Elena Diehl
Gisela-Gymnasium, München/Germany (2000) on 2017-12-02

Hello Gaia, thank you for your advice! For me, thinking about how I can use my languages in real life is incredibly motivational. Like you, I also travel a lot, which practically forces me (in a good way) to practice. On top, I like to watch my favourite shows and listen to songs in the language I'm studying, which is very motivational, because it's fun and doesn't feel like hard work. In my opinion, it is important to remember that at times, studying a language will be hard, but you have to push yourself to become the best possible version of yourself. -Elena

Gaia Pagliuca
Liceo Sesto Properzio, Assisi/Italy (2001) on 2017-12-02

Elena, when I don't want to study, I try to empty my mind and I think to my future and how important what I study!! But the most thing that motives me is think that I chose my school, because I love langauge and travelling. I often travel with school or by myself, and it is very motivate!! You should think what you like and why you have to do it!! I hope to convince you! Gaia

Elena Diehl
Gisela-Gymnasium, München/Germany (2000) on 2017-11-27

Hello Gaia! Thank you for sharing your opinion with us! I agree with you. In school, I study English, French, Spanish. Especially when you speak lots of different languages, it is essential to find a method that is right for you. And if you haven't found the one that works for you yet keep searching. Trust me it's worth it! The key is to keep trying. Learning a language shouldn't feel like a chore. Frankly, it can be an incredible experience. But I think that the most crucial step is never to give up, even when times get hard. You can't grow if you don't challenge yourself. How do you motivate yourself when you don't want to study? -Elena

Gaia Pagliuca
Liceo Sesto Properzio, Assisi/Italy (2001) on 2017-11-25

Hello Madiha and Elena! I'm Gaia,an italian student from Liceo Sesto Properzio in Assisi. In my school I study English, French and German. From my experience I would like to give you some advice. I agree with you two. I think it's very important do things which Elena wrote, but studying three languages in the same time it's very difficult, because every single teacher has different ways to explain the lessons. My advice is to try, try and try until you will find your method to study! I hope I was able to convince you!! Gaia

Elena Diehl
Gisela-Gymnasium, München/Germany (2000) on 2017-11-21

Hello Madiha! I'm happy that you liked my article and tried my tips. I agree, talking to native speakers is always the best way to improve your language skills. In your case, it seems like there isn't anyone around who speaks German as well. But don't worry, I can help you! Depending on your language skills you can buy books about the German language. Unfortunately, I am not able to recommend a specific book to you, since my native language is German, and my learning process was very different from someone who is starting out. I can only recommend doing some research on books for studying and picking the one that fits you best. Despite all the other steps I listed in my article I can highly recommend recording yourself, listening to the recording and comparing it to native speakers. You can use bits of movies, youtube videos or radio shows; it doesn't matter. But always try to improve yourself and keep getting better. Keep up the good work Madiha! Elena Diehl

Madiha Bakshi
Gurugram Public School, Gurgaon/India (2002) on 2017-10-23

Elena I liked your tips given to learn a new foreign language. I tried some tips already but i think the best way to learn when you interact more often with the local people of that country. I am fond of learning new languages. Please let me know as to how I should proceed to learn German as no local person knowing German is availabe. Also give me some names of tbe elementary books on German language so that I could buy those. Madiha Bakshi

How to learn a new language
by Elena Diehl (2000) Gisela-Gymnasium, München/Germany on 2017-10-17

Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language but you just don’t know how to start and don’t want to spend lots of money on expensive language courses? Yes? Congratulations, you have come to the right place. In the following eight steps you will learn how to make your wish of mastering your dream language come true.

The first and most important step is choosing the language you want to speak. When teaching yourself a new language it is crucial that you actually want to study it. Ask yourself why you want to learn this certain language. If you don’t know why, you won’t be as focused and get frustrated faster, and eventually stop. If your reason isn’t big enough, your excuses will be. Make sure you like the language you will study, because you will be spending a lot of time with it.

Great! You chose the right language for you. Now it is time to find out how to get started and how you can get the best possible learning experience. This is a very unique process and depends entirely on the student. Find out what works best for you.

1.      1. Listen, listen, listen

When learning a new language it is necessary to listen to it constantly. But don’t worry; you don’t have to rely on boring audio exercises. Start by listening to music, watch movies with subtitles and watch YouTube videos. At first, this might seem a bit daunting, but you can only profit from it. By constantly hearing a language you will understand how sentences are formed, how to pronounce certain words and improve your listening abilities. By doing that you will learn the language subconsciously.

2.      2. Write it down

Whenever you hear a word or a sentence you don’t understand, write it down, translate it, and memorize it. You will soon notice your vocabulary expanding. Set yourself the goal of studying at least five new words every day. That way, you will learn at least 150 new words every month! Don’t forget to revise your vocabulary regularly.

3.      3. Don’t forget grammar

It is impossible to learn a language without studying grammar. Look up tenses, rules and irregular verbs online. Start off with the present tense, and afterwards work on the past and future tenses. You can practice your grammar skills by completing free tests and exercises online; don’t forget to correct your mistakes. If you get something wrong, concentrate on solving the problem. Keep on working!

4.      4. Speak as much as you can

Good! Now that you have mastered the basics of grammar and vocabulary, it is time to start speaking. Communication is key! In order to get the best results, try to practice your speaking abilities as often as possible. Start of small by describing your room, then yourself and try to practice conversations. By speaking a lot, you will get used to the language and feel more comfortable when speaking it. Also try to practice idioms and find out how people actually talk. If possible, have conversations with native speakers.

5.      5. Finding a learning partner

A challenge shared is a challenge halved! Find someone who is studying the same language as you. If you can’t find someone, an option would be searching online. The advantage of having a study buddy is that you can help and tutor each other. You will motivate each other and become better as a team. Set goals together and check up on your consistent learning process. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend on your journey.

6.      6. Expanding your vocabulary

Alright! You have successfully mastered the basics of your language. Now it’s time to further expand your vocabulary. Don’t stop learning! Keep writing down new words. If you truly want to expand your vocabulary, read books in the language you are studying. At first this will be hard, but you will get easier very soon. Start by reading books that you have already read in your native language. Keep up the good work!

7.      7. Apps

Don’t worry, you don’t have to figure out everything yourself! There are lots of great apps and online courses that can help you with your studies. My favourite ones are Babbel, Memrise and Duolingo. There are also apps for studying vocabulary. Find out what works best for you.

8.     8.  Staying consistent

Can you see the progress you’ve made? Great! The most important thing is to keep studying and improving yourself. Learning a new language can be very challenging. Keep working hard, it will be worth it. If it was easy, everybody would do it. You have the power to make your dreams come true. Don’t give up now. One day you will thank yourself.

I hope I was able to help you on your journey of learning a new language. If you have any questions feel free to ask me in the comments!

Elena Diehl