How do you learn a foreign language?

The National Weekender

By THOMAS HUKAHU
IN this week’s article, I will offer you some tips on learning a foreign language.
I must assure you that it is not as difficult as some people think.
In today’s world, the advancement in technology is making the learning of languages less difficult – and, you can also learn one on your own by accessing files on different sites on the internet.

Is foreign language learning difficult?
Is learning a foreign language that challenging? I do not think so.
Even though some people seem to have a special talent for learning different languages, anyone can learn a new language if they want to.
Actually, it comes to this: Do you really want to learn a foreign language or not?
Once you have set your mind on it, you must take on the tips that I am offering and use some of them to make your goal become a reality.
It is like playing the guitar too: If you really want to learn to play it, you will do everything possible to learn it.
Do you remember what I said last week? I always had the wish to learn a foreign language when I was younger, but it was after I was in my 30s that I started taking lessons in French.
Incidentally, one of my classmates in the French class was a mother who was in her 50s and she was interested in the language for her business plans.
Over the years, I had classmates which included senior managers in organisations, a Papua New Guinean female engineer who was working for a French firm, a PNG diplomat, a bank teller and a journalist, among others.
So, you can learn any language that you want to, regardless of your profession and age.
You can do it, if you are prepared to put the time and effort.

Make YouTube your main source of learning
If you want to learn a foreign language on your own, use YouTube as your main source of instruction.
Tutors from all over the world are offering lessons in whatever language you are interested in – Spanish, Russian, Indonesian or Arabic.
If you are learning by using YouTube videos, I suggest you use an exercise book to write all new terms learned.
Watch one new video a week and update your exercise book as well as reviewing the terms you have learned on a regular basis.
You can put in two hours per week for watching a video and reviewing notes in your exercise book.
Try to stick to one channel and exhaust all videos in it before taking a look at lessons from other channels.
Learn the lessons in the order that the tutors number them – usually from the basic greetings words and phrases to other topics.
I learned a good number of words and phrases in Spanish a few years ago by following lessons by a tutor, who is originally from Mexico but is now residing in the US.
I ensured that I took relevant notes and even typed those up and shared them with friends.
Spanish is related to French, as they are both Romance Languages and originate from the old Roman language.
Tips on learning a foreign language
Now, here are some tips to help you learn a language.

  1. Find a tutor to start you off with the alphabet and pronunciation.
    French, Spanish, Italian and even Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) all use a similar alphabet as English, which is based on the old Latin script. Russian (as seen in my word list in the photo) and other Eastern European languages use the Cyrillic script – therefore you have to work harder in those in learning a different set of symbols and sounds that goes with it. The same goes for Japanese and Chinese where a student has to learn the characters and what they mean.
    I emphasise that you must get a tutor to start you off – at least to correctly pronounce the basics words and phrases, as well as some peculiar sounds that are not present in languages you already know.
  2. Go to YouTube and watch videos there, as stated in the last section. If have a tutor (as in the first tip), use this tip as a complementary mode of learning. But it is advisable that you stick to one YouTube channel and work through each video in the order that the tutor suggests. Don’t visit many channels – that may distract you from learning well. Using YouTube videos can be utilised by those who cannot find a tutor.
  3. Learn the basics in grammar and structure of the language. You will have to revisit the basics in English too (including parts of speech) to appreciate the structure of a sentence in another language. In English, we may say: “The dog is inside the house.” That structure is more-or-less the same in French and Spanish, however it is not so in Maori, where the preposition (inside) starts the sentence, followed by the subject (dog) and then object (the house). I learned this bit about Maori last year.
  4. Spend at least two hours per week on your language learning.
    Just like playing the guitar, mark times for your language learning and keep to it. Generally, if you have formal tutorials, spend one hour outside of class for every hour that you spend in class. (Remember: “Practice makes permanent!”)
    If you are revising for a test or exam, you may add two or three hours more on top of your normal study time to review concepts learned.
    In your weekly revision times, go over your class notes and complete all homework given by your tutor.
    Also, check supplementary texts that you may get from a library or going online.
  5. Use opportunities to practice your skills.
    Look for opportunities to practise what you learn. If you are learning French and happen hear some visitors speaking it, do not hesitate to say Bonjour (hello) Comment allez-vous (How are you) to them and introduce yourself to them if they are willing to talk.
  6. Watch movies and listen to songs in your language of interest.
    Check for movies online that are in the language you are learning. Find songs (with lyrics) that are sung in that language. The more you listen and try to comprehend, the better you will become in that language.
  7. Make friends on social network.
    Make friends with and communicate with people online – those who speak your language of interest.
    You will be surprised how some will eagerly want to help you learn their language.
  8. Take online tests.
    After spending 10 weeks or so on the language of your choice, try to take a free online test (as in Oxford House Language School). If you go for another 10 weeks, take another test and see if you have improved on your language skills.
  9. Here is an important note too for those you are learning any language on your own. Mark a 10-week period where you do two-three hours learning the language. Then after 10 weeks, take a break, and take an online test. Then start another 10 weeks again. And work in that manner before taking another two-week break.
  10. Visit a country for an immersion.

If you learn Indonesian, visit Jayapura and immerse yourself in the language there. If you learn French, go to Nouméa.

A possible set of topics for the self-learner
If you are learning a language on your own, you cannot make good progress in your language if you do not follow a syllabus, a set of definite topics to cover in your 10-week periods.
Here is a list of topics that you can work on by getting help from YouTube videos or sites online:

  1. Greeting words (Hello, Good morning/night, How are you, I am fine);
  2. Learning the alphabet (a, b, c, and so on)
  3. Introducing yourself (My name is, I live in Lae)
  4. Counting numbers up to 40
  5. Giving your age (I am 18 years old, My father is 48 years old)
  6. Introducing another person (My father’s name is, He works as a doctor)
  7. Verbs in simple present tense (To go, to be, to have, to live)
  8. Basic nouns (School, hospital, boy, girl, man, boy, beach, home)
  9. Simple sentences (I am a boy/girl, I go to the beach)
  10. Prepositions in sentences (The cat is in the box, I go to the beach)
  11. Conjunctions in sentences (Julie and I are friends, but we …)
  12. Telling the time (12-hour or 24-hour time)
  13. Common adverbs (I was going slowly, the car was travelling quickly)
  14. Common adjectives (The beautiful woman, the intelligent man)

It does not matter which language you are learning. Try to split up your tasks under those headings and make your way through the topics.

Some final things
For a start, learn the greeting words and make sure you get the pronunciation right (like the Russian words on my list).
Do not worry about a dictionary, if you do not have one. Learn what you can and work on memorising words and phrases (including conjugation of verbs).
It is going to be a long journey. Not everything will become clear all at once.
Be brave to make mistakes – you cannot learn much if you are afraid of making mistakes.
You must be determined to continue working to realise your goal of reaching a level of competency.
Some of you may want to learn more than one foreign language. That is a challenge that is possible.
First though, just stick with one and get to a level that you are comfortable with it before starting on another.
Some teachers say that your first foreign language will usually be the first real challenge. If you master some aspects in it, you will find it easier to learn other languages.
That is, in learning one, you will learn some tricks of getting around remembering new words and phrases as well as sounding uncommon sounds like the French “r” or doing the accents properly in Italian.
Again, I say: If you want to learn a foreign language, it is so much easier nowadays with many online tools and videos that you can use.

  • Next week: Learning a local PNG dialect. Thomas Hukahu is a freelance writer.