Writer: Farida Abu Suliman
Editor: Khalid Mohammed
Designer: Maram Mohammed
Summer vacation has officially started! – and to stave off the inevitable boredom, people often love to get creative during this time. That might mean getting into painting, reading, gardening, or a million other hobbies.
As for me, I like to learn new languages, as I believe them to be the perfect keys to enhancing communication, discovering new cultures, and meeting new people.
Now if you’re anything like me and are looking to get the most out of your time this summer, then you’re in luck! I’m here to share with you a couple tips and tricks that’ll help guide you along your language-learning journey.
Set a Goal.
First of all, preparing a plan and setting goals will both motivate you and assist you with the other learning steps. Your goal doesn’t have to be a major, long-term one like traveling or studying the history of a specific country; You can do with simpler, more immediate goals, like better understanding foreign TV shows or music you like.
Check Different Resources.
Don’t rely on only one resource to study a specific language. Try and research multiple resources that might appeal to your unique style of learning and help you in different ways, such as watching YouTube videos, buying books, using language-learning apps or websites, etc.
Watch, Listen, Read, and Speak.
When you’re trying to study a new language, you should use several methods to do it. Old-school methods are suitable but exploring while learning will always be remarkable. You can regularly watch movies, TV shows, or videos in this language to hear what natural conversation sounds like. You can listen to music by various artists and have fun and dance while picking up a few new words. You can read books in this language, whatever genre you prefer. You can also try and converse with native speakers you might know, try to imitate their accents, and practice by talking to yourself in front of a mirror. All these methods can be helpful and memorable ways to learn a new language.
Most Importantly, Have Fun with It.
You shouldn’t treat learning a language like a task that needs to be done, or it would start to feel like a burden to you. And you don’t have to give it every minute of your vacation or free time, either. It should instead be an interesting getaway and a new hobby of yours to do when you feel like having some alone quality time.
I follow this advice myself when I think about learning any new language – which I often do – and so, I hope this information will be of use to you. Don’t forget to tell me which languages you’ve set your mind to learning this summer! If not, what other hobbies do you have in mind?
