Sometimes, gaining conversational skills in a language need not necessarily require a mastery of it. In fact, if you’ll only be in a foreign country for a short time, learning a few key conversational phrases may be all you need to get by.
Serious Language Lessons
As great as it is to gain fluency in a country’s tongue before visiting it, it’s hardly the best solution for everyone. If you’ll spend two weeks in France to attend a one-off trade show, for instance, it’s hardly worth the effort to take a five-month course or spend all your free time poring over a language learning software.
Sticking To The Basics
In any language, there are some phrases that are as basic as a “Hello” and a “Thank you” in English. Learn those. Typically, they’re the first set of phrases taught in any language learning material.
Apart from the generic set of everyday language, you’ll likely need to learn some specialized phrases that will be valuable to your visit. If you’re there for shopping, learn key phrases that you can use when dealing with shop clerks. If you’re being chauffeured around town by a guide, learning how to use the vernacular for finding your way around different places is obviously not necessary. When you’re hitting the country for a business meeting, taking the time to pick up a few crucial conversational phrases should help you when dealing with clients and peers.
Don’t Be Afraid
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to use the few key phrases that you took the time to study. Engage people in conversation – you’ll be surprised by how they can be of those trying taking the effort to converse with them in their native tongue.
When researching about language learning, you’ll inevitably hear some folks refer to the language you want to study as “simple”. They’ll say things like, “Oh, that’s a simple language compared to Mandarin, you’ll pick it up in a month.” But, as anyone who studied a second language knows, you don’t pick up an entire vernacular in a month.
English, for instance, is a very “simple” language. The English alphabet only has 26 letters – certainly much less than that of many other international dialects. Yet, is it really that easy to learn compared to other languages?
According to many language experts, the difficulty of learning a particular vernacular will depend more on its relationship with your native language as opposed to any other innate challenge. If it features sentence structures and grammar constructs that resemble your native tongue, it will undoubtedly be much easier to familiarize with.
Even though you’re studying what is supposed to be a “simple” language, never expect to cruise through it. You’ll still have to go through the same learning phases – mastering the vocabulary, picking up syntax and working through nuances. Chances are, you’ll have just a difficult a time with spoken Korean as you do with spoken French, regardless of which language learning software you use.
Simply put, don’t let appearances fool you. While a language may seem simple, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to work through every facet of it to integrate it into your skillset. Simple is not always easy.
Daily practice is crucial to language learning. Languages are complex systems to familiarize with and regular contact with it is necessary in order to ensure as short a learning curve as possible. Pausing your studies for long periods can set you back considerably, wasting a lot of time you’ve already invested.
No Time
If you have a really busy schedule ahead, take at least 5 to 10 minutes a day reading a few phrases or practicing a new sentence in the language you are studying. Do it during commute (if you’re not driving) or during a short break at work if there is no other free time at your disposal.
Regular Study
Ideally, you should study the new language at least an hour or more each day. If you have the available space for it in your schedule, follow the lessons as outlined in your language software course. If they are designed properly, they should facilitate learning at an optimal pace, taking you from the basics towards the more complex concepts.
Translation Game
One thing I regularly do when I don’t have the time to study in-depth is to take phrases I use in my daily English communication and see how they can be expressed in the new dialect. You can use whatever material you want to use although I personally prefer my highly-accurate language translation software.
While I’m working on my PC, I’ll take a five-minute break to fire up the application and type a phrase I want to learn how to use in the other vernacular. I do this several times a day while I’m at my work computer and it has been one of the most helpful tools in my arsenal for picking up new languages faster.
Personally, I think there’s no better time for learning a new language than when you’re a student. Thrust in an environment where the main activity is the absorption of knowledge, you’re in as great a place as you can ever be to facilitate acquiring new abilities.
Learning a language, after all, is more than gaining fluency in a new set of grammar and vocabulary. For a good part, it is a way to gain insight into a new culture, allowing you to gain an appreciation for a group of people different than what you’ve been used to. Beyond training you in a new medium of communication, it helps expand your understanding of the world around you.
For some students, language credits are even required to graduate, opening up a great opportunity to train on a language that serves you immediately in the short term. More than completing course requirements, though, language learning offers something different for students who may be surprised to find its innumerable benefits.
Studies have shown, for instance, that students well-versed in at least two languages continually outperform monolinguals in many areas of testing, including SATs and other institutionalized aptitude evaluations. Additionally, with little actual work experience to judge you from when you enter the job market, adeptness in a second language is guaranteed to stand out among your marketable skills.
If you’re a student and are interested in learning a new language, you won’t have a better opportunity than today. Whether you enroll in a course or use a software to learn language, the rewards will definitely be worth it.
