How To Jumpstart Your Foreign Language Training

You may have heard the adage, "Work smarter, not harder." There is no better place to employ this advice than when acquiring a second (or third or ...) language.

1. Choose a language carefully.

   Rather than deciding to tackle a foreign language because language learning "protects aging brains" or because a specific language is popular, select something that you are likely to need now or in the future. For example, if your company has a branch office in Italy, perhaps Italian would be a good choice. This also opens up new vacation vistas. What better way to practice than to take a holiday in beautiful Italia?

2. Capitalize on the experiences of others.

   You probably know co-workers or friends who are bilingual. Ask them how they learned a second language. Can they recommend specific software, courses or learning techniques?

3. Utilize free resources like the public library.

   Many public libraries have a foreign language section or belong to a lending network that can provide educational resources. This is a good way to "try before you buy" if you are interested in a specific audio-visual course or textbook.

4. Read Internet reviews.

   Many online sites like Amazon.com publish reviews by users. Pay attention to other people's opinions, remembering that they are just that: opinions. Do not ignore or purchase something based solely on one bad or one good review.

5. Listen - listen - listen and watch - watch - watch!

   Every chance you get, listen to your target language and watch the lips and faces of native speakers as they talk. "Mirror neurons" in the brain are efficient at passively learning and duplicating what they see. That is why top athletes watch other successful athletes so carefully when they perform. Listen to your target foreign language as often as possible to absorb sounds and cadences that may be completely unfamiliar to you.
6. Try to use headphones or earbuds.

   Ambient noise tends to make similar sounds like "m" and "n" or "f" and "s" seem almost indistinguishable. Noise-canceling equipment (best) or regular earbuds/headphones will help you to differentiate sounds more easily.

7. Repeat familiar phrases.

   Whenever you are alone (or you can fake talking on your cell phone), repeat known phrases in the foreign language you are learning. Try to form a direct bridge from the phrases to mental images, eliminating an English translation in between.

8. Chat to yourself.

   Have a two-way conversation with yourself, or describe aloud what you are doing. Try to use correct grammar, but do not avoid talking just because you are unsure of proper sentence structure. Mistakes are unavoidable. Good grammar comes with time and practice.

9. Use your PDA or smartphone.

   If you carry a PDA or smartphone with you most of the time, consider installing a foreign language dictionary on it. Whenever you need to look up a word, the answer will be nearby.

10. Capitalize on Internet resources.

    There are many resources available on the Internet. Do not be too quick to spend money until you have researched what is available free of charge. Learning a new language can be expensive and time-consuming if you do not pay attention. Thanks to technology, it does not have to be that way!