TIPS AND TRICKS (For Self-Study)

This is just a short entry (Okay well I wrote that before I wrote the entry. It's kind of long actually.... sorry!) with a few tips on study methods. Some of them are personal study methods that may not work for everyone. But others are fairly universal study methods for anyone learning a language.

※ Before I even start learning the language I learn about the language.

I look it up to see if there are noun genders, if there are noun cases, do the nouns change with number?

I see what kind of word order it has (SVO like English and Chinese? SOV like Korean and Japanese? Or VSO like Gaelic?)

I check to see if there are any special characteristics of the language that I am unfamiliar with (for example Gaelic has some odd rules like lenitation that I had never heard or before.)

This prepares me for learning. Once I learn about the language, I know what to learn! When you're learning on your own it is crucial to understand what you're dealing with before you set off to actually start studying it. Otherwise, how will you know where to begin?

I personally think that this is a good idea even if you are taking a class or have a tutor, but it isn't as important since if you  a guide in those cases.

Unfortunately, self-study books and textbooks do an awful job of organizing the material, so knowing the key grammar concepts before you start studying will let you know what to look for and then you can just jump around the textbook learning little bits and pieces in the order that works best for YOU and not in the order the authors decided on.

Usually wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, but I've found that it always gives nice overviews of the characteristics of a language.


※ Another thing I would recommend you do before you start learning a new language is learn IPA (if you haven't already!)
No... IPA isn't a type of beer in this case. IPA stands for International Phonetic Alphabet. It can be very useful when learning a new language (especially if the language has difficult spelling rules and/or sounds you aren't familiar with.)

※ After that I actually start learning. Now here are some study tips.

Vocabulary (I believe) is the heart and soul of a language. Usually if your vocabulary is strong then you can understand a lot of what you read and hear even if the grammar is a little confusing. Knowing a ton of grammar points and having a weak vocabulary is useless. Focus on learning WORDS WORDS WORDS!!! If you wanna know how to say a word that you feel you would need to use, pick up a dictionary and write that sucker down!!

I like to make lists of vocabulary words. I go down the list and learn a few words everyday (EVERYday, try not to skip) and then once I have mastered those words I put that list in a folder and make a new list. Every few months I go over the past few lists and review to make sure I didn't forget anything.

If you are learning a new writing system (this is especially important for learners of Chinese and Japanese!) make sure to write down the symbols and say them as you write them. This will help your brain connect the symbols with their corresponding sounds. I usually get a pad of paper and make it my kanji/hanzi pad for all the new Chinese and Japanese characters I learn. It can really help a lot with the hardcore character memorizing that can come with Japanese and Chinese (or any other writing system that has a lot of complex symbols.)

※ Use Google to your advantage. If you are ever unsure of how to use a word properly, or how to conjugate a verb correctly, or even if the phrase you wanna say is proper, you can Google it in quotation marks and see how many hits you get. This way you can see if native speakers use the same word/phrase/conjugation. If you get only a few hits then chances are you're incorrect, if you get several hundred thousand hits then looks like you got it!

※ Don't be afraid to say hey to the native speakers! Usually people are excited when someone is taking the effort to learn their language, (especially if that language isn't commonly studied by foreigners.) So don't be shy! In language learning, mistakes are actually valuable study tools!!

※ Lastly, talk to yourself! 

.....when you're alone at least.... You don't want to concern your friends and family. ;-)

I know that this sounds like crazy-lady advice but this will help get your brain used to thinking in your new language. Of course, nothing can compare to practicing with a native speaker (or at least a skilled speaker) but it is better than nothing and it will help improve your ability to summon up key words and quickly construct sentences.

Just talk about whatever you feel like!

I hope these tips help!! Good luck!!♪♪