What Are the 5 Tips to Effectively & Productively Learn a New Language?

Now that the world is well-connected, travelling to another country with a completely different language from your own has become less intimidating. But do you notice that when you speak someone else’s language, people are friendlier and happier to interact with you? This is the power of language, connecting people from all sorts of lives regardless of their native tongues. 

If you plan to learn a new language, Chinese could be a great option, with billions of Mandarin-speaking people all around the world. Gaining fluency in the language could help you land the job you want or develop personally or professionally. But how do you effectively conquer a new Chinese or any language, for that matter?

1. Find your WHY in language training 

Every time you want to pursue something, having a defined goal is a game-changer. Otherwise, you’ll find it difficult to stay motivated and on track. So, list down all the reasons you want to pursue short long-term or short term Chinese studying [this is commonly referred to as เรียนซัมเมอร์ที่จีนระยะสั้น in Thai]. For example, your short-term goal is to watch a Chinese movie without subtitles, while your long-term goal is to explore career opportunities in China or a Chinese company. 

2. Study one language at a time

Whether you plan to be a polyglot or not, it’s important to just focus on one language rather than divide your time and attention on a second or third language. The best way to learn optimally and fast-track your progress is to commit to just one language course. Doing so helps you avoid confusion and frustration. However, if you really want to learn multiple languages simultaneously, make sure they’re different. You’re unlikely to confuse French with Chinese, for instance. 

3. Start with the most common words or vocabulary

Some studies revealed that most native speakers roughly know word families by up to 20,000, which is a combination of a root word and its variants. If you learn the first 1000 word families, you’re on track to speak and understand the language effectively. Start with words that you can easily understand, remember, and use in a phrase or sentence.

4. Learn the right pronunciation early on

Pronouncing the words correctly is the key to being understood. In Mandarin, for example, plenty of words sound the same but have different meanings. If you listen closely, however, there are differences in where the tone drops or rises or where a letter is emphasised. You must know the correct pronunciation right at the beginning. Think of it as effectively building the right habits in language training. 

5. Go from words to simple dialogues

Now that you know the most common words, it’s time to make sense of them when they’re stitched together. Start by reading and understanding short, commonly used dialogues, such as “I like to run” or “I want to buy this.” Most simple dialogues contain 100 or 200 of a language’s most common words. The same words are used repeatedly 50% of the time. This is also the best time to learn about appropriate language to avoid offending when it’s time to interact with others or with native speakers. 

Learning a new language is exciting, but it also comes with many challenges. By enrolling in a language school and following the tips above, you increase your chances of success. Study Chinese effectively at ALA today.