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Some Ideas and Practical Suggestions on How to Successfully Learn a Foreign Language

By: annalaura brown

Some Absolutes:

1. Foreign Language courses are not like other courses you must never procrastinate. Procrastination=failure in foreign language courses. Therefore you must spend a minimum of 15 minutes each day and a minimum of 3 hours a week. And additional time whenever possible. However, you should never spend more than 45 minutes studying the language in one session. Split your study up into several small sessions.

2. Class Attendance is mandatory and necessary in order to pass the course and learn the language.

3. Some occasional review of all material you have learned previously is also very important to your success. (for example, the vocabulary)


Some suggestions to make the different parts of learning a language easier and more successful.

Reading:
1. Concentrate on reading for comprehension without looking up every unfamiliar word. Look up only those words which cannot even be guessed or determined based on context. Then make up some sentences using those new words. Read these sentences over and over again at least once a day.

2. Read a little bit of the language every day. Especially the chapters in the textbook.

Speaking:
1. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, listen carefully to your classmates and SPEAK UP!

2. Practice speaking out loud on your own, in a group of friends studying the same language and with your pets such as a dog or cat.

Writing
1. Practice writing every day. Even if it is only a few sentences. Writing in the language will solidify it in your head.

2. Try having a friend dictate some of the language to you while you write it down and then check what you wrote for accuracy.

Some Miscellaneous Helps

1. Develop a Good Attitude, have reasons and goals for studying the language. Know what you plan to learn and how you will get there successfully. Have goals.

2. If you need help get it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help for fear of sounding stupid, or being embarrassed. There are no stupid questions when you are learning a language.

3. Get audio tapes of the language and listen to them or make you own tapes and listened to yourself in order to perfect your pronunciation.

4. Read out loud.

5. Make flash cards for vocabulary and try using different colors for different genders of the words and for different categories of words such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

6. Practice in study groups, become good friends with some of your classmates and they can help you out.


Some additional reading sources which can help you.

http://muskingum.edu/~cal/database/forlang.html#Menu
How to learn a language quickly, easily, inexpensively and on your own by Barry J. Farber

How to Learn a Foreign Language By Graham E. Fuller

Article Source: http://www.bluearticles.com


AnnaLaura Brown is a successful team leader in an international organization. She can be contacted through her website http://www.scentedcandlesclub.com. She also runs an ecourse on success in business and life through her site: http://www.successlessonsforyou.com

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