In 2015, it is almost impossible to graduate from school without learning a foreign language. And if you are planning to travel or study abroad, for example, then a foreign language will become a prerequisite for you.

In fact, speaking a foreign language fluently requires hard work and practice. But even if you practice every day, learning multiple languages can take years. Lack of progress is bound to cause frustration and you'll probably just give up.

Do not do this.

There are many benefits associated with knowing a second language. These are not only intangible benefits, such as being able to connect with locals while traveling, but also psychological and medical benefits. Research has shown that being able to speak a second language can help you multitask and also prevent dementia.

If you want to reap all the benefits of knowing a foreign language, how do you learn it so you don't burn out quickly?

Here are 6 tips to make this task easier for you.

1. Word of the day

Trying to learn everything at once and overloading yourself with a huge number of new foreign words will most likely fail for you. You may remember new words, but you will forget them very quickly, because you did not hear them enough in context.

One way to get around this problem is to add a few new words to your vocabulary every day. Since an adult needs to repeat a new word about 150 times to learn how to use it correctly, one or more new words will help you build up your vocabulary faster.

This can be done in one of the following ways. First, you can make a list of words that you want to learn in the near future, and take a new word or two from it every day. The second way is that you can use new words that you hear in a conversation and then try to use them several times.

2. Speak in a foreign language more often (especially with native speakers)

Naturally, the best way to learn how to speak a foreign language is to start using it. Reading and studying grammar will certainly help you with this. But there is one trap here. Many people do not speak a foreign language because they are sure that they do not do it well enough. In this case, your pronunciation does not improve. I know this from personal experience as I refused to speak English during my entire university years. I was afraid that I would make some kind of mistake, and besides, I had a terrible accent.

But as soon as you decide to start talking, these problems will gradually disappear. Even better, if you communicate with a native speaker of the language you are learning. You will learn a lot more from a 5-minute conversation with a native English speaker, for example, than from a two-hour lesson with your compatriot who studied English in college. Try to spend 80% of your time with people who speak the language you are learning better than you.

3. Listen to radio and TV in a foreign language, even as background noise

To speak fluently in a foreign language, you need to learn the correct intonations and rhythms of words. In French, you can't put emphasis on different words in a sentence to change what you mean (like in Russian, for example). On this basis, it is very easy to distinguish students who have just begun to learn a language from those who have already achieved some success in this.

That is why you need to listen to foreign speech as often as possible. Try to understand how the same words are pronounced in different contexts and with different intonations. What language sounds like when a person is angry, blaming someone, or overly excited.

Even listening to a foreign language in the background will allow you to understand how to use it correctly.

4. Check the words you do not know in the explanatory dictionary

Understanding the meaning of a word in a foreign language is sometimes very difficult, since direct and accurate translations do not always exist. Often there are no problems with the translation of words denoting physical objects, but the translation of a concept can be much more complicated.

Using an explanatory dictionary with the target language in this case will allow you to make sure that the word or phrase you use actually means what you think.

5. If you make a mistake, try to correct yourself right away.

If you said something wrong and noticed it yourself, correct yourself immediately. Repeating the entire phrase correctly. This will allow you to program your brain to avoid making the same mistake again. In addition, you will also strengthen the corresponding grammar rule in your mind.

6. Carry a notebook with you and write down all the new words you hear.

If you have just started learning a foreign language, this can be overwhelming as you need to memorize new words all the time. But once you get to the intermediate or advanced level, your learning process slows down. At the very beginning, you moved forward quite easily, as you learned simple words from the list of necessary ones that you will use every day. When this stage ends, learning becomes much more difficult.

Even if you have reached a new level in learning a language, keep writing down all the new words. This will help you avoid frustration and thinking that you are not learning anything new.

As long as you use a foreign language, you will always progress.

Instruction

First of all, it is important to decide on your motivations. Why do you want to learn another language? For work, leisure, travel or communication with foreigners? How much time are you willing to spend studying per day, week, month? How much money can you spend to reach your goal? Once you answer all these questions, it will be easier for you to decide on a method.

Perhaps the most effective way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is. For example, if you want to learn, you can go to special language courses in the UK or the USA. If the funds for the courses are not enough, then you can go to any work program, which is now offered in a huge variety. Once in another country, you will find yourself in a crisis situation when you have to speak and understand the speech of native speakers.

If you do not plan to leave the country, then you can enroll in language courses in Russia, since there are more than enough such offers. The courses are good, first of all, because the teaching there is conducted according to the communicative method, that is, you will comprehend the basics of the language in the process of communication. The main disadvantage of the courses is that each person learns new information at his own pace, and it is difficult for the teacher to adapt to each student.

In order to master the language, courses alone or individual lessons are not enough. You need to surround yourself with foreign language material as tightly as possible - read books, watch movies and TV series, listen to music in the language you are learning, visit foreign language forms and websites. Make it a rule to memorize at least one foreign word every day.

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Helpful advice

1) Do not expect instant results, it is impossible to learn a language in a month.
2) Set achievable goals for the week, month, six months.
3) Reward yourself for accomplishing goals - with a new outfit or a bottle of wine.
4) Make like-minded friends, because learning a new language together is much more interesting and enjoyable.

Tip 2: How to learn to speak a foreign language quickly

Sometimes in a short time it is necessary to learn to speak a foreign language. The task is not simple, but it is easy to solve, knowing the mechanism of development of this skill. It would be possible to quickly learn to speak, if there was a desire.

Instruction

Rhyme foreign words - so they are remembered much faster. Also, for each foreign language, come up with an association. For example, the German word zusammen (together) is consonant with the female name Susanna. You can make a saying "Suzanne and I walk together."

