Simcott suggests setting calendar reminders at specific times of the day to practice: "At some point, by sheer repetition, you just get used to it and build the habit." Another technique you might want to try is building a routine out of the learning process. But if you want to be able to introduce yourself, you might be very happy after a single lesson," says Broholm. "If your only goal is to be fluent, you’ll be disappointed for many months. A good way to face the daunting task is to set small, manageable goals. In challenging times, staying motivated for a long-term project like language learning can be tricky. "I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing," Simcott continues, "because I prefer to have someone be told that they're better than they are and have the confidence to continue." Language apps gamify repetition to help people memorise words and expressions, but they often don’t give you a good sense of how much vocabulary has not been included in the exercises. "Language learning is over-learning: you learn something to the point that it just becomes part of who you are, so that it comes to mind without hesitation when you need it." "Language apps often give people the impression of being more fluent than they actually are," says Richard Simcott, a world-renowned polyglot who has learned over 50 languages. Options are more limited if English isn't your first language, but according to Kris Broholm, blogger and podcaster for the website Actual Fluency, "Duolingo is by far the best language app out there." However, even though the app scores points for making language learning easy and convenient, it's definitely not all you need to master a new language. Currently, one of the most popular apps is Duolingo, which offers free courses in over 30 languages and has seen a huge boom in new sign-ups since the beginning of the pandemic.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |