Secrets of learning a language — quickly

Before you read: some questions to help you think about the topic and the words you might need.

What recommendations do you have for someone trying to learn a new language?

What things have not been good for learning a new language?

You want to apply for a dream job abroad. There’s just one problem. You need foreign language skills that you don't have – and time is not enough.

It might sound impossible, but according to language experts, you can learn basic communication skills in weeks and master the basics of a foreign language in a few months. While you might not quickly get the fluency that lets you understand great foreign literature books, you can, though, quickly hone in on phrases and technical language for your needs whether you are working with the diplomatic service or a blue chip multinational.

It won’t take long to begin discussing current affairs with a native speaker in Rome or having a conversation with a coworker in a Paris office.

Sometimes traveling the world for work will force you to find ways to master conversation in many languages. Benny Lewis, an engineer, learned enough of seven languages -- including Spanish, French and German — to work easily and reached almost fluency in several others, including Mandarin.

Learning Spanish, Lewis’s first non-native language, took over a year but the next languages, even the basics of conversational Mandarin, were quicker. His secret: when he first needs to learn a language, Lewis makes a script for himself so that he can respond to simple queries from strangers.   As Lewis mastered new languages, he was even able to do work as a translator of technical engineering texts.

Phrasebooks and online tutorials can be useful in this early stage, experts say, as they can give you the vocabulary and the confidence to have basic conversations with native speakers, the crucial first step in learning a language.

“The biggest barrier in the beginning is the lack of confidence,” said Lewis. “That got better and better for me as I spoke.”

Indeed, simply having the courage to speak is necessary if you are going to make progress in a foreign language, language experts said.

A lot of people don't make progress if they don't open their mouths. If you are not willing to make mistakes and be foolish, progress will be slower.

This means not being afraid to take risks or make mistakes. When he started learning Spanish, Lewis said he spoke a lot like someone with one or two word sentences like

'me want go supermarket'. But I reached the advanced stage by starting as a beginner. The moment when it seemed everything made sense was when – two weeks into learning Spanish – my toothbrush broke and I was able to ask for a replacement at the supermarket,” he said. “Wherever you go, people are very patient.”

Immerse yourself

Many believe that total immersion is the most important part to mastering a foreign language quickly. The more you immerse yourself in the foreign language – such as reading, listening to the radio or speaking to people – the faster your progress will be.

Getting to basic conversational ability can be achieved in much less time, just several weeks according to experts, particularly if you can speak regularly. James North, associate director for instruction at the Foreign Service Institute, said students are encouraged to get to know native speakers.

You need to invest not just the head but also your emotions. You need to love it. You can, for instance, do volunteer work or engage with the local community at restaurants and neighborhood functions. 

By talking regularly with language experts or native speakers you also have someone to check – and correct – your progress.

Practice makes perfect. But practice without feedback just makes perfect whatever you are practicing. The naïve learner does not have knowledge on what they are doing. It is really vital to have someone saying yes you are on track.

You’ll need to ask those you speak with for feedback and make sure they know it’s okay to correct your pronunciations and grammar, although experts say you need not worry too much about grammar in the early stages.

Use the language first and focus on the grammar later, Lewis said. When you are ready to pick up the grammar, he recommended using podcasts at sites such as radiolingua.com or languagepod101.com as particularly useful in picking up grammar and dissecting the language.

By then you have so much context. You can see a rule and say, 'That's why they say it that way.’

As you learn, be sure to use media in the foreign language. If you are starting out, read illustrated children's books or watch familiar films in a foreign language.

If you have exact goals to achieve, such as talking with a partner or using a foreign language at work, that motivation can be all you need to begin to master conversations. But beware of lofty ambitions. If you say you want to be fluent in two months, you will likely be disappointed. But if your goal is to reach some level of conversational proficiency, especially for a work assignment, that’s a more attainable goal.

 Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.