It is better to memorize the rules of the grammar of the language. After memorizing each rule, make 20-30 sentences to reinforce the material. If you don’t understand some rule, look for sources (textbooks, manuals, tutorials, and so on) in which everything will be described in detail and in an accessible way.

The best practice in learning a foreign language is to communicate with its native speakers. You can travel to a country where the language you are learning is spoken. If you find yourself in a country where no one knows Russian, you willy-nilly speak this language.

If you do not have the opportunity to travel abroad, you can look for foreigners in your city. See if you have cultural centers of native speakers of the language you need. You can ingratiate yourself with them and learn the language with their help.

Another way is to communicate with native speakers via the Internet. Make foreign friends on social networks, communicate with them using Skype or another program that allows you to make calls to your computer. It is better to communicate both by text messages and by voice. Just ask your interlocutor to try not to make grammatical and spelling mistakes. With the help of text messages, you will quickly learn the grammar of a foreign language, and with the help of voice messages, you will gain communication skills and learn the correct pronunciation.

Knowledge of foreign languages in our time from a useful skill has become an urgent need. And more and more often situations arise when you need to quickly learn a previously unfamiliar language from scratch, and the school and institute have long been completed. How in this case is it better to act in order to master a foreign language in a relatively short time?

Instruction

First of all, keep in mind that you can learn a previously unfamiliar language at a decent level in at least three to four months of active work. Despite the promises of various commercial courses and miracle programs, a couple of weeks of intensive study can only learn a certain minimum vocabulary and the very basics of grammar. For a tourist trip, this is quite enough, but if you plan to use the language not only for shopping and communicating with hotel staff, tune in to a long job.

If you want to make noticeable progress in learning a language in a short time, try to find an experienced tutor or enroll in intensive courses. In this case, you will have the opportunity to work on an already proven curriculum and receive all the necessary clarifications in a timely manner. It will also be important to constantly monitor the teacher, who will be able to immediately point out mistakes to you. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to contact an individual tutor or find suitable courses. Don't despair, you can study .

If you have set yourself up for individual work, first of all, take care of the necessary study materials. Try to get a quality multimedia computer course for at least a basic level of education. Firstly, this will allow you to move in the process of learning a language not at random, but in accordance with a certain logic, and secondly, modern training programs include testing complexes. Thus, you will be able to control your work and correct errors in time.

In addition to the computer course, you will need regular textbooks. In particular, be sure to purchase large dictionaries of the language being studied, a grammar guide and, if possible, a self-study book. A phrase book for tourists, containing the most commonly used words and expressions, may also be useful. At the same time, try not to buy the first books that come across. Ask your teachers which teaching aids are more suitable for self-study. Look around specialized sites and forums on the Internet, collect information and only then make purchases. So you save not only money, but also your time.

If you do not have anyone in your environment who knows the language you are learning, find sites on the Internet where people are engaged in the same self-study. On them you can consult on emerging issues, help others and gradually begin to communicate in a foreign language.

Practice regularly. Remember that the secret to successful learning is continuity. It is much more efficient to devote one hour to studying a foreign language, but every day, than to study for six hours in a row once a week. To speed up the learning process, try to constantly find opportunities to remember the language you are learning: listen to songs in it, radio programs, watch TV programs or movies with subtitles. Make it a rule to learn ten new words every day. If you stubbornly and consistently adhere to these simple recommendations, then after a while you will be surprised to find that you are no longer afraid of unfamiliar phrases, because you understand them perfectly.

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Knowledge of a foreign language today is not only necessary, but vital. The Internet, travel, immigration, work abroad require a person to speak at least one of the most commonly used languages, primarily English. Most studied a foreign language at school and college, but few can safely say that he speaks it fluently. If you want to fulfill your dream of speaking a foreign language, then instead of making excuses, start learning it.

Instruction

To successfully master any language, you must have a strong motivation. Without it, as a rule, it is impossible to learn a language. It also plays a big role if it is worth choosing which one at a given time. Therefore, always choose the one that you need right now.

To learn it quickly, you need to get rid of the belief once and for all that a person cannot do it. Very often, it is precisely such an incorrect attitude that nullifies all efforts to master it. If you constantly think that it is too difficult and impossible, then it will be so.

It is also important to choose a course of study that will bring pleasure and not cause much difficulty. Focus on what type of memory you have developed best: written, visual, auditory or speech. The best option would be to use all types. You can learn a foreign language using the Internet, tutorials, courses or television programs.

Once you start studying, don't try to study for several hours a day. The desired result in mastering the language can be achieved only due to regularity, and not due to the amount of time spent. Even repeating the studied material for 10 minutes a day, you will achieve more than with 2-hour classes 3 times a week.

In order to learn a foreign language, it is very important to immerse yourself in the culture of the country where it is spoken. Think about the images and associations that come up when you mention a foreign language that you want to know. This will help you immediately remember all the structures on which the language is built, and which you have managed to learn by this time. In the future, this will allow you to immediately rebuild to communicate on it.

Having studied the main structures on which a foreign language is built, learn to add not just new words to speech, but whole turns. This is how young children learn their native language, trying to repeat not only the words they hear, but also entire phrases.

To quickly memorize foreign words, get acquainted with the history of their occurrence. For example, the days of the week are not associated with the names of the gods. Saturday is the day of Saturn - Saturday, - the day of the sun - Sunday, Monday - the day of the moon - Monday, - the day of the goddess Freya - Friday, the definite article "the" is an abbreviated form of the pronoun "this", which is why it is used when the subject, which is spoken about is known, and the indefinite article "a" is an abbreviated form of the word one "one", and simply means one thing. Every language has its own stories related to the origin of words. The more you know such interesting stories about a foreign language, the faster you get used to the rules for constructing phrases and unfamiliar words in it.

