Throughout my years of experience in language learning, I finally conclude that language learning is not easy. Well practically, it is not easy although it may sound easy to do. Nevertheless, don’t let it discourage you to learn because all of your sacrifices are worthy!
The frequently heard excuse for not learning a language is not having the time. In fact, everyone is always busy; students are also busy although they don’t spend as much time as what office workers do.
My working schedule is from 8 AM – 5.30 PM, spending such a long day working in front of the computer has obviously taken much of my energy. Not to mention the time I spend commuting, or going out for dinner with friends, where do I have time for language learning?!
Little by little
My method of learning is to keep using the language even if only for a short time. Frequent use of a language is much more important than spending long hours studying. Thus, I spend only 30 minutes on each language class in Italki Challenge.Apart from challenging myself to focus more on learning as much as I could within a short time, I won’t lose concentration or become tired because it is just 30 minutes. I also can divide my total study time to practice several languages, such as instead of learning French for 1 hour, I can learn French for 30 minutes, and Tagalog for another 30 minutes.
Reading articles
What I like to do in a short time is reading articles, especially articles on multilingual websites. My favorite website is Wikipedia, a widely-known online encyclopedia. First, I choose an article on any topic, read it in one language, then switch to another language. The contents differ from one language to another, so it is quite interesting to read different information about the same topic in different languages.I also like to jot down difficult words that I find while reading. It helps me to remember better, and it becomes even better when I see the words repeatedly. Besides, I also like to read articles about language learning in order to get knowledge and learn from other learners’ experiences. One of my favorites is Italki Articles.
Find penpals
Another thing you can do in a short time is exchanging messages with penpals. You can find Language Partners from around the world in Italki. Simply select your target languages, and other related information, such as country and gender. If you don’t find any suitable native speakers, why don’t you practice with learners of your target language? You do mistake together, correct each other, and improve together.The point is to keep on using the target language, doesn’t matter if you write, read, listen, or speak. Spending a few minutes per day is better than nothing at all. How do you find time to learn languages?
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Icons8 Team