When you wonder why you have difficulty learning a foreign language, before you beat up on yourself, consider this: a lot of language learning programs are not just stuck in the 20th century, but they might even be in the Middle Ages. Try some of these techniques and let me know how you get on:
1. Listen. Before you try to talk, listen–a lot. The first thing you want to do is to learn how to hear the music of the language. Just sit back, relax, listen, and let it roll into your ears. Have fun with it. Notice the funny sounds. Listen for about ten minutes every day for a week. See if you can pick out your target language from other languages. Listen to a two minute recording over and over again. See what works for you.
2. Get movies in your target language with English subtitles. Maybe some of the foreign films from the Academy Award nominations will help you. Enjoy the movie. Get to know the culture of your target language. If you can get a dubbed version of your favorite TV show like Game of Thrones or This is Us, that helps too.
3. If you want a tutor to help you, plan your own lessons. What do you want to know how to say? Do you want to know how to order at Starbucks? Write it down. Give the list to your tutor. Sometimes the best tutor is someone who knows your target language and will be willing to follow what you want. Sometimes, the best tutors are the ones who had to painfully learn the language like you did. Their accent will be easier for you to understand. A native speaker is good as you get further along.
4. Don’t repeat what you hear. Just learn to listen. There is no rush to repeat. We teach you different commands to which you can respond–like the game “Simon Says.” You only obey the commands without speaking. It gets your body involved. The language is real to you. And you don’t have to say anything. You just want to know how to start learning how to recognize words: Close the window. Open the door. Can I have a glass of water please? You don’t have to understand every word. You succeed if you do what your tutor asked you to do.
5. After you have listened to the language for a few weeks, have been able to fulfill requests, now you may want to talk. But again, make sure that you have listened to what you want to say enough times. Sometimes, you may need to slow it down. Sometimes you may need to hear it many, many times–especially in the beginning.
6. Do not repeat it aloud. First, repeat your responses in your mind. Don’t repeat them aloud until you are happy with what you hear in your head. Each time you listen for it in your head, you are creating synapses which will help you be more successful when you say it aloud. For instance, take a phrase that you want to learn how to say. Listen to it three times at least. Then listen and repeat it in your mind. Do this three times. Now you are ready to repeat it aloud–even if it is only to your golden retriever. He’s very non-judgmental.
7. In the beginning a good coach only corrects you if you cannot be understood–not if your articulation is not perfect. You are just beginning. Remember pronunciation is caught not taught. It comes over a long period of time. Be patient with yourself.