Just as athletes do warm-ups before a game, those who are going into a language study session can also be served well by doing some primary exercises. While not necessary (as with athletes), it gets your juices flowing and starts you on the road to learning. When you warm up, you get yourself in the proper mindset, well before the actual lessons begin.
Whether you’re taking formal classroom courses or doing private lessons on a language software, these warm ups should serve you well.
1. Vocabulary warm-ups
Recite sentences and phrases that you have learned in the past to get you refreshed on past lessons. If today’s lesson will focus on a specific topic, such as using a language for business, try to apply the previous materials you’ve learned in business, such as imagining that you’re a crowd of peers and contemporaries in your field. Don’t be afraid to let your imagination run wild.
2. Grammar warm-ups
Think about the specific grammar lessons you’ve learned in the past. If possible, listen to songs and identify the grammar constructs they use in the lyrics. If you own a book in the language, you can lift sentences from it and then try rearranging it using the grammar structures you’ve already learned.
3. Visualization
Used by many athletes and successful individuals for mental preparedness, visualization can also help you in your language learning. Try creating an image in your mind’s eye of your success this session, learning new materials and using it effectively.