Learning a foreign language is a time-consuming and, at the same time, fascinating process. To be as efficient as possible in this endeavor, you need to adhere to a particular strategy. Below is an article that gives tips on learning a language effectively and quickly. We’ve updated the material with new information and put together the best and most up-to-date methods for learning German. So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Set a Goal
Set a specific goal. It should be limited in time, and the expected result should be measurable and tangible. An example of an incorrectly set plan: one day to speak German for yourself and travel. An example of a correctly set goal is to pass the exam for a B2 language certificate in a year.
Translate all your social networks into German. Subscribe to a variety of German classes so that you willy-nilly encounter the language daily. At first, your brain will resist, but you’ll get hooked over time and don’t want to miss a funny meme or important news just because you didn’t understand a word. So you accustom yourself to the constant use of the dictionary and reading in German. Funny content is incredibly motivating, so you should pay attention to memes and webcomics. For example, try reading the Nichtlustig comic.
Have Fun!
Listen to German music and sing along with determination. So you will learn a lot of interesting words and phrases and improve your pronunciation. Try starting with AnnenMayKantereit, Wir sind Helden and Die Ärzte. If you use Spotify, it will quickly figure out what other German music to recommend to you.
Read articles in German. Many good publications on the net publish online everything in print if any. For example, Der Spiegel, Spektrum, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Vice.de and so on. With the help of articles, you will expand your vocabulary, meet new grammatical constructions and learn the news of science, politics, culture, and other fields from a German point of view.
From the first days of learning German, attend language clubs. These can be online or offline meetings. Naturally, you will be scared and embarrassed at first, but the advantage of such arrangements is that all club members speak Russian anyway. Your task is to get out of your comfort zone and start trying to say. Make mistakes, confuse and forget words; ask again! It is fine. Everyone starts with this, so get started too!
Watch movies and series in the original. The Germans are slowly but surely taking over Netflix: over the past couple of years, several series have been released at once that the whole world watches – How to sell drugs online (fast), Dark, Babylon Berlin. And on Amazon.de, in general, all the content is in German. Attention! Do not get carried away with subtitles, and certainly do not watch with subtitles in Russian. So you will only read, and listening comprehension, alas, will not develop.
Practice More
Practice your language all the time. You don’t have to tinker with grammar every day. Instead, watch TV series or YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, cook German recipes, work out with German fitness bloggers, or read German tweets.
Chat with native speakers. If you have the opportunity, you need to go to courses in Germany itself. Such training lasts, as a rule, about two months and is conducted by a teacher who is a native speaker. During this time, you will completely immerse yourself in the language environment and move much further than if you studied at home, without contact with the country and language.
Use your smartphone and various Internet resources. We have collected the best apps, websites, and YouTube channels to help you learn the language as effectively as possible, right here.
To Wrap It Up
And our main advice – in any case, do not give up! Learning a language always happens in quantum leaps, and sometimes it can feel like you put in so much effort, but nothing worked out. It, of course, is a delusion. It’s just that the brain needs a little more time to process the information, get used to it and start using it actively. Everything will work out. Just don’t stop!
