7 Ways To Improve Your Foreign Language Skills

Travelling to a foreign country can be exciting – and also very exasperating if you can’t understand the local speech. Many North Americans are somewhat egocentric in this regard, expecting to find English spoken no matter where they are. Although this is sometimes true in larger cities, don’t expect to find English speakers in small communities.

If you enjoy learning with multimedia programs on the computer, there are several brands that you can use. Most combine visual flashcard-type lessons or video with the ability to practice speaking the language using a microphone. An excellent example is Rosetta Stone software. They use a total immersion method, which can be a little frustrating at first, but if you stay with it, you will see your comprehension develop.

Taking up frequent trips to different countries of the world will help you to understand their practices and culture. You can see and understand their values, traditions and importance of language attached to it. Sometimes you may come across the native tongue of a particular area and learn a few new words.

There are many programs for learning a second language on-line. This gives you the advantage of being able to study from any computer and gives you immediate access. Many apps and websites have an on-line version. There are also many language reference and dictionary websites.

Languages are the essence of a person’s existence. It is the perfect medium to share your mindset with others and gives you a chance to analyse others’ thoughts and actions. It is difficult to survive without any language, so value it and learn it thoroughly.

If you don’t have a computer or prefer to learn while doing other things like sitting in rush hour traffic, an audio program may be best for you. I recommend the Pimsleur programs. They combine an instructor with native speakers that lets you hear a word or phrase and then give you a chance to repeat it. In fact, you may get sick of repeating it, but you will learn it.

By far, the best way to learn a language is by living in a country that speaks the language. Of course, you will still need to use one or more of the above methods, but if you can do it while living around people who speak the language, you will learn much faster and speak better. No matter how good the program or class is, it is not exactly the same as actually living the language. You may not be able to actually move to another country, but if you can spend 2 weeks to a month studying there, it will be well worth it.