[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The first step to learning a new language fast\u00a0is to set\u00a0goals\u00a0for what you want to achieve.\u00a0<\/p>\n When faced with the idea of learning a new language, most of us feel overwhelmed. There are so many words to learn and so many different ways to study.<\/p>\n Research shows that people who set the right kind of goals are more likely to achieve success. Setting goals narrows your focus so you can stop worrying about the details and get down to business.<\/p>\n Use these guidelines to get the most from your goals:<\/p>\n Strategize and prioritize your learning by focusing on what matters.<\/p>\n The exact amount may differ, but for many languages you need between 1000 to 3000 words to be conversational<\/a>. So why waste time trying to learn more words, especially at the very beginning?<\/p>\n Identify what words, phrases and expressions will get you the most bang for your buck, and work from there. You can start with practical, colloquial topics then work your way up from there.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also check out these lists of the top 1,000 words in these languages:<\/p>\n By focusing on learning these words first, you can eliminate wasted time and increase the amount of information you understand very quickly.<\/p>\n When learning your words, you’ll learn faster by using the very best study techniques, such as using spaced repetition software (SRS)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, one of the best ways to do this is to use flashcards. Flashcards help you focus on individual words and allow you to test yourself, which helps you memorize new information.<\/p>\n When you learn with flashcards, follow these tips to learn fast:<\/p>\n Practice makes perfect, but effective practice makes perfect even faster!<\/p>\n Some more great strategies for integrating new words alongside and beyond flashcards include:<\/p>\n People say you\u2019re not fluent in a foreign language until you catch yourself thinking in it. That makes sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thinking directly in your target language as much as possible will help you avoid errors and speed up the learning and speaking process. It could also help you avoid confusion in the middle of a conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you do need to translate, be strategic about it. Referring to the languages that you already know and using translation can be used to your advantage, but there are ways to do it efficiently and correctly.<\/a><\/p>\n What you could do is think about all the short and simple sentences you use in your daily communication.\u00a0What sentences do you need at the grocery store? At the post office? At work? At home?\u00a0<\/p>\n Use a trusted resource for your sentences so that they’re guaranteed to be correct. Learn how to say them, and then always think them to yourself as you go about your daily business.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a beginner, it can seem\u00a0overwhelming to try to use the language all day, but it\u2019s not as difficult as it seems. There are many easy and even fun ways to make the language a part of your regular life.<\/p>\n You can use your normal everyday activities as part of your language learning process.\u00a0<\/p>\n You might also want to consider checking out Olly Richard\u2019s language courses<\/a>, which helps solve the commitment problem by walking you through the immediate concerns of learning a language to fluency.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you want to learn German:Track down a handful of new German words you\u2019d like to learn. Write one word per piece of paper, including its translation, pronunciation, part of speech and sample use in a sentence\u2014basically, a dictionary entry.<\/p>\n Pick common nouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions that you need to know. Your pool might contain:\u00a0stehen\u00a0<\/em>(stand),\u00a0laut\u00a0<\/em>(loud),\u00a0bekloppt\u00a0<\/em>(crazy) and\u00a0auf\u00a0<\/em>(on). Keep these little papers in a bowl near your bed.<\/p>\n Every morning when you wake up, pick from the set. That lucky word will be the\u00a0one\u00a0you\u2019ll practice all day long.\u00a0Use it in conversations with dogs, Facebook chats and comments, in your journal, etc. Use it 15\u00a0times at least!<\/p>\n This repetition will store the word in your long term memory. For more effective results, incorporate past words-of-the-day in your activities so you can keep everything fresh in your mind.<\/p>\n When you start to feel tired, switch from active learning to passive learning by doing what you would normally do in your native language in your target language. In other words, take in comprehensible input.\u00a0<\/p>\n Comprehensible input means material in your target language that you can understand\u2013but it\u2019s still slightly above your level because there are some words or grammar concepts that you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n According to one of the most\u00a0influential theories in linguistics<\/a>, getting comprehensible input is how people acquire and become fluent in a language. To get good at a language fast, you\u2019d want to get a lot of comprehensible input (listening and reading), especially at the start.