Do you want to learn a language but between work and kids, you don't have time? Believe it or not, it is possible to do it on your own. We tell you how to learn it self-taught.
Do you want to learn a new language and open the doors to new opportunities? To learn a language you have to be diligent and perseverant, there is no doubt.
But there is good news: There is no need to enroll in expensive courses or move abroad! Learning a language on your own is possible and, with the right strategies, it can be an exciting and rewarding experience!
Learning a language is not always easy, but it can be and what is better, without effort.
How to learn a language self-taught?
Our first language: native
We all speak at least one language that is called native. However, we were all born without knowing or knowing any language. We couldn't even answer the question of What is a language? We had no idea about anything!
As time goes by, we manage to master it to a greater or lesser extent. Many people even managed to master one or more languages, becoming bilingual, trilingual, or more. But how do we learn our native language? It's simpler than we think: we were exposed 24 hours a day.
You can't learn a language by doing something once in a while.
Therefore, the best way to learn a new language self-taught is to expose yourself to the language all day without leaving aside your daily routine. As? I leave you ideas so you can take advantage of every minute of the day.
How to learn a language self-taught?
As we saw, it is less complicated than it seems. You don't have to follow boring lessons or buy expensive books. You can learn it every day with simple tools at your fingertips. The best: free and at your own pace.
Before you start, you need to follow 2 simple steps.
Step 1:
Choose the language you want to learn. For that, answer the following question: Why do I want to learn a new language? Work, travel, hobby, culture, etc.
Step 2:
Choose the necessary resources that best suit your objective and interests. This will keep you motivated to achieve your goal. Don't forget that the idea is to expose yourself to the language for as long as possible.
Resources necessary to learn languages on your own:
As we said, you don't need a textbook to learn languages. Today there are many tools that can support you in this mission.
You can download one of the many language applications that are available to acquire vocabulary, know the basic phrases to communicate in the new language.
Use Spotify to create a playlist with the songs you like the most in the language you want to learn.
Take advantage of streaming, choosing movies and/or series that you like the most and configure the subtitles in the language you want to learn
How to learn vocabulary?
The language and resources have already been defined, now it's time to start incorporating the new vocabulary learned. As? Let's look at these ideas:
Custom signs
Write words and phrases in the language you are interested in on a post-it (or if you want it to be cheaper, create your own posters) and stick them all over your house (kitchen, bedroom, living room), in the car and even in the office. But DO NOT include the translation, if you need to do it, it is better on the back.
To make it more effective and not just words, add some phrases related to your daily routine. Seeing the words in their context will allow you to gain confidence in having the first conversations.
Talk to yourself
Another option, without posting posters, is to describe each action of the day out loud or to yourself. You can do it step by step throughout the day or at the end as a kind of summary.
The important thing is that you include the new language in your routine as much as possible, as if you were living in another country that only speaks that language.
In other words, it is not about memorizing words or phrases one after another, but about applying the words learned. It's about giving them life!
How to learn a language self-taught at home?
We give you some examples to get you started:
1.- If you are learning, for example, Spanish, you can stick a poster or post-it on the coffee maker that says:
Café
Tomo una taza de café todas las mañanas.
¿Quieres un café?
Read the note out loud or to your partner while you serve that delicious coffee. This way you not only incorporate new vocabulary, you also learn to use it.
2.- On the refrigerator: paste a shopping list for the supermarket in the language you are interested in. Example:
Lista de supermercados
Leche
Huevos
Carne
If your partner is learning the same language, you can put together the list together: one dictates to the other the things to buy (always in the language you are interested in and without translation).
3.- In the kitchen: while you cook, name each ingredient in the language you are learning. If you are vegan you can learn some words and phrases in Spanish that will help you.
Example:
Cebolla
cuchillo
agua
lechuga
carne
pollo
huevos
tenedor
cuchara
You can describe the dish you are cooking step by step or better yet, search for recipes in that language or try to translate your favorite recipes.
Example:
1 taza de harina
1/2 taza de azúcar moreno
2 huevos
Precalentar el horno a 175 C°
Engrasar la sartén
Batir los huevos en un bol hasta que estén espumosos.
You can read the recipes or watch cooking videos to help you with pronunciation. If you are interested, for example, in Turkish cuisine or Italian cuisine, you can read more about them.
How to learn a language self-taught at work?
1.- In your office you can paste on the desktop:
Trabajar
Trabajo en la empresa LL de 9 a 18 horas.
¿Dónde trabajas?
Read the note whenever you can or take the opportunity to practice with a partner.
If you have a photo of your family or friends on your desk, when you look at it, try to describe it as if you were showing it to someone else.
2. Another option is to create appointments on the calendar or a to-do list in the language that interests you. The idea is that you apply it to your routine.
3. Change the cell phone settings, set notifications and reminders in the target language.
How to learn a language self-taught in the car?
1.- In the car: change the GPS settings in the language you are learning.
Review the directions to your destination in the new language, for example:
Girar a la derecha por Avenida Santa Fé y continuar hasta calle Riobamba. Gire nuevamente a la derecha y luego en Calle Paraguay gire a la izquierda.
Practice asking about directions
¿Puedes llevarme al aeropuerto, por favor?
¿Hay algún museo en el barrio?
How to learn a language self-taught in your free time?
On weekends, on breaks from work or on the way home, you can also take advantage of the hobbies you like the most to learn the new language.
Examples:
If reading is your thing, read children's books in the new language. Children's books have many advantages for those starting out with a new language: they have simple and easy-to-learn vocabulary, they are short stories and are easy to understand. Or you can choose audiobooks or podcasts that help with pronunciation.
You are more into crafts, look for videos on YouTube of the DIY style (Do It Yourself) in the new language. This will help you with pronunciation, teach you new vocabulary and you will be doing what you love most.
Are movies or series your favorite weekend plan? Make the most of streaming and add or change subtitles for your favorite series or movies.
Music inspires. Take advantage of Spotify and search for playlists with the style of music you like the most or create your own playlist.
Weekly review and challenge
Each week collect all the posters or review all the words and phrases you learned the previous week, write them all down in a notebook or on your cell phone and think of new phrases with them.
This will help you refresh your memory and ensure that you don't forget, halfway through, the words you've already learned.
The more you expose yourself to the new language in your daily life, the better. The faster you will learn it and the easier it will be for you.
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