing and thinking abstractly about patterns & relationships etc.

• Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing. Verbal learners practice things like reciting information out loud, writing their own notes and highlighting key points. Having a passion for words, writing, tongue twisters, rhymes, may indicate that this learning style is for you in your quest for language acquisition. For example, a linguistic learner wanted to tackle a skill of learning a new language, their best method of learning would be to read about it, then listen to an audio recording and take notes on it. Finally, concretizing it would require speaking about it and possibly, writing about it extensively.

• Visual (spatial): You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding. someone who can learn best from diagrams, pictures, graphs would be a visual or spatial learner. These people tend to be technically-oriented. Visual learning types do well when they use symbols, boxes, charts, and colors in their notes. If you find you learn language better by reading and looking at pictures, diagrams, and graphs then chances are you’re a visual learner.

Leave a comment below stating how you will use this information.

To your learning

of languages,

FrenchLadyDisi 

Your Language Tutor. 

Which Type of language learner are you?

Hi language lovers,

What are your language goals? When learning any language it is necessary for you to set a short term goal or long term goal, as the circumstances may be. If you are setting a short term goal it could be a one month goal, three months goal or five months goal, with a follow up plan or timetable as the case may be. Then, if it's a long term goal it could be a six months goal, one year goal or one year three months goal as the case presents it's self, with follow up plans to accomplish Your goals.

• Learning to study or live overseas: In this language-learning context you have a compelling reason to actually learn the language even though it's an extrinsic motivation. But with enough determination you can achieve your language goal in no time.

• Learning for school credit: This could be another booster for you to learn the language so as to get good credits to pass your course. Also it's an outer force that propels you because you don't want to fail.

• Learning for an up coming vacation: Well in this case, the force to impress new friends and let them know your learning their language is a good kick off. This will make your retention of the language quicker and interesting

• Learning for business or career: Hitting your sales target in your business or career could be an even better motivation to learn a new language. It inspires you to put in your all to learn the language faster and better for effective communication in your endeavour. 

• Learning for fun: In this aspect, I'll say it is self determination and discipline that will make you to achieve your language gaol that to you set to acquire this language skill. 

Comment below what type of language learner you are.

To your learning
of languages,

FrenchLadyDisi
Your language Tutor.