<\/p>\n This is pretty fun to apply because input can mean TV shows, comics, online videos, podcasts or even actual conversations that you overhear in your target language. Keep reading for tips on how to use these resources in the best way!\u00a0<\/p>\n The catch is that they have to be comprehensible, though. If you watch a movie without understanding the lines at all, take it down a few notches and choose easier material!<\/p>\n This video explains how comprehensible input speeds up the language learning process:\u00a0<\/p>\n This is the time for movies and video content to make an appearance in your language program. They’re a great example of comprehensive input. Plus to make studying fun, bring in some resources that you actually enjoy!\u00a0<\/p>\n It might seem like a time-waster but I assure you, it\u2019s not.\u00a0Netflix<\/a> is a pretty good source for movies across different languages.\u00a0<\/p>\n Think of all of the idioms, conversational phrases and essential vocabulary that show up in them. Aside from being interesting, they also immerse you in the culture.<\/p>\n There are a few phases in watching a foreign movies if you want to maximize their potential for language learning:<\/p>\n You can also learn with any Netflix video that has subtitles with the FluentU Chrome extension.<\/a> It’ll let you click on words to instantly look them up or add them to your vocab to review them with our learning engine<\/p>\n If you love listening to music and do it anyway, why not listen to it in your target language! Words tend to flow more naturally when you sing, and singing makes it easier to get the pronunciation right.<\/p>\n Music is also\u00a0fun<\/em> because it’s a direct line to the culture you\u2019re learning about. Of course, you’ll need to choose music with lyrics if you’re trying to work on your fluency. Find the lyrics online and try to sing along.<\/p>\n Thanks to amazing websites like Genius<\/a>, lyrics of any song in any language are usually available\u2014along with lyric meanings, translations and romanized versions (if necessary).<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter whether you have a talent for music or are completely tone deaf. The only important thing is to follow the flow of the words. There\u2019s nothing more fluent than the way words connect through song.<\/p>\n You\u2019re gonna be doing other things at home, right? You could be doing aerobics exercises or cleaning your car. Why don\u2019t you incorporate language into these affairs?<\/p>\n Multitasking and incorporating your target language frees you from the excuse of being \u201ctoo busy\u201d for a second language.<\/p>\n Reading to further your language skills<\/a> is another great strategy. It helps you with vocabulary, grammar, sentence construction, and is also a great way to further your cultural knowledge.<\/p>\n Miguel de Cervantes wrote in Spanish, Italy has Dante, Hugo presented the sophistication of French expressions, and the great Tolstoy and Dostoevsky revealed new dimensions of the Russian language.<\/p>\n If advanced novels and books are too daunting for you now, try\u00a0learning with bilingual books,<\/a> children’s books or books designed for language learners<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Get talking right away, from the very early stages of your language learning journey! Some of the best learning happens in real-life situations, particularly when you have no choice but to use a foreign language.<\/p>\n This is the favorite approach of organizations like the\u00a0Peace Corps<\/a>, which regularly places people with little or no knowledge of a language into full immersion situations.<\/p>\n Although such situations can be uncomfortable, they provide enormous motivation to learn quickly.<\/p>\n Even without traveling abroad, you can immerse yourself in real-life situations that give you loads of language practice. Try these options:<\/p>\n Open your house to friends and acquaintances who speak your target language. If you don\u2019t have any, go to language clubs and cultural organizations to make new friends who fit the bill.\u00a0Invite them for dinner or a coffee. You\u2019ll learn much more from a native speaker than anywhere else.<\/p>\n Native speakers can give you insights into the language and culture you\u2019re interested in. They have firsthand experience. They know the do\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s. They know what it\u2019s like to be on the other side of the fence, too.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be surprised if you\u2019re getting more than a language lesson over dinner. You\u2019ll get to hear great stories from their home country, little-known facts about their culture and tips on\u00a0linguistic\u00a0nuances that\u00a0only come from knowing the language in the real world.<\/p>\n Understanding a language is about more than understanding words on a page.\u00a0It’s important to learn about\u00a0the culture and history associated with these words.<\/p>\n Knowing something about a country or culture’s history, current events, religious beliefs and common customs can help you understand a lot about what people say and do.<\/p>\n Researchers<\/a>\u00a0have found that children learn to read in a second language better when they understand the culture and context behind the pieces they read.