Watch movies in the language you are learning. Today it is not difficult to find a foreign film in the original language with the help of the Internet and the purchase of licensed discs. Choose movies that you like and that you won't get tired of watching several times. First, watch the film in Russian, and only then in the original language, so that it is easier to understand and remember what they are talking about. It is better not to watch films with subtitles, as they distract attention from speech, which prevents the desired learning effect from being achieved.

Helpful advice

For better assimilation, you should not immediately learn several languages \u200b\u200bat the same time. Having learned one foreign language to the level you need, you can start studying another, completely immersing yourself in it. Otherwise, you can easily get confused or abandon the study of both languages, tired and not noticing the results.

Sources:

how to learn a foreign language quickly

The process of learning any foreign language can be quite difficult. General advice for those who are not afraid of difficulties in such a matter.

Instruction

First of all, you need to really want to learn the language. With a weak desire or complete absence of such, it is better not to start - the likelihood that you will move far is extremely small. You're more likely to lose time and money.

Numerous language courses claim that with their help you can master the language in a certain, often short, period of time. If you believe this, then you will have, which will spur on learning. And there is a chance that you will master at least the basics. In general, it takes a lifetime to improve in a language, not necessarily a foreign one.

Dissatisfaction with the result of classes, dissatisfaction with their command of the language can force them to work hard on themselves. Just do not overdo it until you lower your self-esteem. It is important to correctly evaluate your language skills - ask a person who is fluent in it.

You won't learn to read if you just talk. And you won't learn to write if you just listen. Reading, writing and oral communication require separate practices, although these things are very interconnected. If you don't have someone to talk to in the language you're learning, then talk to yourself, no matter how strange it may look. Ask yourself questions and answer.

The trick to go to a country where the language you want to learn is spoken is very powerful. Especially when it comes to spoken language.

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Sources:

"School of Life.ru"

Knowledge of foreign languages is simply necessary for a modern person. A person who speaks languages feels more confident in the labor market and when traveling. To master a foreign language perfectly, school and university classes are not enough. Much attention must be paid to self-education.

Instruction

The first thing to do is to overcome the fear of an unfamiliar language. Usually the greatest success in learning a second language is achieved by children who find themselves in the right language environment early. This is not accidental - children do not have the complexes characteristic of adults, they take the second language for granted. Try to feel like such a child and constantly think that you will succeed.

You can learn the basic course of a foreign language at school, in courses or on your own. If you study regularly, then after a few months you will begin to understand simple texts, the content of popular songs, and even some radio programs. Complete the tasks that are given in the courses or offered by the authors of the self-instruction manual by watching cartoons, listening to and reading children's fairy tales.

If you think that you have achieved serious success and it is time to improve, look for courses with an intensive methodology. In such courses, students are "immersed" in the language environment, and learning goes much faster. Reading books, listening to radio programs and watching movies in the target language is a must.

Conversational practice is very important, and it is best to talk with native speakers. Even at the best courses, this opportunity is not always available. But you can, for example, use modern communication technologies. Skype is now widely used in teaching foreign languages. Finding a native speaker teacher is pretty easy on social media. Join a community whose members are learning the same language. In such groups, announcements about lessons using modern means of communication are quite common. In extreme cases, you can advertise that you need such a service.

Those who live in a big city can get good speaking practice during “conversational breakfasts” or “French (English, Chinese) parties”. As a rule, native speakers are invited to such events and lead classes.

It is very good if you have the opportunity to travel frequently to a country where they speak the language you need. You can generally move there for a while - in this case, you will definitely find yourself in the language environment you need and get the opportunity to learn the language well. Most likely, you will still have an accent, but this is not a problem, because even in their native language everyone speaks differently. Just try to develop your own unique way of speaking.

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Helpful advice

At the initial stage of learning a foreign language, it is better to take adapted books, at the stage of improvement - non-adapted ones.

Of course, it is better to study a foreign language where there is a suitable language environment - for example, in courses. Unfortunately, not everyone has this opportunity. But you can start learning a language using a self-instruction manual, and creating a communication environment in the future with the current level of development of communication technologies will not be a particular problem.

You will need

- foreign language tutorial;
- a computer with a player that has a recording function;
- books in a foreign language (adapted and non-adapted);
- dictionaries (foreign-Russian, Russian-foreign and explanatory);
- audiobooks;
- movies with subtitles and without them;
- a computer with Internet access.

Instruction

Start by choosing a tutorial. An ordinary "paper" book, no matter how well it is written, is not effective enough. It is better to choose an electronic tutorial, where there is grammar, phonetics (including pronunciation control), and much more. Of course, if you are going to learn some exotic language, you most likely will not find a full-fledged tutorial. You have to be content with what you can get. But for such popular languages as English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish and some others, it is quite possible to find a good tutorial. Additional aids, such as a grammar reference, tables of declensions or conjugations, etc., can also be very useful. But all this can be bought as needed.

Usually the tutorial is divided into several parts, and each part, in turn, into several lessons. Start with the first lesson. Try to complete all tasks as accurately as possible, including grammar. It is very good if the manual has a pronunciation control - with the help of this function, you will learn to speak and read correctly from the very beginning. Some electronic textbooks also have grammatical control. Only after you have mastered the material well, move on to the next lesson.

