Episode 40: LEARNING TO SPEAK A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
For today’s episode, I decided to answer a question I get asked frequently which is “What do I do to learn to speak a new language? If you’re new here, I’m Yesenia Bocanegra, and I’m a photographer and marketing strategist. I help photographers and entrepreneurs grow their business and brand with strategic brand photography and content strategy through my
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LET’S TALK LANGUAGES!
Here are some of the things that I recommend you do to put to practice your new language skills, regardless of which language you are learning.
PICK A LANGUAGE THAT YOU FEEL EXCITED TO LEARN
Whether it is that you have a deep connection to the culture, the language itself, or maybe even because it sounds cool! Alternatively, you can also pick a language that is widely spoken in your area. If you are a native English speaker living in the United States and want to pick a new language, maybe you can pick up Spanish! Maybe you have clients in Europe, maybe consider French, or German. Pick a language that makes sense for you to learn whether it is for personal or professional reasons.
DEDICATE AT LEAST 20-30 MINUTES PER DAY TO PRACTICE
This could be listening to music in your target language, reading something in that particular language, completing an assignment on a language learning app. My favorite for this is Babbel Language, or if you have the opportunity, speak with a native speaker of that particular language. If you have some extra time, you can watch a movie that was made in that particular language or see if your favorite tv shows are dubbed to that language.
Ways to practice your new language skills
VISUALIZE THE INSIDE OF YOU MOUTH WHEN YOU SPEAK EACH WORD.
This might sound weird, but take a moment to do this exercise in your native language. Say a few words or read something from a news article in your mother tongue. Do so slowly and pay attention to where your tongue is touching the inside of your mouth. How do your lips look while pronouncing certain letters. Is the sound coming form the front of the mouth, the middle or the very back. This visualization, I feel, is key in understanding sounds and how to better pronounce them.LISTEN TO MUSIC Look for artists that sing music in that target language and google the lyrics. Write down the words you don’t now on a notebook (make this your vocabulary notebook), then sing away until you know the song by heart.
WATCH MOVIES AND TV SHOWS, if you can find a show in that native language, I recommend tuning in and putting subtitles. I know it can be a bit annoying at times, but it will help connect sounds to words. You can check some of your favorite movies or TVs and see if these are dubbed but I find that dubbed movies really miss the mark at times and don’t always project the words with the same emotion as the actors.
If you feel brave enough, go ahead and change your tech devices to your target language. You’ll quickly pick up some new words!
Make a plan to travel to that country. I know this involves more time and money but it is incredibly beneficial to experience a bit of the culture of a country that speaks that particular language.
Practice, practice, practice and DON'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES! IT HAPPENS! And that is perfectly fine!