I believe the best way to learn a language is to be completely immersed in the language (sink or swim technique). There is no question that taking classes enhances grammar, vocabulary and overall language ability. Here are 7 Tips to enhance your foreign language class…Enjoy!
Use the Power of the Internet to Check Your Work
“Cheaters never prosper” couldn’t be more true for learning a language. There are millions of translating softwares and websites on the web but to truly learn and be fluent in a language there is no productive form of cheating. However, the internet can be an extremely powerful tool to enhance your language learning ability. Using the internet to find correct translations, enhance vocabulary, ensure exact grammar, even help from a native speaker.
- translate.google.com -this can be a quick reference to ensure correct spelling grammar structure and a dictionary all in the same place.
- facebook.com -remember the term “penpal?” Well now just find a pal on facebook that is a native speaker and you have the help of a native speaker at your finger tips. Your new pal on facebook can now help you write papers or check work on assignments.
- Language Forums -have a question? Post on a language learning forum and get advice and answers from thousands of people in an instance.
***Remember that if your not doing the work and forcing your brain to stretch and expand by relying on the interent or a translator it does nothing but hinder your language fluency so be careful in how you use the internet in learning a language.
Keep a Diligent Vocab Journal
I think everyone comes across random vocabulary in their foreign language class. However obvious this may seem this has helped me to learn and retain vocabulary at a far more productive rate than when I haven’t kept a vocabulary journal. This gives you one place to put all of the new words or old words that you forgot and were struggling with. The key to this is being diligent.
Read Read Read and Write Write Write
I feel that this is the biggest advantage of being enrolled in a class. Most teachers require that you read and write. Take the assignments seriously and focus on what you are reading and writing. Have the end purpose of better understanding your foreign language in mind as you read and write and these tasks will become far more productive as well as entertaining.
Use Your Classmates Knowledge to Build Your Own
Your classmates are a great resource for learning more about your foreign language and associated cultures. You can learn expressions, accents and vocabulary from talking with your classmates. Asking classmates about where they have traveled and lived while using their foreign language is a great resource and can be very enlightening. Also classmates are generally your age and can help explain certain concepts or phrases in a way that is easier understood.
Create Interesting and Unique Projects
This one can be difficult depending on your class and teacher. However, when you have a project find interesting was to present your information. An example of this could be rather than reading your report on a French painter, you could create a powerpoint and include actual paintings and pictures making it far more entertaining for your listeners as well as adding visual triggers to help you retain the information.
Join the Language Club At Your School, If There Isn’t One Create It
By joining the French, Spanish, Arabic or Mandarin Club at your school not only provides a place for you to practice your language but you can meet people with the same lingual goals as you and can create other activities in order to improve and progress together in your foreign language. If there isn’t a foreign language club at your school starting it with you and a few other class mates is a great way to get involved in your school as well as add experience to your resumé.
Ask Questions
This one can make or break you as a lingual student. Having confidence and being able to ask questions will enhance your lingual ability extremely quickly because you are able to focus and delve into the area you may be struggling to understand. Learning to ask questions in your foreign language is extremely important when traveling or living in a place where you are immersed in your foreign language as well.