At some point, it may seem to you that learning a language is getting boring. Be persistent and practice a little more to master the language to the point where you can read books adapted according to the method of Ilya Frank in it. This is a way of adaptation, when the translation of difficult words is given directly in the text, which allows the student to memorize them without breaking away from the plot.

Try to practice every day, even if you can allocate only a quarter of an hour for it. This will be more effective than many hours of classes with long breaks. From the very first lessons it is necessary to use additional materials. For example, listen to radio broadcasts. At first, you will not understand anything, foreign speech will seem like a stream of meaningless sounds. But after a few days, you will begin to distinguish individual words, and then phrases. From this moment, you can start watching films in a foreign language - first with subtitles, and then without them.

Typing training plays an important role. Try to retype each task on a computer, even if there is no grammatical control. This will allow you to communicate freely in foreign forums and social networks in the future. In addition, the material, having passed through different analyzers, is better remembered, that is, in this case, not only memory and eyes, but also fingers will become your assistants.

Learning a foreign language is an exciting process that involves the gradual improvement of the vocabulary of the language being studied, the acquisition of deep knowledge in the field of grammar, listening and speaking. In fact, these three areas are the starting points for learning any language, so you need to build classes in accordance with them.

1. Before organizing foreign language classes, you should allocate time for various tasks that you have to complete. This will save you time and make your session more productive.

2. Do not leave the burden of material you do not understand for the future. Solve your linguistic problems as they arise.

3. Communicate more with native speakers. Currently, there are various online services for direct linguistic practice, such as Interpals, as well as exchange programs.

4. Think in the language you are learning. In the initial stages, this may seem like a difficult task, but later, as you practice the language, you will be more fluent in thinking in a new language.

5. An effective way to improve language skills is to read foreign literature. It is recommended to start with simple children's pieces, and after a while you can move on to more complex classical pieces.

6. Don't stop there. In any language, there are aspects that are difficult to understand, but nevertheless they take place in speech, so if you want to master the language as fully as possible, do not miss even difficult materials.

7. Determine the purpose for which you will learn the language. Aimlessness is the main cause of failure, so in order not to give up on the first steps of learning a language, get a specific goal.

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For many, learning foreign languages is not just an exciting activity, but also a prerequisite for a comfortable professional activity. True, sometimes this process takes a lot of time and effort, and the result is insignificant.

Don't memorize just a few words. After all, even when we were little, we tried to say not just “mom” and “dad”, but a whole phrase. Therefore, try to learn words in context, i.e. ready-made phrases and sentences. In addition, sometimes several words give one meaning, and separately they can cause confusion.

It is a mistake to believe that an impeccable knowledge of the grammar of the language being studied will allow one to speak it fluently. The fact is that colloquial speech differs from written speech by abbreviated and more capacious turns. Therefore, if you have a conversation and not a letter, then try to listen and understand foreigners. Although you should not forget about grammar, especially about complex structures.

Listening and repeating phrases after the announcer is good. But do not delay this exercise, but try to express your own thoughts. It will be difficult to do this alone. You can find like-minded people who practice the same language, but it is best to get to know a native speaker. In the age of virtual communication, this is not difficult to do.

Don't be afraid of mistakes. It will not be possible to speak and write in a foreign language immediately and flawlessly. Mistakes are the norm of any educational process. Actively practice a foreign language. There will definitely be people in your environment who will correct and explain difficult moments and suggest the right words.

Review what you have learned often and for a long time. This rule will help to consolidate knowledge and move on without gaps and difficulties.

Reading books and individual texts in a foreign language is good and right, no doubt. But you need to read aloud. So you will learn not only to understand, but also develop the speed of speech. Record yourself on a voice recorder and compare with the original intonation. You will catch the accent and problematic moments.

Very often we delay learning a foreign language for many years, but as you know, any language can be learned in just one month if you constantly improve your linguistic skills. This requires only a certain system of settings, with the help of which you will timely approach the practice of certain language rules. The main thing in this business is constancy, passion for the language being studied and an irresistible desire to use it in everyday life.

First of all, you should remember to familiarize yourself with the structure of the language and get elementary basic knowledge just one month is enough during which you will be working 2-3 times a week giving language learning 2 hours. During this time, you can fully learn and understand grammar, the basic rules for constructing sentences, and also start speaking at the level of a beginner speaker.

Stop being afraid of foreign languages. Many of us consider ourselves incapable of learning linguistic rules and techniques. Some did not manage to comprehend the language at school or university, others could not find enough motivation for this, so in the end circumstances pushed them to give up. But in order to learn a foreign language, positive attitude, as well as passion and love for a given linguistic object. Without this, it is impossible to fully plunge into a new linguistic environment. Therefore, try to motivate yourself in every possible way by imagining the acts of speaking the language with other people and visualizing the material being studied.

Take it easy on your mistakes. If you focus only on your failures, making them worse, you are unlikely to be able to learn a language in a month. There is no need to consider a mistake a crime, because in fact it is good tool and helper. Any of us in our lives made mistakes in the course of learning something, including our native language. Prioritize the goal of speak freely and with pleasure, and only then - desire to speak correctly. After all, nature itself came up with the best method of learning a language: first we speak with errors, then we begin to speak more correctly and after a while we master the language almost perfectly.

