Flightster

Langauge hacks for when you get back

• by Jools Stone
• on October 21st, 2010
• 10 Comments

Who hasn’t come back from an overseas trip licking their wounds from a humiliating language beating vowing to swot up better next time and feel less of a hopeless tourist?  Jessalyn Pinneo’s recent post on language frustrations in Italy brought back some memories for me with a wry smile of recognition about a situation that’s all too familiar.

I’m half Italian and to my shame still have braely the most basic grasp of the language. I always make an effort to speak it when I go, but more often than not my faltering attempts are quickly returned with a volley of perfect English and a pitying smile.

No matter how well you think you’re doing with learning a new language back home, a trip abroad will soon put you in your place and have you cursing your lacklustre lingo.  At a certain point in the cycle learning can feel like a chore and its easy to get so disheartened you give up entirely. So what changes can you make to the way you learn a language?

Informal conversation groups

Formal classes and textbooks  are always useful of course, but often groups are too big to get much conversation practice in.

This is where less formal conversation classes come in. I’m lucky as in Edinburgh there’s a company called Yakety Yak Language Cafe which holds regular sessions at different times of the week various levels where you can simply focus on conversation practice.

Groups lead by native speakers meet in pleasant cafes and restaurants, so you can sip a cup of cappuccino while you parli Italiano or knock back a Becks as you sprechen Deutsch.  Being outside of a classroom setting definitely helps to relax you and the flexible timetable means you can fit it in around a busy life without worrying about missing a class on a set day and time.

It’s worth investigating if there’s something similar in your city, and if not you could always look into setting one up yourself.

Poetry & Post It notes

You’ve probably seen those sets of Magnetic Poetry that you find in gift shops. Did you know that there are versions in  a number of the main European languages? It’s not hard to track them down on ebay.  Get yourself a pack, stick them up on your fridge and play around with forming your own sentences.

Make an effort to swap them around every few days otherwise you may find yourself tuning them out. Or you could make your own using post-it notes dotted in different places about the house. Experiment a bit and find what works for you.

Audio podcasts and CDs

These days there are so many language podcast services to choose from.  Many are delivered in bitesize chunks of 5 to 10 minutes. Perfect for when you’re having a shower, doing the washing up or walking to work.

The better ones will probably offer a certain number of basic lessons for free. Have a browse on itunes and just make sure listen to a  few to gauge if you like the style of their lessons before you commit yourself fully. You want to avoid any barriers such as off putting overly perky presenters who irritate you or those who don’t speak clearly enough.

If internet access is a problem where you are then it’s worth checking out the library, as most will have extensive sets of language tapes and CDs to loan for weeks at a time. Also look out for giveaway CDs with daily newspapers, especially around New Year.

One on one skill swaps

Most English speaking countries have a high number of  expats and travellers who are keen to improve their English. On sites like gumtree and craigslist you can often find people happy to meet up and engage in a free language exchange.

They help you with their language and you help them hone yours. (The likelihood is that you will need more help than they do.)  Not only do you benefit from one to one tuition but it could be a fun way to make new friends and learn more about the culture of their country. Of course, you should take reasonable care to check them out before you meet, especially if you’re a woman meeting a man.

Watching films and reading newspapers

The more of a sensory bombardment you expose yourself to the faster your progress is likely to be. Watching foreign films regularly is one way to improve your familiarity for very little mental effort.

I always find it much easier to read a foreign language than hear or speak it, so going to your local library and having a browse through a  newspaper or magazine (the more visual clues the better)  in your language of choice can be a more relaxing way of giving yourself a quick refresher.

Talk to yourself

Who says you need other people to practice speaking a language? When you’re alone the house you probably find yourself chattering away to yourself about whatever mundane things you’re doing or thoughts you’re having (I know I do.)  Make the most of these moments by doing a little running commentary in the language you’re learning. Just don’t do it too loud or out in the street!

Jools Stone

Jools Stone's blog, He Thought of Trains, chronicles the highs - and occasional lows - of traveling by train in an age of budget flights.