ensara's corner

Hello Beautiful People,

I thought to write about a personal experience this time that might benefit others on their language learning journeys. Almost every time people find out I “know 7 languages”, they always ask how I do it. So I wrote this post with general tips that have helped me learn and improve. I think it’s also important to note that my love for learning new languages comes from my parents, who both speak several languages, and have always supported and encouraged me on this journey. Here’s what I have found beneficial:

Read simple books. I would say children’s picture books are a great place to start, because the vocabulary is simple, and it is associated with pictures. This can help you with reading and compression skills, as well as your vocabulary. Eventually, the goal is to be able to read books of your level in the language you are studying.

Kids content in general can be very helpful when you are first starting to learn a language. There is a lot of repetition in nursery rhymes, or just videos made to entertain kids. Usually they will teach the basis of a language, and it  provides a great foundation.

Watch TV in the language you are learning. Most streaming platforms have the option to switch to a language other than English, so a great way to practice is when you are rewatching your favorite movies / TV shows. Of course this is not going to teach you all you need to know, but it helps you get used to hearing that language and speaking will come easier to you, eventually. You can also watch movies or shows that were originally in the language you are learning.

Write no matter what. I would recommend daily journaling in the language you are studying, and maybe repeating those phrases to yourself. It can be small things. Like explaining your routine, a conversion you had etc. And then reading and repeating them outloud. It seems a little silly, but it will help you get used to putting the knowledge you have to practice. It is perfectly fine to look up words as you are writing but don’t look up whole phrases, try and make that connection yourself. 

Speak whenever you can with people who know the language. It is okay if you make mistakes, and if you can’t fully articulate what you want to say. Language learning is a process. It is a little intimidating, but you should still do it. It’s the only way to keep the language up to date and increase your knowledge of it. 

Other creative things can be switching your most used app to the language you are learning. The website Lyrics Training. Following content creators that post in the language you’re learning. Reading light news you are already aware of, in the language you’re learning, etc.

Finally here’s some specific apps / resources I found helpful:

Mango Languages – this app is great for learning everyday phrases and improving your grammar in a language. It can be used for free, but for a better experience I would recommend people use a subscription. Check with your local library if they have a subscription with Mango, because then it would be free to you. I have been taking advantage of this and it’s wonderful – so many options. 

First 100 words to learn in ___ – This is not a method that may work for everyone, but if you were to just search this for any language you can find plenty of content and it can help build your vocabulary.

Duolingo – I think this is the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of people when they want to learn a language, but I would not recommend it as a first resource. Duolingo can help you put the grammar to use, so it’s a great tool from that perspective, but for long term knowledge of a language, it can be challenging. 

Easy Languages – This is a wonderful community of channels, including Easy French, German, Spanish, Russian, Dutsch, Polish, etc. They ask people across different cities a question in a particular language, and there are captions in English and the other language. Everyday people using everyday phrases.

Thank you for reading! If you have any tips / questions feel free to comment them, or just send them my way. Learning a foreign language is not easy, and it takes time, but once you start getting on the path of learning a new language, it becomes easier if you want to learn another one. It’s more than worth it. Beyond just speaking another language, you explore another culture, and so much more.

Stay warm! 

Ensara Sejko