After living in France for a year while studying abroad, I was fully immersed in the language and was able to pick it up quite easily. However, now living back in the states away from the language, I found many ways to keep my french skills up-to-date. I am going to share the ways that I have found most effective to practice a new langage, I will be referencing French but the tips apply to any language.
How to Learn a Language with TV Shows and Movies
Watch your favorite TV Show or Film. Do you have a show or movie that you have watched a million times and you already know the next line before it’s said. Then a great way to pick up on conversational French is to watch your favorite favorite show in French with English subtitles or watch it in English with French audio (arguably more painful because the audio does not always match up to the actor’s lips). My personal favorite is Friends but it works with anything that has audio/subtitles available.
Best Language Learning App to Boost Your Skills
Duolingo has come a long way from “The cat likes blue.” I have tried a lot of language apps and Duolingo continues to be my frontrunner. After you get past the beginner stages it becomes more conversational and will have stories where listen and respond and a lot of other interactive features. I would not say with Duolingo you could be fluent, but it is definitely a great tool to utilize, and it is free!
Learn a New Language with Music on Spotify
Music is one of the best ways to learn something. If you were one of the kids in school that always used a song to memorize things then listening to music in the language will help you. And you may even find new artists that you enjoy.
Practice a Language by Speaking with Friends
This can be rare but if you have friends that are also learning the language or even better if they already know it and are willing to help and have conversations with you. It will really help you test your skills and knowledge if you can understand someone that is fluent.
Discover Podcasts in Your Target Language
In this day and age there are no shortages of podcasts. Find one in the language you are learning, and not just one that is about learning a language, but one that is about a topic that you are interested in and then you can pick-up on words that you would actually use in conversation.
Why Keeping a Journal Helps You Learn a Language
Everyday or week write a little bit in a journal, part of learning a language is not only being able to read and listen to it, but to be able to write it. It may be difficult at first, but as you learn more it will get easier. And then it also serves as a way to look back and see the progress that you have made.
Learn a Language with Children’s Books
Many classic children’s books are available in other languages and can be a great way to build up your reading skills. There are a few places that you can find books in other languages.
Local Bookstores: Many local non-chain bookstores have a foreign language section.
Ebay: This is my preferred way because you can search for the specific book that you are looking for and they usually don’t cost too much, unless they are shipping internationally.
Find Language Meetups to Practice Speaking Skills
I have not had much luck with local meetups in the area that I live. However, if you live in a larger city, there may be more of these available and they can be a great way to meet other people that are learning the same language as you so you have someone else to practice speaking the langauge in a more conversational way.
Technology Tools to Help Learn a Language
Switching your device to the language you are studying can significantly enhance your language learning experience by immersing you in the vocabulary and sentence structures of the language on a daily basis. As you navigate menus, notifications, and apps, you train your brain to recognize and understand French in context, reinforcing your learning.
This constant exposure helps improve your reading skills and encourages you to think in French, making it easier to recall words and phrases when needed.
Use YouTube o to Practice a New Language
YouTube is coming back around now as long form content is coming back around. One of my OG favorite YouTuber’s that originally had the Shut Up & Go channel, Damon Dominique. Damon has an incredible French course that really helps you learn how to speak like a regular local and not a robot out of a textbook. He also has courses in Spanish too!