Is it possible to learn a language on your own? How to learn a foreign language

The need to study foreign languages ​​does not cause any controversy. Knowledge of at least one foreign language is very necessary for every person to obtain an education, improve their career and self-development.

Scientists claim that speaking a foreign language stimulates brain activity and supports a person’s intellectual activity in the necessary tone. Until now, people still don't know how many languages ​​one person can learn. But at all times there were unique people who were able to study record number of foreign languages. For example, from one ancient legend you can find out that Buddha studied and spoke fluently 150 languages, another polyglot of past centuries, Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti, easily communicated in 60 languages ​​of the world.

How to easily learn a foreign language: Kato Lomb's rules

Famous Hungarian the writer has mastered in a short period of time 9 languages. At the same time, at school the girl was considered an incapable student. Quickly learn foreign languages ​​already in mature age Kato Lomb was helped by the following rules:

• necessary devote to studies studying a foreign language for a certain amount of time daily, exercises are especially effective in the morning;
• in no case not worth doing empty cramming, do not memorize words and phrases separately, which are perceived in isolation from the main text;
• try to memorize ready-made phrases, used only in special maximum quantity cases;
• translate everything you can, for example, texts on advertising stands, inscriptions on posters, excerpts of accidentally overheard conversations, constantly train your memory;
• never don't study re-reading uncorrected exercises, since when repeated, the text can be subconsciously remembered with all the errors;
• write out and try to remember in the first person singular ready-made phrases and expressions.

In order to communicate fluently in a foreign language, you must do some work on yourself and practice learning it. Even if a person is ready to learn every day, some languages ​​require studying for several years. Many begin to get upset that progress in learning a foreign language is quite small, so give up studying, as a result, achieving great results.

Television, radio and billboards are full of offers for learning all the languages ​​of the world, but rarely has anyone really thought about degree of effectiveness of methods of learning a foreign language, be it English or Chinese. Research conducted on this issue, showed that the most effective and easiest ways to learn a language are individual sessions “one-on-one” with the teacher.

A foreign language is a fortress that must be stormed from all sides at once.

How to easily learn a foreign language: effective methods

Can read newspapers in a foreign language, to listen to the radio, watch films who do not have dubbing, attend lectures in a foreign language and talk with human carriers language. You can start looking for a native speaker of a foreign language in the city in which you live. Feel free to speak, and in no case be afraid that you will pronounce words and phrases incorrectly. In any case, they will be able to understand you or ask you again. Get started play the game "I say what I see", its rules are that you will name the objects that surround you in a foreign language, you can also start learning songs in a foreign language.

Immersion method

This question worries a lot of people. The most radical way of learning a foreign language is currently popular "immersion" method, that is, a situation when you have reason to go to the country, where the language you need is the primary one. By doing this, you will be forced, around the clock, to speak the foreign language you need, and this will provide you with maximum perception, accumulation vocabulary. In such a situation you will even “start thinking” in the language, which you want to speak fluently.

Currently, there are organizations that provide opportunities to travel abroad for the purpose of learning a foreign language. If you have free time and enough financial resources, then you can take advantage of this great chance.

Method "School"

It is also a widespread and popular way of learning a foreign language. He is cooperative learning in groups, in them you will regularly and purposefully study effectively by completing certain homework assignments. The advantages of such training are that this method is publicly available, and its only drawback will be quite long training period.

Be sure to practice more often at home and at work, with friends, with like-minded colleagues.

A further step towards learning and improving your knowledge of a foreign language will be vocabulary expansion or constant speaking practice to strengthen the level already achieved.

To implement your far-reaching plans, you need to learn quickly foreign language ? What to do for this? You can find urgent courses for learning foreign languages ​​and enroll in them. But, one way or another, from you will require considerable independent effort if you really want to succeed at it.

Scientists all over the world try every day to look for miraculous ways that allow anyone to easily learn any foreign language. Unfortunately, universal unique method Bye that no one didn't invent.

