In the modern world of opportunities for self-study of foreign languages, there are so many opportunities that everyone who plans to start classes and latin translation invariably faces the question: does everyone really need expensive courses and teachers, or can you learn a foreign language on your own? What is needed for self-study of a foreign language and how to do it correctly?
There can be only one answer here: of course, it is possible, because there is nothing in the world that could not be accomplished with the proper degree of diligence and diligence. Another question – which way of learning is preferable for you? Self-study requires a much greater degree of motivation and dedication than classes in a group or individually with a teacher. At the same time, studying on your own, you will not have to adapt to the rest of the students in the group and not pay a lot of money for individual lessons.
What you need first of all for self-study of a foreign language
First, the goal. Set yourself a clear goal. Going to the country of the language you are learning in the summer or getting a job in an international company, reading your favorite book in the original language or understanding the lyrics of your favorite band – absolutely anything can be a goal. The main thing is that it should actually be cherished.
Second, motivation. Striving for a goal, the desire to achieve it at the cost of any effort (and you will have to make a lot of effort to learn the language). Otherwise, interest in a foreign language will last at most a month and, faced with the need to study regularly and intensively, will go out.
Thirdly, a suitable technique. You may know that people are divided by type of perception into visuals, auditory, kinesthetics and discretes. Visuals perceive information visually, audials – by ear, kinesthetics – through sensations, touches and experiences, and discretes – through logic and argumentation. The importance of such a division of people into types should not be underestimated. Thanks to the right methodology, each of the categories will be able to absorb information in the most effective way for itself.
Fourth, to learn a language, you need consistency. It is not necessary to study for a long time – hourly classes may well be enough, provided that classes are held daily or, in extreme cases, every other day.
How to learn a language on your own?
Watch as many films as possible in the language you are learning, read the press, blogs, books, everything that would be interesting for you to read in your native language, read in a foreign language. Learn new words, but remember that learning words without context is a thankless task. An example from the native language: “awkward” and “clumsy” – it would seem that they are synonyms. But, if a person can be both awkward and awkward, then we will not call the situation awkward, the situation in Russian is only awkward. In order to learn to distinguish between such shades, it is just necessary to learn words not by themselves, not in a vacuum, but in context.
The biggest difficulty at the first stage of self-study (if it happens from scratch) is practicing pronunciation. Without basic knowledge, it is very easy to learn the wrong pronunciation, and subsequently it will take a lot of time to relearn. The safest and easiest way to work on pronunciation is with a native tutor, but if your goal is to learn a foreign language on your own, enlist the support of several good, proven audio courses and pay a lot of attention to practicing pronunciation. Make sure that there are no incorrect sounds in your pronunciation.
In addition, today there are a large number of all kinds of services where you can find partners for practicing conversational speech. People who are learning a foreign language just like you are often also looking for opportunities to practice. Your meetings can take place on Skype or offline, depending on your capabilities and preferences. It is best, however, to practice speaking with a native speaker. With a beginner whose language you are learning is also not their first language, you can teach each other not only new words and idioms, but also your mistakes.
Don’t forget about grammar. Grammar is the foundation of a language. Without a good knowledge of grammar, no matter how brilliant your pronunciation and no matter how rich your vocabulary, it will be difficult to speak a foreign language.
So, we hope you are not afraid of the difficulties of self-study of a foreign language, go for it. In the end, remember that it is not the gods who burn the pots. Good luck!