10 Tips and Tricks to Learn any Language

[darkchild]

Here is what I found out about language learning and thought I should share:

1. Know what you are doing

2. Find a Partner

3. Talk to Yourself

4. Keep it Relevant

5.Have fun with it

6. Act like a Child

7. Leave your Comfort Zone

8. Listen

9. Watch People Talk

10. Dive In

Source: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/10-tips-from-an-expert

[Teira Eri]

Agreed! Acting Like a Child and Leaving your comfort zone are very important notes. Oftentimes, especially for young and mature adults, we tend to get wrapped up in our past experiences and cultural/societal norms of how we should learn a new language. We rely on methods used for mathematics and science, for example, and try to apply those learning principles to language. Which, while this isn't wrong, language isn't math. Language is something we attained as children through play, experimentation, and imitation. Language requires the use of senses and should be a less internalized study time than other subjects. I've found that I learn best when I'm free to be myself. 

Diving in is probably synonymous with Immersion here. Truly, going into a language headfirst is the only way to get rapid understanding. Immersion classes and courses or traveling to the native country are all ways to put yourself into a situation where you need to adapt. 

All in all, great list here. The only thing I'd like to add as a bonus number is Read Children's Books and Advance. 

[lingvo]

Pretty basic but good tips and tricks nonetheless. Diving in is something with its own risks, but is well worth it when is done properly. You could visit the country  of your target language learning and you will learn next to nothing if u don't get away from your comfort zone. An example is going to Japan hoping become fluent in japanese as fast as humanly possible but you realize that some people even doesn't need to learn japanese to have a comfortable life in there. My auntie married a japanese business man then She moved with him to Japan but her japanese is very poor and never bothered in learning Kanji.

 

[宇崎ちゃん]

The only thing I don't agree on is "act as a child".
I used to believe this was true but in the end, you're an adult.
Most things that work for children works for adults too, but some don't.

For example, children don't need to rely on flash cards to remember things whereas adults must.
This is because children grow up with the language surrounded, whereas adults usually need to take own initiative to surround themselves with the language.

And to me, Japanese is one of the easiest one in this aspect.
This is because I have my PC and phone (tablet = PC) languages set to Japanese, most of the video games I own are in Japanese, I have collected CoroCoro comics for a half year last year, etc.
For Spanish and Russian on the other hand, I will need to re-buy my games (European versions are OK for both), I will need to find sources to buy books (novels or comics) in Russian and Spanish, but anything else is just internet stuff (videos, music, Skype tutoring, news, etc.).

[takibari]

All these tips are essential in learning a language. Take #1 for example. You have got to know what you're doing. I doubt that you can be successful at your goal if you just attack at something randomly. You truly need to know what you are doing, and that includes knowing where you should start and what strategies work well with your learning style. Studying a language on your own might work, but it won't be as effective if you have a language partner. After all, language is dynamic and you need another person to communicate with in order for you to test and improve your language skill. As to number #6, to have a child-like curiosity and try things can do wonders to one's learning.

[petesede]

Acting Like a Child and Leaving your comfort zone 

I cannot agree more with these two.   Two of the biggest problems adults have when learning a new language is a fear of making mistakes and looking silly.   I sometimes criticize my fellow americans for causing this, because we really are the only culture ( that I know of ) that openly mocks people from other countries who misprounounce words and do it in a derogatory manner.  I think this makes us Americans more hesitant to try other languages, because we think ´they´ will laugh at us also.  Every time I hear a movie or tv show mock oriental people for messing up Rs and Ls, I can imagine there are many people who will never try to speak a foreign language.

I have spent a lot of time overseas, and I have never, in an  other place but the USA seen that type of mocking.