<\/p>\n As you begin to study a new language, take some time to learn about the culture of the people who speak that language.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don’t feel this is a waste of time, even if it involves reading and watching videos in your native language. It will help you enormously and can even\u00a0prevent you from making embarrassing and potentially offensive mistakes.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s great that there are so many\u00a0free language-learning options<\/a> available, if you\u2019re trying to learn the most in a time crunch, you may need to make an investment.<\/p>\n Also, remember to interview any potential tutors to be sure you\u2019re finding the right person for the job. Discuss price, scheduling and language qualifications.<\/p>\n We wouldn\u2019t expect professional services for free. We shouldn\u2019t necessarily think language learning should be gratis, either.<\/p>\n By investing in a professional and high-quality learning resource, you\u2019ll be giving yourself the best chance at learning effectively and quickly.<\/p>\n Knowing that you plan to take a test is a great way to motivate yourself to learn faster. Try to regularly test yourself in little ways or even prepare for some bigger exams.\u00a0<\/p>\n The ACTFL OPI test<\/a> is\u00a0popular in many language-learning circles and\u00a0widely respected. It tests oral proficiency and\u00a0provides a score that ranks your level anywhere from “Novice Low” to “Superior.”<\/p>\n Some languages also have a standardized test specific to that language, such as\u00a0the JLPT<\/a> for Japanese or the HSK for Chinese. Ask teachers or professionals who know the language what tests they recommend.<\/p>\n Who wouldn\u2019t love to fly off to a country to learn a language?\u00a0But if you can\u2019t go traveling in real life, there\u2019s no reason you can\u2019t plan a trip.<\/p>\n Virtual travel won\u2019t get you a slice in a Roman pizzeria or a seat in a Munich beer garden but it\u2019ll certainly engage you so well that you\u2019ll want to learn as much about a culture\u2014and language\u2014as possible. And quickly, too!<\/p>\n The key to this strategy is to investigate traveling options as if you were actually going to grab your passport and head to your dream location.<\/p>\n You need to act as if time is of the essence, which makes it imperative that you gather as much information\u2014particularly language skills\u2014as possible.<\/p>\n Who knows, maybe you’ll be so inspired that you’ll try to make the trip a reality!<\/p>\n If you’re able to, traveling to a country that speaks your target language remains one of the best options out there to practice and improve your language skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n Traveling is not a simple decision to make, mainly because of the time and money investment involved. However, there\u2019s no goal you can\u2019t achieve with proper planning and budgeting. It will definitely be worth it!<\/p>\n If you made it to an environment that allows you to practice your new language, congrats! Now get ready to make a lot of mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reflect on each conversation and give yourself constructive feedback. Some things you might want to think about are:<\/p>\n When you start embracing the ups and downs of the learning process, you\u2019ll better enjoy and appreciate the journey, which sets you up for more learning opportunities.<\/p>\n You may have taught your best friend a few dog tricks already, but when it comes to learning a new language he has one more trick to show you.<\/p>\n Do\u00a0you remember how many times you had to repeat command words when you first taught Sparky to\u00a0do things like\u00a0fetch or roll over? It took many repetitions before he even noticed that you wanted him to do something.<\/p>\n At first he just looked at you cluelessly. Then at the 10th or the 15th time you mentioned the word \u201cfetch,\u201d he noticed that you had the habit of throwing the ball. Then on the 20th or 30th time, he observed that you wanted the ball back. Then around the 35th time, he started playing the game and began fetching the ball.\u00a0Guess how many times you\u00a0had to say \u201cfetch.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n A lot! If you connect this with Psychology studies that point to\u00a0repetition\u00a0<\/strong>as one of the main accelerators of learning, you\u2019ll start to appreciate shouting \u201cfetch\u201d to Sparky in a foreign language.<\/p>\n So for example, you can repeatedly tell him\u00a0\u201chabla\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(\u201cspeak\u201d in Spanish). Dogs learn commands in other languages very quickly, and he\u2019ll be speaking Spanish too before you know it.\u00a0Cool, huh?<\/p>\n If having fun makes for efficient learning, then\u00a0playing games is a very important language learning tool.<\/a><\/p>\n Truth is, there\u2019s an infinite number of games one can play, limited only by your imagination. Let\u2019s look at one game in particular\u2014charades, with a twist.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you want to\u00a0learn French. How are you going to incorporate that in this game?