One of my resolutions for this year is to improve my Portuguese and Spanish. While I'm on very different levels with both of these languages, if I make any sort of improvement this year, I'll consider it an accomplishment.
As of right now, I understand Portuguese perfectly and can speak it back enough to get my point across, but I can't write in it at all—and my pronunciation isn't the best. When it comes to my Spanish, I took four years of classes in high school to write at the average level, but I have difficulty speaking, and occasionally, understanding it.
If you're like me and want to improve a language that you know bits and pieces about, good for you! If you want to start from scratch and pick up one this year, there's no better time to start than now. Seriously. You're not getting any younger, and it's always easier to learn another language when you're young.
1. Watch a television series.
You can decide whether to leave the captions on (and it would probably be better if they were off), but exposing yourself to hearing it more often can help your mind associate certain words with the translation you're familiar with, making it easier for you to understand later on.
2. Send a text message.
Or don't if you don't know anyone who can read the language you're pursuing. Instead, write a note to yourself. It's okay if you have to look up how to spell certain words. What matters is that you're getting used to the grammar rules and spelling.
3. Listen to a podcast.
Again, one of the easiest ways to learn a language is simply… to listen! Even if you only understand one word in the entire segment, that's something!
4. Read a book.
Or a magazine. Or an article. Read something! Keep your mind engaged.
5. Try your hand at a spoken conversation.
If you can find someone who speaks the language you're studying, take advantage of the situation, and use that time to practice. Even if you stumble or forget a word, you're practicing, and practice makes perfect.
6. Travel.
More specifically to a country that speaks that language. Immersion is the quickest way to grasp a new language, and you're exposing yourself to that culture on all fronts: you have to read, speak, write, and understand.
7. Push the embarrassment.
This is definitely difficult and possibly the biggest reason why I haven't perfected any of the languages I've studied besides English. I'm naturally a shy person, and if I screw up a word or falter at all, that shame makes me shrink back into myself. Try not to let that happen. Remind yourself that you'll someday get to a point where you won't stumble over your words.
Learning a new language does not have to be boring! You don't have to take a class or buy a dictionary. There are other alternatives, and they can be fun! Besides, knowing that you have another language under your belt on your resume or when facing the world around you is one of the greatest accomplishments.