Bring to automatism the use of basic rules. The framework of almost any foreign language is a system of conjugations. Therefore, after you have studied a couple of dozen verbs and auxiliary words, you should move on to this aspect. In order not to remember the table with conjugations in a live conversation and not to concentrate on the material, you need to train yourself in this, learn the system of conjugations so that later you can immediately build a sentence at the level of intuition. Other rules require exactly the same approach, for example, the spelling of endings in the third declension in English or the declension of exception verbs in German.

remember, that consistency is one of the main rules for learning any foreign language. Some researchers compare the development of linguistic abilities with sports training. As he gradually trains and builds up his muscles, so the linguist gradually replenishes his knowledge. Give yourself a set and write clearly when you will practice, for how many hours or minutes, and then stick to this spreading.

Use flash cards. All you need to do to practice this method is to take cardboard, cut it into small rectangles, on one side write a translation of a foreign word into your native language or some kind of association (picture, diagram), and on the other side - a word in the target language . Further simply mix cards, draw and test your knowledge. This method allows you to learn dozens and hundreds of new words very quickly, as well as significantly expand the vocabulary of the language.

You have been learning a foreign language at school for 11 years, but you still can't speak it fluently? But during this time, some self-taught achieve a much greater result. So what is their secret?

Find a strong reason "why"

Most people study foreign languages only because it is fashionable, or even do not understand why they need it. Find something you absolutely need to learn a language for, whether it's a move to another country, a new job, or the opportunity to talk to your favorite artist when he comes to your city. Enter a situation where mastering a second language will be the main factor in your "survival". One friend, who graduated from school a long time ago, had an 5 in English, but still could not express himself without an interpreter. When he was offered a highly paid part-time job, where the ability to speak and understand English was a prerequisite, he was able to master an advanced level of the language in a week of hard work. He saw this as an urgent need and understood why he needed it.

Take small steps every day

A person who learns a language every day for half an hour will be more successful than someone who learns it 2 times a week for 2 hours or more. Familiar principle? And that's what everyone does at school. Small, often repeated actions bring more results than we used to think. If you have an extra half hour or even 10 minutes of waiting in traffic, do not be lazy to take small steps in learning the language. What could it be? Reading a book in a foreign language, taking notes, you can even talk to yourself and make it look stupid.

Dive into Wednesday

It can be anything. You can listen to the radio in a foreign language or chat with a friend on it. It may not always be grammatically correct, but your brain must constantly learn how to process foreign speech in every possible way.

How would I put it in...

School communication skills are not useful in 99% of cases. Do you remember what the teacher said at the English lesson? Open your book, show me your homework, what is the weather... Unfortunately, such phrases are rarely used outside of the educational institution. There is a slightly different way. Every time you say something, immediately think: "How would I say this in...". This method is very helpful in learning, since you do not memorize individual words, but entire phrases.

Don't try to understand everything

Engage in pleasure

It would seem that this is the simplest recommendation, but people often forget this simple rule. Don't force yourself to do more than you can because doing so will only discourage you from learning. The more enjoyable the lessons are, the easier the learning will be.

Repeat the past

You can’t constantly look for new information, albeit on one topic, because new knowledge will quickly crowd out the old, especially if they have not had time to settle in the head. It is for this that it is necessary to repeat what has been learned, otherwise knowledge will quickly leave short-term memory, leaving no trace of itself.

Learn not words, but phrases

Replenishment of vocabulary is important, but it is much easier to remember not a single word, but a phrase. Words in context are much easier to remember because it gives you additional associations. Phrases from your favorite books, movies and TV shows are especially good for this.

Talk as much as possible

Many people are embarrassed to speak a language other than their own, even if they have achieved a high level of language proficiency. If you are shy, then try to pronounce words and phrases from the very beginning of training. At first it may seem strange, but over time you will get used to it and you will be able to forget about constraint.

In Russia, the number of people wishing to learn a foreign language has increased significantly. Someone is determined to go abroad, someone knowing the language can help in a career here.

There are three methods of serious language learning: go to courses where there are various kinds of intensives, hire a personal teacher, and if you are an assiduous and purposeful person, you can study on your own.

For the busiest

Self-education should begin with choosing the right textbook. Do not believe books with catchy titles like "German in three weeks" or "English in 5 minutes a day", because if the language could be learned so quickly and easily, everyone would have become polyglots long ago.

Please note that the selected manual covers all aspects: vocabulary, grammar, phonetics, contains audio and video applications.

Where to begin? Of course, from the first page. Do not fill in the gaps in the exercises, but write more by hand.

Record all unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Putting a word in a dictionary means that you will remember it with a probability of 70 percent, just saying it gives only 30 percent.

Take textbooks with you on the road, read them in line at the dentist and beautician, repeat the words on vacation and at lunchtime, and you will quickly notice progress.

Watch films in a foreign language. This is a great conversational practice that trains the ear. You subconsciously and consciously adopt the intonations and articulations of native speakers.

The most effective for the first stages of learning is to buy a movie or cartoon that you have already watched in Russian.

Read books in a foreign language if you want your speech to be rich in vocabulary.

If reading in a foreign language is still too difficult for you, buy adapted editions, they are often accompanied by dictionaries and assignments.

Recently, self-study of a foreign language with the help of audio courses has become more and more widespread.

This method saves a lot of time and has a great advantage over simple reading - the ability to hear foreign speech, train its perception, and also memorize the correct pronunciation.

But it is impossible to learn a language from scratch qualitatively only on the basis of audio materials, so you still have to devote time to textbooks at the same time.

Right Course

Good language courses are distinguished, first of all, by an effective methodology and highly qualified teaching staff. If you are a beginner, choose a small group so that the teacher can give everyone enough attention during class.

The optimal group size for learning a foreign language is from 5 to 8 people.

The advantages of the courses are that role-playing games are held in groups (you are immersed in a real life situation where you have to play your role in the language), they work in pairs, they sort out mistakes together.

