Maybe you’re interested in learning a new language, but you don’t want to take the time to leave your home. Perhaps you can’t leave the home. Luckily, there are plenty of techniques you can adopt to learn a new language of your choosing. We have a few suggestions for those who want to take on the challenge.
Many brain benefits come from learning a new language, even in the comfort of your home. Keep reading to learn more about some of the best ways to become familiar with dialect, from starting at your skill level to labeling things around your home. It’s more than possible to understand something new from home.
Find A Helpful Program
Learning a new language might help an aging brain, so it’s critical to take advantage of all your resources. One of the best ways to learn a new language is to find a helpful program to assist. Whether an app or a video series, there are plenty of selections.
Here are a few of the most prominent programs on the market:
These offer an app and website form for easy access. You can use these anywhere at any time. The apps come with simple exercises, videos, and other informational training opportunities to help you make the most of your time. Plus, you get an instructor without dealing with a physical classroom experience.
Related: The Best Language Learning Apps
Start With Your Skill Level
When determining how to become fluent in a language, begin with your skill level. If you’re a beginner, don’t dive into advanced techniques before you have the foundational principles. If you’re advanced, there’s no need to waste time on beginner concepts.
For example, a beginner might want to focus on learning simple greetings or asking questions that might provide a foundational conversation with someone more fluent in the language.
Those with more experience might want to move on to learn more complicated dialects or master more complex statements. It’s your class – ensure you don’t overwhelm yourself with education too far or below your means.
Understand How Native Speakers Talk
There are many benefits to speaking a second language, from providing inhibitory control to managing complex tasks. One of the best ways to understand the language is to know how the natives talk – most won’t speak the same as a general learning platform instructs.
This task is one of the trickiest parts of learning a language. The words matter, but part of learning at home should also include listening to people who are fluent in the language.
YouTube and foreign films are excellent ways to listen to native speakers conversing in the language of your choice. As you watch and learn, practice the sounds to ensure you’re saying the words right. It’s tricky to be correct in all pronunciations without an instructor!
Review Learned Concepts
Although it might seem like a waste of time to review learned concepts, it’s critical to cement them in your brain. Always cover concepts, words, and phrases you’ve learned the next day to see if they’re in your brain or if you need to spend a little longer going over them.
Review looks different for everyone. It can help to write down words, definitions, and even accents you’re practicing. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine which tactics are best for reviewing for your bilingual benefit. Not everyone is the same, so no two review tactics will mirror each other.
Don’t Take On Too Much At Once
When working out how to learn a language on your own, it’s crucial not to take on too many things at once. It might be tempting to jump right into it and take on lesson after lesson without a break. However, if you overload your brain, you won’t retain anything. You’ll have to start over to make anything stick in your head.
The best thing you can do when learning a language at home is to slow down and take things one step at a time. Whether it’s fifteen minutes of a few vocabulary words or half an hour of focusing on sentence structure, taking things a few steps forward instead of barreling onward will make a huge difference.
Make Learning A Habit
There is evidence that learning a new language can slow cognitive aging, so make learning your new language a habit. Once it’s a habit, you’ll learn much faster and will gain access to the health benefits more than if you were to adopt the practice of inconsistently practicing words and phrases here and there.
As with anything, habits must be built a little bit at a time. You have tons of freedom when learning at home, but this can be constricting when attempting to keep yourself on track. Set reminders and leave notes around the home to remember. Set aside a specific time of day in a specific location to keep the practice fresh in your mind.
Set Up A Study Space
One of the best language learning strategies when educating yourself at home is to set up a specific study space. It’s much easier to switch your brain over to learning about a new language when it’s used to doing that one thing in a particular location in your home.
A study space doesn’t have to be a massive office dedicated to your studies. It could be something as simple as a corner of the couch, a spot outside, or a chair by your counter. Ensure nothing else is done in that place except for learning a new language to help your brain prepare itself better.
Use Subtitles To Your Advantage
A fail-proof way to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in it, and our modern world allows plenty of opportunities to do this, even if you don’t live in an area where tons of people speak the language you’re trying to learn. For example, you might consider taking advantage of subtitles to further your understanding.
There are two ways to use subtitles. First, you can watch a film in English and turn on the subtitles to see how the sentences translate. Second, you can watch a film in the language you’re learning and put on English subtitles to get a better idea of how native speakers pronounce certain things.
Add Labels On Household Items
It’s much easier to learn a new language if you’re faced with reminders every single day. Though it might be a pain, consider taking a label and adding one to every item in your home in the other language. Don’t remove them while using them – they will eventually search themselves into your brain.
Anything can be labeled, from the food to your shoes. However, you must read them aloud and review for these additions around the home to become beneficial.
Read In Another Language
Another option is to read in another language. This doesn’t mean you have to start with lengthy chapter books – you can begin with children’s books. Not only are these easier to read, but they also have images to help with the context and better translation of the words.
Reading is far different from speaking the language aloud. It forces you to think about the other words differently and forces unique deduction. Ultimately, it will help you better understand how the language functions. The more advanced you become, the higher level the books can be.
Connect With Other Learners
Although this might require you to go out of your home a little bit, connecting with other individuals learning your language from home can bring comfort and an opportunity to spur each other on and practice. It’s always helpful to surround yourself with the language, even if that means a group of beginner or intermediate speakers.
Connections with other learners will also help you achieve milestones via text messages and other platforms. Some apps like Duolingo allow you to compete with friends for healthy competition in learning a new language.
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Try Ordering and Shopping In the Language
Finally, consider ordering and shopping in another language. This tactic doesn’t mean you have to leave your home. If you have a store or restaurant that speaks the language in your town, consider calling and ordering over the phone.
If you get comfortable, you might even consider heading out of the house to try ordering or shopping in another language in person. The home is an excellent place to lay the foundation.
Final Thoughts on Learning a Language At Home
No matter your age, learning another language at home can bring plenty of cognitive benefits. Techniques like using subtitles on your television and reading in another language make it possible to learn the foundations of another language, even without paying for a class and physically going to another location.
The biggest factor in learning a new language is persistence. Although it might feel impossible at first, keep at it and slowly take on what feels comfortable. The more patient and persistent you are, the better you will become in time.
Are you trying to learn a language to prepare for a vacation or living abroad? Take a look at our Best (and Worst) Destinations for Senior Travel for some tips on where to travel in your later years!