Music method

Scientific progress does not stand still. For example, recently American researchers and music workers came to a stunning conclusion that opens the way to easy learning of a foreign language. The name of this miracle cure is music! This begs the question, how can music help you learn a foreign language? It turns out that it can, despite all doubts. Got ready group of scientists, studied all the nuances, conducted a number of experiments and came to a sensational conclusion, What exactly music- primary phenomenon and basis for the appearance of speech person. And if music is the basis of speech, then it is also the basis for easy learning of a foreign language.

American scientists explained it this way: meaning his new discovery. The existence of speech and language is considered as the main characteristic of human intelligence. And music in this case is perceived as something that developed from language. Initially music appeared, and then it was transformed into speech. So we can say with confidence that Speaking is a type of music. To support these conclusions, scientists cited reliable results from behavioral studies. They showed that:

• newborn children are first able to listen to how speech sounds, and only later begin to understand the full meaning of the speech addressed to them;
• newborn children have the opportunity to perceive speech addressed to them as a melody, namely, to distinguish individual sounds, their rhythm, pitch and timbre of speech;
• children early age(up to one year) have the same ability to focus on the emotionality and melody of the sound of speech.

Thus, following the data obtained, we can conclude that the main principle that shapes human capabilities and language learning abilities is ability to discriminate separate words or groups of words in a certain sound reproduction. According to the authoritative opinion of American scientists main reason most problems that do not allow It's easy for adults to learn a foreign language, is that they start concentrate attention on meaning and sense individual words, but in reality something completely different should be done. A foreign language and colloquial expressions must be perceived in the same way as small children perceive them. Namely, paying attention on rhythm, phonetics and components of language, itself the meaning of the words will come much Later. In other words, you need to let the rhythm and sound of the language into your heart.

You can easily experience this by listening to radio broadcasts in a foreign language. At first, a person’s consciousness begins to reject a foreign language, but over time the mind will be drawn into the rhythm and mood of the “language wave.”

It immediately becomes pleasant to feel and realize how you are soaring in a peculiar linguistic phonetic flow of speech.

As for easy way learning a foreign language through music, then American scientists recommend start the process using classical methods, that is listen to songs from the countries of the language being studied. Attentively listen, listening to the rhythm and phonetic pattern, sing, and then write down the words you hear. Finally, check the official originals. After a certain period of time, the differences between your and the official version of the text material will be minimal or disappear completely, and language proficiency level will become much higher.

Using this method in practice is quite simple. In fact, all you need is put on headphones, relax, sit in a comfortable chair and listen to pleasant rhythmic music. To her accompaniment announcers pronounce various words and phrases, expressions in a foreign language, you can repeat after them if desired. Expressions and words are divided into specific topics and groups, so you can easily go through the most different kinds situational communication and as a result, it is easy to learn a foreign language. The most basic thing is that after a few listens new words are remembered very well and come to mind automatically, to the tune of the music that accompanied them.

Always be sure that you will certainly achieve high results in learning a foreign language. It is also that you have extraordinary abilities for learning foreign languages ​​and strong willpower. We wish you a pleasant learning of a foreign language!

Which one is the best quick way learn a foreign language? Many people dream of going to another country and mastering the local language so that they can at least carry on a conversation. But we don't want to spend years on this. Is there a way to learn a language in a week or two, as online advertising promises? It's hard to believe, but in some cases it is possible.

Nothing stops you from learning the language

For a long time, American educators believed that some people had an aptitude for learning foreign languages, while others exhibited a kind of learning disability in the French classroom. However, as various pieces of evidence emerged, this hypothesis fell out of favor. In 2006, education researcher Richard Sparks wrote his famous article, “Is There a Foreign Language Disability?” After reviewing many studies of students who had problems learning foreign languages, he concluded that there was no convincing evidence that some students had an innate problem with learning languages ​​or, conversely, an innate ability for languages. Some have to put in more effort than others, but this is more likely to be due to study technique than to inability.

The good news is that almost anyone can learn a foreign language quickly, you just need to choose correct language and the correct study methodology.