Also within the framework of the courses there are different programs and types of training, you can take courses with any level of knowledge, at any time convenient for you and choose the right program.

It can be a regular language course according to your level of language proficiency, a business style or an intensive program.

Personal teacher

We do not recommend looking for a teacher in the newspaper "From Hand to Hand" - it is unlikely that you will be able to independently assess his qualifications. All major language training centers offer individual lessons with a personal teacher, including home visits.

Try to evaluate the teacher intuitively. Ask yourself: is he doing what he loves, or is he painfully exchanging his knowledge for your money?

What textbooks does he plan to teach?

An experienced teacher, as a rule, develops his own methodology based on his personal experience, his own psychological characteristics, and the tasks that arise in front of him in the learning process.

A good teacher looks for an individual approach to each student.

Good English or German cannot be too cheap, but if you have an initial level of the language, it makes sense to study with a student tutor.

This does not mean that he has a low language level.

Often tutoring activities are carried out by students who began to study the language from the first grades of school, later enrolled in language universities, where, by the way, there is a very high passing score, and the best of the best, already fluent in the language, enter there.

Classes with students are much cheaper than with teachers from the same universities, and often even more effective, because students explain more easily and usually do not look at their watches.

So 40 minutes of classes can easily and smoothly flow into an hour and a half, where the tutor will already explain for free some things in which you “swim”.

Does it make sense to look for a native speaker?

You need to understand that a person can be born, say, in England and speak only his native language for forty years, but this does not mean that he will be able to teach someone, and, moreover, he himself speaks literary English.

You need to learn a foreign language - and so you come to the bookstore in search of benefits, sign up for courses, look for private teachers ... And you don’t know what is good and what is bad. Because you have no criteria, no measure. And if there is no correct setting in advance, then one thing remains: to learn from mistakes and console yourself "after", that a negative experience is also an experience. If only life weren't so short...

Therefore, before giving specific advice, I will try to give you this criterion, the general principle. Once you grasp it, you will easily navigate the sea of benefits and services on offer.

I'll start with a parable.

Russian athletes somehow found out that there is a monastery in Tibet, where monks run 80 kilometers during one of their religious holidays. Athletes became interested in this achievement and sent a delegation to learn from experience. The monks were asked to demonstrate their art. The Tibetans at first did not understand what they wanted from them. Why run when there is no holiday? After all, they usually run to the place where the holiday is held. But the guests insisted. I had to agree to this pointless business. And they ran. And our sports figures see: one monk runs, runs - and suddenly sits down on the side of the road, breathing heavily, then another. They come up and ask: "Why are you sitting there? You haven't even run a kilometer, have you?" And he replies: "I'm tired." A simple oriental person. Tired - sat down to rest. He does not understand that it is possible to run without a goal, but only for time and distance - for the sake of running itself. In a word, no one ran anything, everyone left the race. The delegation left with nothing. And then again there was this Buddhist holiday, and again the monks ran to the place of the holiday, and everyone ran these 80 km without difficulty. And the thing is that they did not count kilometers and did not time the time. They were thinking about something else. Running to the place of the holiday for them is part of the holiday ritual. They run, say, along the lake, hold their hands behind their heads and read a certain set of prayers. (I'm not responsible for the details). Then they go around the mountain, read other prayers, hold their hands in some other way. Etc. So they don't get tired. In short, they don't think about running, they think about celebrating. Running for them is a means, and a holiday is the goal.

What does this story have to do with learning a foreign language? The most direct. You start reading the text of the textbook - and immediately feel tired - like that monk who sat on the side of the road without running a kilometer. Why? Are you lazy? No, you are not to blame, this is a normal reaction of the human psyche. After all, language, like running, is a means, not an end. When you read something, you should be interested not in the language, but in the content of the text. You forget about the language while reading. The text of the textbook is composed in such a way that the language in it is the goal, and the content is the means, the content in so far as. Therefore, your fatigue and unwillingness to read such a text is a defensive reaction of the psyche to an attempt to invade it and turn everything upside down.

Another example. You are a teacher, in front of you is a group. You need this person to stand up and walk around the room now. You can ask him: "Please stand up and walk around the room." He will fulfill your request, but he will be embarrassed, which will be reflected in his gait. However, you can also say: "Be so kind as to open the door, please." The result will be the same: he will get up and walk, but at the same time he will feel completely natural, relaxed. In the second case, opening the door is the goal; getting up and walking around is the means. In the first case, getting up and walking turns into a goal, an end in itself, but this is unnatural. It is a means that has lost its purpose, a means that is forced to be an end.

It's the same with language. I'll tell you: "The table is standing." You say: "So what? What's next?" In itself, the phrase "the table stands" has no meaning, but only a literal (lexical and grammatical) meaning. It can only make sense in a specific life situation. For example, the master, having repaired the table, says: "Mistress, the table is standing!" The meaning of this phrase: "Pay money." Or the hostess says to the guests: "The table is standing!" Meaning: "Please to the table, everything is ready." Or in a conversation somewhere in the country: "Do you know if the neighbors have arrived?" - "Yes, the table is standing." Meaning: "The neighbors have arrived." The meaning of the phrase is one, but the meaning changes depending on the situation. Meaning is the means, and the end is the meaning. We use language not at the level of meaning, but at the level of meaning. Only a complete idiot can, going out into the street, name what he sees: "The tree is growing. It is big. It is a birch. The leaves are green. The cat runs to the tree. The cat is gray. She runs fast," etc. You have learned, of course, the style of a traditional textbook.

