Learning languages

How does one pick up a new language?

Attending a class is one way.

But that teaches you the basics. After that, it is still a lot of hard work in practising. Without practice, you cannot pick up a new skill, and language is a skill.

So how to practise?

Read it. Write it. Get a book in the language you are trying to learn and read it. Children's books are good because they are short and easy and finishing one gives you a sense of achievement and motivates you to finish another book. Write your diary in the new language, it forces you to review the grammar rules you have learnt in class, and makes you flip through that dictionary that you bought.

Listen to it. Watch a movie in the new language. Better still if it is a DVD, watch it once without the subtitles to see how much you understand. Then watch it again with the subtitles to see if you have gotten it correct. Watch it again without the subtitles to see if you understand more of what they are actually saying. Watch the same thing 3 times. Now, a full-length movie may be too long... so sitcoms work too!

Speak it. This is more difficult... you will need someone to help you, a fellow classmate works just fine. Otherwise, use the new language whenever an occasion presents itself.

Remember, the more you practise, the better you get.