Immersion method

If you need to learn a language quickly, the most established method is the immersion method, usually associated with Berlitz language schools. In the 1950s and 60s, followers of Maximilian Berlitz discovered that their students learned faster when they stopped using grammar books and simply started speaking the language on the very first day of the course. At Berlitz schools, students learn language through intensive immersion in situations that make sense. So, for example, you and your classmates can “sit down to lunch” and talk about it in Arabic. It's easier to learn if your teacher hands you plates and food while describing them. The idea is to pick out key phrases and words first, and then almost unconsciously pick up the grammar as you go.

Although it seems self-evident to us now, when the Berlitz schools first began to use this method, it seemed quite revolutionary. Today the majority language schools aimed at quickly learning a language, use one or another version of the immersion method.

Choose the right language

Tim Ferriss, master of all things made on a quick fix, on his blog 4 Hour Workweek work week") indicates that before attempting to master a language in a few weeks, you should analyze it and see how similar it is to your native language(s). The closer it is grammatically to your language, the faster you will learn it. For example, English speakers will find it more difficult to master Japanese or Mandarin Chinese than Spanish or German. And Finnish will be difficult for everyone to learn. (No, seriously, what the hell is with Finnish?)

So before you invest in immersion courses for... quick learning foreign language, make sure you choose a language that is not too radically different from the languages ​​you already speak. It's not that you're incapable of learning the others - it's just that most won't be able to master them within a few weeks.

Somewhat strange, but useful tips from a guy who speaks 50 languages

One of the most famous living specialists in the study of languages, Alexander Arguelles, is a linguist who has learned more than 50 languages ​​(some of them, however, already dead) - developed a couple of techniques that he shares on the Internet. You can get acquainted with the techniques on his website - he posts videos with instructions that can be watched for free, and many highly recommend them.

Here is his famous technique of “shadow mapping” - students listen to the language and at the same time repeat out loud and read from the book.

He describes it this way:

“The videos I made demonstrate and describe the application of my shadowing technique - listening and simultaneously repeating a recording in a foreign language, while working with a manual with texts in two languages... For the most effective shadowing, it is important to follow three rules:

1. Get outside as quickly as possible.

2. Stand perfectly straight.

3. Articulate carefully - loudly and clearly.

He's writing:

"To do this exercise correctly,

1. Read the sentence out loud.

2. Say each word out loud again as you write it.

3. Read the sentence out loud as you wrote it.

The goal of this exercise is to force yourself to slow down and start paying attention to details. This is the stage where you need to check everything you don't know in grammar books or dictionaries, although this was not easy to demonstrate on video."

So, if you want to learn a foreign language quickly, there are three things to keep in mind. First, you need to choose a language that you can objectively be able to master in a few weeks. Secondly, you need to immerse yourself in it either in language courses or in discussion clubs. And third, try a few tricks that involve you listening to foreign speech, reproducing it out loud and reading it at the same time.

The main thing that should not be forgotten is that nothing can stop you from studying new language. Your brain is ready. You just need to train it correctly.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Instructions

To successfully master any language, you must have strong motivation. Without it, as a rule, it is impossible to learn a language. It also plays a big role if you have to choose which one to use. this moment time. Therefore, always choose the one you need right now.

To learn it quickly, you need to once and for all get rid of the belief that a person cannot do it. Very often, it is precisely this incorrect attitude that negates all efforts to master it. If you constantly think that it is too difficult and impossible, then it will be so.

It is also important to choose a course of study that will be enjoyable and not very difficult. Focus on what type of memory you have developed best: written, visual, auditory or speech. The best option would be to use all types. You can learn a foreign language using the Internet, tutorials, courses or television programs.

Once you start studying, don't try to study for several hours a day. The desired result when mastering a language can only be achieved through regularity, and not through the amount of time spent. Even by repeating the studied material for 10 minutes a day, you will achieve more than with 2-hour classes 3 times a week.

In order to learn a foreign language, it is very important to immerse yourself in the culture of the country where it is spoken. Think about the images and associations that arise when you mention the foreign language you want to know. This will help you immediately remember all the structures on which the language is built, and which you have learned by this time. In the future, this will allow you to immediately adapt to communicate on it.

