By Aquila Lupus
Wondering which language to learn? Want to learn a language in your spare time? Would you like to take advantage of spare time? In this age of super-specialisation and advanced technology it is not uncommon to hear people say that they simply don’t have enough spare time to learn a foreign language. Many people actually need help to better manage their time and learn a language more quickly and more effectively. It may be that they are busy at work or at home and they feel there is “not enough time in the day” to undertake another task. Whatever the case may be, they have accepted the modern myth that has tricked us all – that we are so busy and have so little free time that we cannot learn several foreign languages. This article will discuss why that is not the truth and will explain how we can take advantage of empty time to achieve fluency . During many years of language leaning and acquisition it has become clear to me that every day we all have small moments of “dead time”. Even though these moments are short, it may be surprising to know that when combined they can compose anywhere between 2 hours to 4 hours per day. The only real difference between success and failure when it comes to language learning is in how we take advantage of spare time and how imaginative we can become in using target languages. When we take advantage of dead time to learn something that we enjoy, it makes us proud and this pride is reinforced my more efficient and accelerated learning outcomes. It is as if a magic door opens up to us- the realisation that life is actually full of spare time (so much that it boggles the mind that we didn’t see it before). We become aware that we can enjoy our spare time to better ourselves, rather than fighting against it. In this article I want to give you a list of handy methods you can use to learn a language quickly during your spare time.
- Use an MP3 player/smart phone If you put together a Collection of lectures, kids’ stories, phrases, conversations and audio bits in the language that you would like to learn, you can listen to it whenever you have a free moment. Carry it with you everywhere. Listen to it in public transport, when driving, when you work, when doing the Shopping, when doing housework, when you bathe when you exercise, even just before sleep. You can take advantage of almost every small spare moment during the day. By using the imagination it is not so difficult to put aside 1 hour every day for bettering yourself and learning a language. Remember that a small amount every day is far more powerful than a large amount once a week.
- Take notes in the language you are learning
Begin using the target language in your daily life. Write the notes in your diary or your lists in the target language. If your level is not yet sufficient, try to imagine how you would write it in the target language if you had to do it. Search for the words you don’t know and jot them down. When you have reached an acceptable level start taking notes at work in the language you want to perfect. It will be an enormous challenge but I am sure that your everyday job will suddenly become more interesting as you lead this “secret life” at work.
Polyglot International 