LEARNING A LANGUAGE

“Little by little, one travels far.”JRR Tolkien

There are different strategies for learning a

language, and each learner should choose the one
which suits them best. Success is closely related to
exposure and practice. The more exposure and
practice you get, the better your results will be.
Every time you come into contact with the language
you are practising it in one way or another. Practice
increases confidence and satisfaction and
encourages you to take your language a step
further. Some strategies get much better results
than others¡ here are some practical tips that you
will find highly effective.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

• Identify five things you are already doing to

improve your English.
• Make sure you understand your strengths and from distractors such as windows, doors, and noisy

weaknesses. For instance, do you find remembering partners and take every opportunity to use the

vocabulary difficult? Are you more confident in writing language.

than in speaking? • Use a variety of learning strategies. Talk through

• When are you most focused? Can you think better concepts with someone else, draw diagrams or

early in the morning, in the afternoon or late in the charts, and make your own flashcards to practise

evening? Use these productive periods for the areas vocabulary.

you find more difficult.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW YOURSELF BETTER,
TRY THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES:
• Choose a quiet well-lit place to study in. Gather all
the things you will need before starting to work.
• Manage your time effectively. Stay away from
potential distractors such as the mobile phone, the
telly or the computer.
• Squeeze the most out of your time at home.
Concentrate while doing your homework and go
over your teacher's corrections carefully. Homework
is another way to increase exposure.
• Regular and consistent class attendance is
essential. Do not miss lessons and benefit from your
teacher/instructor's explanations.
• Take active part in school discussions. Sit away
• Teach someone what you have learned. It helps
strengthen key concepts and increases your
confidence at the same time.
• Feel positive and competent. Haven't you already
learned a language? Surely, you can learn a second
one.
• Have fun while learning! Read Iyrics, jokes or even
comics. Play vocabulary games or chat in English.
Increase your exposure to the language while you
enjoy yourself.
• Consider that learning a language is a life-Iong
task. You will go on mastering the language long
after you have learned to use it. Being a competent
user is hard work but it pays the effort. Speaking a
second language will offer you countless
opportunities for personal development and
everlasting experiences. Enjoy it!

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