Having studied the main structures on which a foreign language is built, learn to add not just new words, but entire phrases to your speech. This is how young children learn their native language, trying to repeat not only the words they hear, but also entire phrases.

To quickly remember foreign words, get acquainted with the history of their origin. For example, the days of the week are not associated with the names of the gods. Saturday is the day of Saturn - Saturday, - the day of the sun - Sunday, Monday - the day of the moon - Monday, - the day of the goddess Freya - Friday, definite article“the” is a shortened form of the pronoun “this”, which is why it is used when the thing being spoken about is known, and the indefinite article “a” is a shortened form of the word “one”, and simply means one thing. Any language has its own stories associated with the emergence of words. The more you know like this interesting stories about a foreign language, the faster you get used to the rules for constructing phrases and unfamiliar words in it.

Watch movies in the language you are learning. Today, using the Internet and purchasing licensed discs, it is quite easy to find a foreign film in the original language. Choose films that you like and that you won’t get tired of watching several times. First watch the film in Russian, and only then in the original language, so that it is easier to understand and remember what they are saying. It is better not to watch films with subtitles, as they distract attention from speech, which prevents the desired learning effect from being achieved.

1. The first rule is to forget about how long and painfully you studied English at school and college. This, as a rule, negative experience can discourage you from learning foreign languages ​​for a long time, and also convince you that you do not have a predisposition for this.

2. Motivation. Maybe you want to sing songs in French, watch TV series in Spanish or read Paolo Coelho in the original. First of all, you should not only like the language, it should inspire you.

3. Get started. You don’t need to prepare for a long time, just start taking a small step every day - learn five new words, watch a tutorial. Don’t push yourself into limits and don’t set clear deadlines, because you won’t have to take tests or exams.

4. Start by studying words, do not overload yourself with grammar at first. Remember how children begin to talk: first they listen, then they begin to understand, that is, to associate a word with an object or action, then they begin to speak the first words, and only after that - to build a sentence. Do the same - first watch the video, listen to the recorded speech, do simple exercises to memorize words. When you acquire a significant vocabulary, then you can begin to build sentences and learn tenses.

5. Translate texts that interest you. The best ones are well-known songs, so you can memorize many words very quickly.

6. Many effective free training programs can be found on the Internet.

7. While you still cannot speak, correspond with native speakers. This way you can always use a translator or a dictionary to express your thoughts.

8. Once you can read and speak a little, look for opportunities to practice speaking. Even if in your city there is no conversation clubs, look for native speakers who live here and who need to learn Russian, post an ad on social networks that you are ready to give a free tour of the city for visiting foreigners. As a last resort, you can communicate via Skype.

9. Don't be afraid to speak with mistakes. Take people who speak English. They speak extremely simply, sometimes with mistakes, but very confidently, and everyone understands them. Language is a means of communication, so the main thing is to be understood. Do not use complex grammatical structures, simplify everything as much as possible. The mere fact that you speak Spanish, Portuguese or Japanese will be received with delight by residents of other countries.

10. Remember that there are no people who are completely incapable of learning languages, there are those who do not even try to learn them.

Video on the topic

It's no secret that knowledge of foreign languages ​​in our time is not a luxury, but a necessity. Thanks to your knowledge of languages, you can get better job, communicate freely with foreigners, etc. It is not at all necessary to spend a lot of money on tutors - all you need is desire, and you can learn the language on your own.

You will need

• 1. Books in a foreign language
• 2. Patience
• 3. Willpower

Instructions

Take your study seriously. Surely before this you have taken up learning a foreign language more than once, but abandoned it halfway, because... you didn't have much of a plan. Remember that your independent language lessons must be planned, high-quality and daily.

Do not practice your language on public transport or other similar places. You will be required to be creative and intellectual, which should not be done just anywhere. Let the place where you study the language be secluded, quiet, so that no one bothers you to immerse yourself in learning another language for at least an hour every day.

