Before learning a language, we need to find an effective approach to gain the most knowledge the fastest. In our last post I mentioned the difference between a student spending several years in 'learning' a language and a baby speaking it's native language within the same time. The answer to life, the universe and effective learning is:
Passion. Immersion. Dedication.
Are you interested in a language? Or are you passionate about it!? Being interested in a language isn't enough. This will lead to slow learning, decrease in interest, and finally a stop to learning. If you want to learn a language you have to be passionate about it! Either create this passion by learning more about the culture and the reasons you want to learn the language, or become interested in the culture and create reasons why you want to learn it! Tim Ferris has an excellent post, on how to learn (but not master) any language in one hour. What I want you to do is deconstruct the language your learning by follow this post. This will tell you a lot about the language, and if your still interested enough to continue learning.
To help you out here is a deconstruction of Mandarin Chinese (here's the full website). Plus, here's my deconstruction of Italian: DOC, PDF (sorry for any errors.) Okay, GO!
Did you finish? Sill want to learn? Perfect!
Now unlike most students, babies are constantly immersed in the language their learning, whether it's their mom or dad, relatives, TV, radio, or music, they are constantly immersed in the language.
The good news! You don't have to live in France to learn French, Africa to learn Swahili, or China to learn Chinese. Immerse yourself by changing the environment around you. Do you read? Watch TV? Listen to the Radio? Or have a Facebook account? Grab your favorite book in Italian, watch your favorite movie in Spanish, listen to the French radio station, or change your Facebook language settings to what ever your target language is! In this way you will create your own foreign environment, while at the same time pick up the accents of the language and maybe learn a little culture. (for example, I changed my laptop and ipod language setting to Italian)
Every boxing coach, piano teacher, singer, or any teacher for that matter will always say, "Practice. Practice. Practice." Dedication is what will decide if you learn the language or not. Without dedication, passion for learning Italian won't make you fluent! Spend everyday learning something new, and remember it's fun! Learning a language is more than communication, it's learning the culture, the way people use body language, how they act, dress, eat. Culture and languages are a fascinating subject, and this is what fuels your passion.
If you have passion, immersion, and dedication, you will increase the speed of your learning by 2000%!!! (3 months versus 60 months)
So go grab your book or TV show in Italian and begin immersing yourself!
you are wonderful!
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