The trouble with traditional learning is that language is given as an end in itself, not as a means. At the level of meaning, not at the level of meaning. Here it is, the necessary criterion.

Therefore, the reading or listening offered to you should be, first of all, interesting in itself, and the spoken language should be mastered in live situational communication.

You have learned to read fluently in a foreign language: you read and understand everything at once - like in Russian. But here you turn on the German radio - and you don’t understand anything. You try to talk to a German - and you can't say anything. What's the matter?

Imagine language as a nightstand. There are three drawers in the nightstand. The first box is colloquial speech. The second is listening comprehension. The third is reading, understanding the text. It just seems to you that the language is one, because you speak Russian, understand it, and read it. But in Russian, without noticing it, you use different boxes.

Hence the conclusions: what needs to be done to learn to read in the language? Answer: you need to read, and as much as possible. To listen? Listen! (If you are already a fluent reader, in a couple of months you will get used to understanding TV and radio programs.) What does it take to speak? - Speak! It's like learning to swim: no matter how much you train swimming movements on land, you still have to learn in the water. And it still doesn't work right. If you are taught a language without live conversational situations, without live communication in this language, then they teach you to swim without water, they teach you to drive a car without a car.

What does live communication, live situation mean? Communication becomes alive when the language in it is a means for solving some vital task, is the bearer of meaning. When language does not become an end in itself (as, for example, in a memorized text or dialogue). Language is not an end, language is a means. Having understood this, you will understand the main thing that is needed for learning or teaching a language.

So, since the "boxes" (speaking, understanding, reading) are different, then neither translating or retelling the text, nor performing grammar exercises, nor memorized dialogues, nor listened to audio courses, nor books read in the language - nothing will teach you to speak, except for yourself. speaking in situations, at the level of meaning. (Therefore, by the way, advertising for audio courses that promises you language skills is an obvious hoax.) If you don’t have the ability to swim in water, then everything you learned in advance instantly disappears in a real situation, you will immediately mix everything up and will flounder as if you didn’t learn anything . You will have no time to think: so, now I will put the predicate in such and such a form, and now the subject in such and such a form. Even if you have been “trained” for all these forms for a very long time, but this only works as long as you do not lose sight of them, as long as you look at the language as an end in itself. But then your handbag was stolen from you in a foreign country, you explain this to the policeman - and here you have already turned away from the language, the meaning is important to you. As soon as you turn away, "everything is mixed up in the Oblonskys' house."

There are many different methods for learning a language. Here and hypnosis, and songs-dances, and by association with Russian words, etc. etc. What is not! But these are all different methods of presenting new material. That's half the battle, less than half. Then there should be an activation of this material in the conversation. This does not happen, most of the methods stop at the presentation, which is then only "reinforced", repeated, crammed. They stop, end where they should start. In fact, all these methods are just varieties of the traditional method, focused on the passive assimilation of certain material, on cramming. This is a tradition of medieval monastic schools, where the main task was to memorize the sacred text (and in Russia - in Church Slavonic, in Europe - in Latin). The teacher read, the students chanted. They put them in the back of each other's heads, in cramped desks - in order to cut off any possibility of communication. And so it has remained to this day. But it is impossible to master a living language like that! Everyone needs to see each other, be able to move freely and communicate.

Everything that I am telling here is based on the emotional-semantic method of Igor Yuryevich Shekhter. This method just offers, in addition to the presentation of the material, its activation. You already understand that this is not just about one of the methods with a certain set of techniques (which, of course, there are - and here there is a subtle and detailed technology that the teacher needs to learn), it is about the correct, humane, humane approach, about the only possible setting. The traditional technique is "against the wool". Remember school. Even after "learning" the language using the traditional method, you still get into communication with foreigners - and then life teaches you the Schechter method.

So, you can learn to speak either by directly communicating with foreigners (especially good if you have already learned to read before that, that is, you have mastered the language passively), or by finding a teacher who knows the conversational, emotional and semantic method.

When choosing a teacher for yourself, try to avoid a non-professional (which is the majority, wherever he works). You have a non-professional if, instead of building lively conversational situations, he makes you perform tasks at the level of meaning, i.e. just "drives" you through the textbook. As we have already said, this is unnatural, so he is forced to be violent. Instead of constantly complimenting you, encouraging communication, he makes comments, rejoices at your every mistake, behaves according to the scheme: "I am the boss, you are a fool." (Why make comments and give grades if we don’t learn the language, but just get used to it? A doctor doesn’t grade his patient. agrees to lead a group of more than 15 people (under these conditions it is impossible to organize a conversation). If he goes to classes without original materials (newspapers, magazines, books, radio programs, etc.), he is limited to teaching aids. If he shows his fatigue, illness, bad mood, he speaks of his difficulties. If you sit at the desks of each other in the back of the head. Etc. All this, as you already understood, follows from all the same two rules: language is a means, not an end, and language must be learned intensively. If the teacher does not understand this, then he does not know the basics of his profession. After all, knowing a language is not yet a profession; anyone can know the language. And just "chasing" students according to the textbook - for this you do not need to study for even a minute.

What if you can't change your teacher? If you reluctantly learn a language in the traditional way? It is best to just read in the language and listen to the broadcasts, waiting for the opportunity to plunge into the language environment. At the same time, I do not advise you to study on your own using different textbooks and courses (you already understood why).

