Hello there!
In this issue of Ling-oh! I'm going to share 4 hacks that will help you learn a new language faster.
Speak from day one
It sounds counterintuitive. How can you speak from day one if you don't speak the language yet?
Easy! Spend your first few hours learning useful phrases to introduce yourself and ask a few basic questions: "How are you?", "What's your name?", "Where are you from?", "I speak only a little".
Forget grammar for now. Memorise these phrases and use them immediately. Try them online with people. Send voices messages in language exchange groups. Take both sides of the conversation yourself during your morning shower routine. You can even sing it.
There's a huge benefit to starting out like this. It builds your confidence. It kicks off a routine you won't be able to stop. It won't be long before you're trying out new stuff on an unsuspecting barista in your favourite coffee shop.
Figure out what you already know
In some languages, you know more than you think.
Languages that are connected linguistically often share words, grammar and other aspects with our own. Let's take Spanish as an example.
Many English words ending –tion exist in Spanish, but instead end –ción:
education – educación
celebration – celebración
pronunciation – pronunciación
That's super helpful, but we can go even further. We can also work out the verb from these words. Replace the –ación with –ar and we get the verb:
educación – educar
celebración – celebrar
pronunciación – pronunciar
Keep digging and you'll find more.
Use mnemonics
Mnemonics are a method of representing things differently so that your brain keeps them around longer.
Better organisation of memory is one of two best methods for keeping memories around much longer (the other is trying to recall the info regularly).
For example, Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain has been used for years to easily remember the colours of the rainbow. It's much easier for us to remember this phrase than the independent colours.
When it comes to language learning especially, good use of mnemonics is a superpower.
Compare:
The word for "salmon" in German is "der Lachs".
With:
Salmon in Germany are very summer-loving fish. Where do you think they get their pinkish hue from? When the sun's out, German salmon just love to waddle over to the beach. The sand brushing between their fish toes, they hurry to find the nearest sun lounger so they can sit down, lie back, and re-LACHS. They absolutely love nothing more than re-LACHS-ing. Salmon in German is der Lachs.
Using the mnemonic, the word "Lachs" is linked to so many things that it's almost impossible to forget the word. I first heard this 10 years ago and I can't forget it.
Learn words with phrases
You won't find many words hanging out on their own. The vast majority of words occur within sentences, surrounded by other words, which sometimes affect their meaning in context.
Try to learn words within phrases, rather than in isolation. The extra context will help you see how a word might mean something quite different than you might learn with the word alone.
For example:
Learning that "up" means "towards a higher position", or "at" means "in a specific position", you miss:
"I will clean up."
"She is good at history."
Phrases let you see how words influence other words.
Always try to find an example phrase to show at least one context in which the word is used. The phrase itself will also act like a mini mnemonic, helping you remember it.
That's all folks.
I hope some of this advice has been helpful and provoked a few new ideas. The main thing is to stay consistent. Whatever you do, just keep going and have fun.
