If you've ever tried to learn a new language, then you know that it is a difficult task. Don't be discouraged if you experience obstacles throughout your learning journey, there's sure to be a way to get around them. Here are three common things that people struggle with when learning a new language and strategies you can use to overcome them.
Lack of Immersion
The easiest way to learn a new language is to surround yourself with people who speak it. Those who move to a new country and need to learn to communicate with their neighbors, co-workers, and local shopkeepers have an easier time picking up a new language than those who are trying to learn on their own.
One way to surround yourself with a language is to watch movies that are filmed in the language you want to learn to speak. Pick a movie that has a storyline you think you'll like and watch it with the subtitles on. Once you've watched it once and know the plot watch it a few more times with the subtitles off. Break it down into small chunks and see if you can determine what the actors are saying.
Lack of Time
You may think that you don't have the time to learn a new language, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to find time if you make learning a new language a priority. Schedule an hour a day to sit down and study your new language. You could study in the morning while you eat your breakfast, after you put your kids to bed at night, or during your lunch break.
You can even study on the go if you carry your notes or some flash cards with you so you can look at them while you're waiting in line, riding the bus to work, or in your doctor's waiting room. Once you decide you really want to learn a new language, you'll be able to find time for it in your day.
Learning New Grammar Structure and Slang
Once you've learned your vocabulary you may find it difficult to put those words into proper sentences, or you may trip over colloquialisms and slang words. If you find yourself struggling with grammar and slang, then sometimes the best thing to do is read a book that's written in your new language.
Reading can help to familiarize you with things like sentence structure and conjugation as well as introduce you to words and slang that you may not find in your classes. If you get stuck on a slang word you can look it up and make note of it's meaning.
Being multilingual could help you speak to clients at work, talk to locals when you travel to different countries, or just enrich your life by exposing you to new cultures so don't let these common obstacles keep you from the rewarding experience that is learning a new language.