It is also important to understand that the language does not consist of words and grammar, but of phrases, phrases - of how and what they say in this case, for example, the Germans. The German will not say: "I am in a hurry", he will say "I have it in a hurry". He will not say: "I went to school at the age of seven," but will say: "I went to school at the age of seven." And so is the whole language. Therefore, learning words separately is useless. You need to remember the turns. That is the main thing. (Once, as a child, I thought that it was worth learning the Latin alphabet - and that’s all, this is a foreign language. What was my surprise when it turned out that in a foreign language not only letters, but also words are completely different! the same, and no less powerful insight was that not only the words are different, but everything else in general, everything is "not in Russian".) All grammatical forms are placed on several pages. All grammar can be told in 3-4 lessons. Words are not a problem either. Put in front of you a list of 10 words written in context. Can't you memorize them in 10 minutes? A person with the most average memory can memorize 100 or even several hundred words a day. We usually use about 3,000 words when speaking. You don't need any hypnosis or special associative techniques - you can't take words out of context, tie them to another language. It only hurts the cause. So, the problem is not in learning grammar and memorizing words, the problem is in the correct use of words, in each individual case. And in this sense, the language must be learned throughout life, this is an endless process. To speak well (active language skills). You can learn to understand well (passive possession) very quickly (for example, in a few months you can learn to read fluently).

And here is the most important advice: the language must be learned intensively. Let me give you two comparisons. First: the tongue is a pile of bricks. You gradually take bricks from it and carefully stack them in another place. When you select all the bricks - the language is learned. Second comparison: the tongue is an ice slide that you have to run up. In the first case (a pile of bricks), language appears as a certain amount of material, as an academic subject, as an end in itself. You gradually learn it - and it does not matter at all in what mode, with what intensity: the main thing is to go through all the bricks. If 100 bricks, then 100 lessons. It doesn't matter if it's every day or once a week. This is, of course, a misconception. In the second case (ice slide), intensity is important. We ran quickly up the hill - that's it, your language. If not, you will always move out. The result of 100 lessons can be equal to zero (and here the number of lessons does not matter at all - since you are sliding in one place). You can gently touch a closed door a thousand times and it will remain closed. And you can, putting together all these efforts, roughly push it once - and it will open. The language is not studied as any amount of material, one gets used to the language - one gets used to using it. (Therefore, I try to say "master the language" - make it your own, and not "learn the language"). Here you need to follow a certain regime - just as it is observed during sports training or medical procedures. Therefore, before you start, think about whether you can devote at least two hours to the language every day. And not only to devote time, but also to turn your soul in this direction, to make the language become a part of your life? In other words, are you up to the language now? And don't say: "Yes, of course, there is not enough time ... But at least a little ... It's still better than nothing..." That's just the point, it's not better. You will just skid in one place. But you can learn the language in stages, cycles. For example, a month or two - intensively, immersed headlong, a month - a break. Language acquisition cannot be extended. A language cannot be learned in 8 years (the usual period of fruitless language learning: 6 years of school plus 2 years of college - and zero output), but it can be learned in a year. If you started to learn a language and abandoned it, everything will quickly be forgotten, it will disappear. If you have already mastered the language, then it is not forgotten, it keeps itself. During a break, only the conversational skill weakens, but it is also quickly restored - with new practice.

How to determine that you have already run up the ice slide (that is, you have mastered the spoken language)? You yourself will feel it. It's not about the number of classes and not the amount of material you have worked through. There must be a qualitative shift. You suddenly realize that you are already speaking without thinking about how to say it, forgetting about grammar. You no longer think first in Russian and then say it in German, you immediately think in German. And when they say something to you, you immediately understand in German, and do not translate it into Russian first. Likewise with reading. This turning point (when the help of the Russian language is no longer needed, only German remains) is an indicator that you have achieved a result. For different people, this fracture occurs at different times, depending on the characteristics of the character. He did not speak, he floundered - and suddenly he spoke, swam! (Again: why give marks here? For character traits? This is a natural process. You should not, as they say, pull the rose by the petals so that it grows faster).

Many are concerned about the problem of pronunciation. "Do you put pronunciation?" Turn on the Russian radio in English. Terrible pronunciation! You will immediately distinguish it from the BBC. On the BBC, the pronunciation of our announcers is mimicked in humorous programs when it is necessary to present the "voice of Moscow." And these people were given the pronunciation "set", and they did it for more than one year. For months they held a mirror in front of their mouths and observed where the tongue goes with such and such a sound, where the jaw goes ... This unpleasant occupation did not lead to anything.

For example, two foreigners (for example, a Georgian) live in Moscow for 10 years. One speaks Russian with a pleasant accent, the other without. It depends on the special linguistic hearing (not musical, but linguistic). Some people have it, some don't. It shouldn't bother you. You will speak with an accent - so what? The most unpleasant thing is just the "set" pronunciation - because it is artificial, not individual. Nobody really says that. You need to find your way of speaking - and then you will come closest to a good pronunciation.

There is one important skill: learn to "duplicate" everything that you hear in a foreign language to yourself - as if to pronounce it, moving your tongue. At first you will not be in time - it's okay, "jump over" and duplicate further. Then you will have time to duplicate even continuous fluent speech, even radio broadcasts. You can first try to do it in Russian by turning on the radio or TV. So, monkeying, you will learn good pronunciation, and pick up the right intonation, and remember the turns.

It happens that people consider themselves incapable of language. At the same time, some add: "My teacher told me so at school." What was she supposed to tell you? What is she cheating? There are no people incapable of language. It's not music. Do you speak Russian? It means that everything is in order with the brain centers responsible for the language. Age also does not play a role. As we have already said, it is not a matter of memory, not of memorizing material, but of getting used to the language. This is just a common prejudice that language should be learned in childhood. Most people learn a language as an adult. And there are no age restrictions here. The main thing is not to be afraid to jump into the water.