There's this common belief that in order to learn a foreign language, one must go to a place where the language is spoken and immerse themselves in the culture. Immersion is great since, in most cases, you're forced into learning that language for survival. On the other hand though, immersion does not always give the results that we want or expect. I've known people who barely gain any linguistic advancement after studying abroad because they spent all their time with other English speakers. Learning a new language requires commitment, and most off all, passion. If you aren't passionate about learning it, it's not going to stick and you're most likely not going to put yourself in situations where you are improving your new language skills. That being said, here are a few tips and tricks you can do in your native country in order to improve your fluency.
1. Music
One of the biggest language helpers for me is music. Find a song, pull up some lyrics and read along. Music does wonders for your listening skills because of the repetition. Repetition of choruses makes it easier to learn new vocabulary and memorize various phrases. Also, voices get distorted when people are singing and that distortion helps you get used to understanding those who don't speak the text-book pristine language that you're going for. The tempo can also help get you adjusted with those who speak at a faster rate. On top of that, if you're willing to sing along, you can improve your pronunciation and learn how to speak at faster speeds. A good place to start would be Frozen's "Let it go" since so many are familiar with it and Disney has translated the song into many different languages. Then you can work your way up to songs whose lyrics are a little harder to understand. I'd definitely save rap music for when you're more fluent though, because the lyrics move so fast and are constantly changing. Starting with an artist like Grand Corps Malade is only going to discourage you, so go with the easy pop songs, no matter how annoying they might seem.
As a side note, music is a little harder for tonal languages like Chinese, since the tones usually get cut off. On the other hand though, many lyric videos are written in traditional characters. So if you're learning the simplified and would like to gain an understanding on the traditional then these videos are definitely the way to go.
2. Television and Movies
Now there are two ways that you can go with this, either watch dubbed versions of movies and tv shows that you already know, or watch dramas that were made in that language. Both are good approaches and if you're just starting out then the dubbing is nice because you're already familiar with the storyline. On the other hand dubbing can look and sound incredibly weird. Lips don't line up quite right and if you're watching your favorite actor, you're just going to know that that's not their real voice. Also certain lines that sound amazing in English don't translate so well into other languages. Animation, however? Totally fine. I actually enjoy "Howl's Moving Castle" in French dub more than I do in the English or even the original Japanese versions.
Dramas that are native to that language may be lacking in the familiarity context, but I feel like you learn a lot more about the native speakers if you watch these instead. Dubbed American movies are still going to have American humor. Want to learn what's funny in Taiwan? Watch a Taiwanese drama. It's also interesting to see who's famous where and also examine the styles and clothing that the characters wear and see what habits and customs they carry.
Subtitles are a must when you're just starting out with this, and it's ok to use English subtitles at first. There's no fun in it if you have no idea what's going on. Just be careful not to focus to hard on the subtitles, especially if you're watching a dubbed film because it's so easy to forget that the foreign language is there. When you feel ready, shift to that language's subtitles so that you still understand when the speaking gets to fast or a particular character has an accent.
3. Books
I think, shockingly enough, books tend to be underrated when it comes to learning a language. Yes, people often follow their text books and assigned readings, but, for some reason, get intimidated when it comes to reading an actual book.
Reading a book in a foreign language doesn't have to be scary. Start with a children's picture book and look for words that you know and words that you don't know. Use a dictionary to fill in the gaps and work your way up. Picture books are great, because so much of the pictures illustrate the story line. Fairytales help too because so many of us are familiar with tales like "Cinderella" and "Hansel and Gretel" that they're easily found in other languages.
Books are pretty similar to movies whereas you can go with something known or unknown. Harry Potter is a great first chapter book read because of all of its translations. It would be noted though, that a lot can get lost in translation and I find that reading translations can sometimes feel a little bit unsatisfying. Reading books in their original language though is one of the best feelings, because you're getting the story directly from the author. So try for the originals. You'll learn a lot.
4. Language Parents
Now Chris Lonsdale has this great TED talk about learning languages* and what really, stuck out the most to me, was the idea of language parents. A language parent is someone who already speaks the language who you practice with. They listen to the way that you speak and correct you by repeating words and phrases that you said wrong in a correct way. There is no stopping of the conversation to say "Hey, you said this wrong," but rather a casual echo of what you just said. This is how babies learn from their parents and it works wonders for when you're working on your conversation skills. One anxiety that a lot of people have when speaking a foreign language for the first time is over making mistakes and sounding "stupid." By having a language parent who you're comfortable with that coxes you along and gives you subtle corrections, your confidence in the language will improve.
Language parents are one of the main reason why I believe immersion works so well. When you're in a country where a vast majority of the population speaks that language, it's easier to find, not just one, but multiple language parents. This exposes you to different dialects and slang, and also ensures that the conversation is kept fresh.
However, you can also find language parents in your home country as well. So reach out! Find someone who speaks the language that you're studying and befriend them! Get to know them in English first and then ask if they'd mind talking to you in the other language. Most likely they'll say yes and even be flattered by the fact that you'd like to learn from them. There are also websites like livemocha trying to bring people together, so if you can't find someone in you're community that speaks the language you're working on then look online. Video messaging applications like Skype have made the world a much smaller place so take advantage of it. Languages are meant to be learned so you can communicate with others.
So take advantage of you know and use it as an opportunity to make new friends. If you have someone who you can talk to, it will make it worth all the while.
