What are the Best Ways to Learn a Foreign Language at Home?

While Spanish may come as second nature to some, beginning to speak Japanese may require the help of a trained online tutor. There are nonetheless a series of at-home methods which will come in handy if you hope to pick up the basics. Let’s take a look at four professional suggestions. 

Read Children’s Books Which Have Been Written in a Foreign Language 

If you already possess the fundamentals of a language, try reading children’s books which have been written in this dialect. Such a practice will help to reinforce your existing knowledge base and the chances are high that you will pick up additional phrases along the way. As you progress, you can begin reading more complicated subject matter. 

Watch Movies with Subtitles 

This traditional approach has worked wonders since the early days of the silver screen. Choose a film that you are already familiar with. Then, dub the audio in the language of your choice. As you will know the majority of the dialogue, it can be much easier to appreciate different foreign words and phrases. This is even more relevant if you are interested in discovering slang and regional vernacular. An added benefit here is that this form of “passive” learning can be performed during any downtime that you may have after a long way at work. 

Label Everyday Objects with Sticky Notes 

Memorisation represents an important facet of the learning process. While some words rooted in Latin will be easy to remember due to their similarity to English (“biblioteca” in Spanish is the equivalent to “library” in English), this is not always the case. One effective way to surmount this potential hurdle is to label common objects throughout your home with their foreign translations. As you will regularly be handling these objects, retaining their meanings will be much easier. 

Register with Online Foreign Language Forums 

It is also important to point out that the online community can provide you with a host of learning tools. One interesting method involves registering with the top foreign language forums. There are numerous subcategories to choose from based around parameters such as: 

• Your level of expertise 
• The topic 
• Your location 

• Whether or not you wish to participate in an informal language exchange 

Not only is this a great way to learn a foreign tongue, but you may also be able to establish useful contacts during the process itself. 

Although the best way to learn any foreign language is to become completely immersed within its culture, there are still plenty of potent tools at your disposal. Both novices and experts alike can benefit from the suggestions mentioned above, so feel free to incorporate them into your daily regimen.