Make the most of your language learning process. Don't try to memorize the rules of large grammars right away. Better take it interesting book in a foreign language, and read at least 5 pages every day. When reading, you need to concentrate and focus on the text. It's difficult, but necessary.

When reading a book or article in a foreign language, you don’t need to look up each one in the dictionary. Misunderstanding of many words, special vocabulary, etc. can only frustrate you. Don't get hung up on the fact that you don't understand something. You see

Let's be honest with ourselves: it is impossible to learn a foreign language in a month using magic techniques or hypnosis. If this were so, society would consist of only polyglots. However, there are methods by which you can significantly speed up the process of mastering a foreign language. Let's look at some of them.

Audience effect

Some people prefer to work alone. For others, on the contrary, the presence of other people motivates and inspires them. Try a couple of experiments to see which category you fall into. For example, repeat foreign words out loud in the presence of a friend or lover.

If the presence of another person fills you with excitement and a spirit of competition, then you can think about finding a partner to learn the language. The second option is to enroll in group courses. If it is difficult for you to work in the presence of strangers, you can look for a private tutor, or focus on working alone.

Create a language environment

Introduce a foreign language into your daily life- use the acquired knowledge. As the famous polyglot Benny Lewis likes to say, “the air of other countries does not contain any special elements with the help of which a foreign language is learned more easily.” In addition, there are many expats who have lived abroad for many years, but are still unable to speak the language of the country.

To master a foreign language, it is not necessary to spend money on expensive study abroad - immersion in language environment You can also make it virtual.

If desired, it will become no less effective. After all modern technologies allow us to make a foreign language a part of our lives, just as it happens when traveling abroad. For example, you can listen to radio stations in the language you need, either through an application on your smartphone or online on your laptop or computer.

Using mnemonics

Work on expanding your vocabulary using mnemonics. For example, to remember a new word, come up with some ridiculous, funny story. Rote memorization can also be effective, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to remember the necessary word or grammatical structure at the right time.

Mnemonics are especially useful for memorizing short words when selecting images does not take much time.

For example, you can remember English word“pillar” (“pillar”) if you imagine how you stand with a saw in your hands and saw some kind of pillar. It is worth considering this point: participants in mnemonic competitions can memorize up to several hundred words in an hour, but at the same time they do not learn several foreign languages. The next day, the competition participant will hardly be able to remember at least fifty words.

Words must be transferred from passive to active vocabulary. To do this, they must not only be remembered, but also used in speech.

Systematics in classes

Practice systematically. One of the most famous polyglots, Heinrich Schliemann, knew more than 10 languages. Moreover, in order to master a new language, it took him about 6 weeks, after which he could already communicate freely with native speakers. It is possible that the reason for such a speed of mastering a foreign language was his natural talent. But we must not forget about his perseverance: as soon as Schliemann took up another language, he devoted all his free time to it.

Kato Lomb, a famous Hungarian translator and polyglot, studied foreign languages ​​by reading foreign literature. She tried to master grammatical structures on her own, checking the text with the rules from the textbook.

Lomb said:

“If someone wants to master a foreign language, and is not able to devote at least an hour and a half a day to it, then no method will be effective - the desired result will remain unattainable.”

Use the laws of memory

Optimize your memorization of new vocabulary. It is quite possible to learn about a hundred words in an hour, but after half a day you will remember a maximum of a third of this amount. To learn new words faster, you can download one of the special applications to your phone - for example, Anki.

Such applications are aimed at ensuring that the student spends as much time as possible learning words. If he stops cramming vocabulary for a month (two, three), then it is likely that the whole process will have to start all over again.

The laws of the forgetting process were discovered by the German scientist Ebbinghaus. He was able to establish experimentally that the rate of forgetting new units of information decreases after each repetition. Within an hour after the first attempt at memorization, a person forgets about 65% of the information.

But if you repeat the words again during the first sixty minutes, the rate of forgetting will decrease significantly. The next repetition can be done in a day. This method is called “spaced repetition”; It has been proven that it has a very beneficial effect on the learning process.