<\/p>\n Simple. Do French charades! (Keep in mind, you\u2019re going to need a few friends for this one.)<\/p>\n Here’s how it works:<\/p>\n This game is particularly effective if you\u2019re a kinesthetic and visual learner who remember words better with movement and pictures\u2014that is, you can recall\u00a0sauter\u00a0<\/em>better when you see your partner jumping or feel your own legs springing for a jump.<\/p>\n Who knew making your own meals could\u00a0have healthy linguistic consequences?<\/p>\n Getting busy in the kitchen can teach you vocabulary. A big part of cultural identity is food and its preparation. If you open your mind to this, you\u2019ll get to taste\u00a0language in its most flavorful form. But where will the language lessons come from?<\/p>\n Going to the kitchen and taking a break from your language lessons can be a language lesson in and of itself!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So there you have it! Once you incorporate these into your routine, you’ll be amazed at the progress you make in your language learning. Remember that consistency is key and you’ll be fluent faster than you imagined!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \r\nIf you dig the idea of learning on your own time from the comfort of your smart device with real-life authentic language content, you'll love using FluentU<\/a>.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nWith FluentU, you'll learn real languages\u2014as they're spoken by native speakers. FluentU has a wide variety of videos as you can see here:\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n FluentU App Browse Screen.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nWith FluentU's Chrome extension, you can bring interactive learning tools directly to YouTube or Netflix, and even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account. \r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nFluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nDidn't catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n Interactive, dual-language subtitles.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nYou can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU's \"learn mode.\" Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you\u2019re learning.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n1. Set Language-learning Goals<\/h2>\n
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2. Learn the “Right” Words<\/h2>\n
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3. Use Flashcards<\/h2>\n
![\"language](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/language-learning-flashcards.jpg\")
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4. Study Smart<\/h2>\n
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5. Think in Your Target Language\u00a0<\/h2>\n
6. Start Using the Language All Day, Every Day<\/h2>\n
![\"girl](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/girl-studying-language-flashcards-on-train.jpg\")
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7. Pick a Word From the Day<\/h2>\n
8. Get Plenty of Comprehensible Input<\/h2>\n
9. Watch Movies and Use Subtitles<\/h2>\n
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10. Listen to Music and Learn the Lyrics<\/h2>\n
11. Multitask for More Exposure<\/h2>\n
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12. Read Local Literature<\/h2>\n
![\"man](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/man-in-library-looking-for-local-books.jpg\")
<\/p>\n13. Seek Out Real-life Practice\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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14. Make Friends with Native Speakers<\/h2>\n
![\"language](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/language-learners-hanging-out-with-native-speakers.jpg\")
<\/p>\n15. Learn About the Culture<\/h2>\n
16. Consider Investing in Tutoring\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"language](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/language-learner-taking-online-tutoring-class.jpg\")
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17. Test Yourself<\/h2>\n
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18. Plan a Virtual Trip<\/h2>\n
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19. Travel and Immerse Yourself<\/h2>\n
![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Young-guy-traveling-around-and-looking-at-a-map.jpg\")
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20. Learn from Every Mistake<\/h2>\n
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21. Practice with Your Pet<\/h2>\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/dog-walker-with-his-pet.jpg\")
<\/p>\n22. Play Games Using Your Target Language<\/h2>\n
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23. Make a Connection with Food<\/h2>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/woman-in-apron-making-spaghetti.jpg\")
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And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n
![\"learn-a-language-with-videos\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spanish-5.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"learn-a-language-with-music\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/General-2.png\")
<\/a>![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Spanish-6.jpg\")
<\/a>