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Learning the Local Lingo
Updated 21 October 2009
This article has also been published in the ELT Times.
When moving to another country, learning the language can mean adjusting to the lifestyle or remaining an outsider. There are several ways to learn a foreign language, just take a look at the ideas below.
Books with CDs
There are lots of books that come with CDs in order to learn the language. You can play the CDs on your way to work. Just remember to repeat the phrases aloud. Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur are popular and yyou might be able to find them on Torrentz (you'll have to download BitLord first).
Media
Once you get a handle on the language, watching TV or movies. If possible, put closed captioning on as well, that way you can listening and read the words. If you don’t understand what was said, you might be able to read it and then understand.
Listening to the radio, both the news and songs will also help you get more accustomed to the language and its accents. And don’t forget about emailing, forums, newspapers, and chatting. Find someone who speaks the language you want to learn and try chatting or exchanging emails. Reading forums is a nice way to learn slang and casual conversation. You could also try joining a chat room in the local language and talk about things that interest you. Reading the newspaper whether the printed version or online is a great way to learn formal speech.
Language partners
These are a great way to meet the locals. Try to find someone with your same level, but in English. Go out and have a coffee and spending half the time talking in English and half the time talking in the language you’re trying to learn. Or, you could find another foreigner and just spend the entire time trying to talk in the target language. You can talk about family, local news, or just practise reading aloud. Remember to correct each other’s pronunciation. You can find language partners on Conversation Exchange and italki.
Post-its
Putting up little notes all over the house can help you learn about daily items. For example, on the door, write the word for door, on the mirror, do the same. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to name all the things around you.
Practise, practise, practise
Don’t give up. At first, it can be difficult to learn a language, but then you’ll get a grasp on it. You’ll find that you might reach a plateau after a while, but keep at it and you’ll find yourself learning more and more.
Read aloud
Just looking at the words in your books won’t help you when you have to have a conversation. Practise reading aloud in the target language. After a while, you’ll notice that the words come out faster, you’ll have less of an accent, and it will also increase your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary.
Stop translating
Although it may seem easier to think in English and then translate to the target language, it’s way too confusion, takes a long time, and some things simply don’t translate. Make a point of thinking in the language you’re using.
You're getting there!
Read more about learning languages in part 2 of Learning the Local Language While Teaching ESL. Try looking at All Japanese All the Time. Although it's geared towards Japanese, it still has tons of language learning tips. And if you're interested in learning Spanish, find recommended schools, teachers, institutes, and universities in this article. With a bit of time and effort, you’ll be able to make a lot of practise in the language you’re trying to learn and this will help you adjust more to your host country and open up a whole new world. Try also looking at the Learn Foreign Languages website.
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