Learning a foreign language is great. You put time and effort into the ability to understand and appreciate the language of a culture and people who don’t speak your native tongue. Then, after a period of neglect, you realize that cool language you once knew a bit of has begun to retrograde.
Yep, die. Cue some dramatic tunes.
It’s a terrible feeling. But you wonder, "How, unlike all the houseplants and pets I have had in life, can I keep this language alive? How does one bring back from the brink of death, a language?" Well, whatever your reasons may be for resurrecting it--whether you’re going to a country where your dying foreign language is spoken, or maybe all the time you put into Spanish in high school shouldn’t go to waste--here are some ways you can Frankenstein your foreign language and help keep it alive.
1. First thing is first: finding your problem areas.
This will help you to strategize the revival of your foreign language. Are your verb tenses looking fly? Is your vocabulary lacking? Are you unable to understand a native speaker? Or can you not speak as fluidly as before? Once you have a plan of action figured, you're set to press the restart button.
2. Read in that language.
Reading books or magazines, or any other enjoyable format, is a great way to both help assess how much you’ve lost, and also a great way to help get it back.
3. Brushing up on some vocabulary.
When focusing
on vocabulary, try to learn or relearn useful words and phrases. Even learning some new words is a good way to get your mind thinking and processing. The
idea is to get you back on your linguistic feet, so don't bog yourself down with words only used in a very particular or random
setting like "irrigation" or "pine-cone." First try to get a handle on, "Where's the bathroom?"
4. Write in your foreign language.
Take what you know and process it into a story or a journal entry or whatever your heart desires to write. This way you are actively using your language. Here's a great article with tips on how and where to write. A bonus of doing this is, if you’re tired of the meticulous vocabulary and flashcards, writing allows some language liberty while simultaneously hitting refresh on your foreign tongue.
5. Make it fun.
Find music in your foreign language but make sure you’ll like to listen
to it. It’s an almost effortless yet easy way to listen to your language and get used to it being spoken again. But engage your mind with what you’re listening to by actually listening. Passive enjoyment of a song doesn't do the revival of your foreign language much good.
6. Sit back and watch some movies.
Everyone loves a good movie, why not put it in your foreign language? If listening to your foreign language for the first time in a while proves too difficult, you can always add English subtitles. Still too hard? Try going vice versa: english audio and foreign language subtitles. Just remember your strategy. Are you wanting to understand better your foreign language when it’s spoken? If so, keep the audio set to it.
7. Use it any chance you get.
Either with the person behind the counter taking your order or the stranger sitting next to you on the bus, be fearless. You are, after all, bringing a language back to life. That deserves a little exit from your comfort zone.
Doing bits of these tips every chance you get will help keep your foreign language fresh. These things are easy ways to keep your Spanish, Somali, English, or whatever foreign language you love, on mind and away from the deep dark recesses of your mind where languages and anniversary dates don’t return.
