5 unconventional ways to learn a foreign language

Have you been trying to learn English for several years now, but you still get stuck at London from the Capital of Gret Britain? Stop making excuses for being "language-incapable": Scientists have long proven that there is no such thing. It's all to blame for the lack of motivation or the wrong approach to classes. Let's talk about the most effective and creative ways to learn a foreign language.

The standard system of teaching a foreign language includes cramming words and grammar rules. However, as we remember from school experience, in this case the educational process looks boring and meaningless.

“Our brain is designed in such a way that it remembers only important and interesting information. And when you learn separate words or grammatical rules taken out of context, the meaningfulness of the material is lost, and the operative memory does not “grasp” anything, new knowledge “slips” like through a sieve, ”explains clinical psychologist Alisa Galats .

Fortunately, modern methods of teaching a foreign language are increasingly moving away from this template, offering more and more unusual and varied ways to master a foreign language. Moreover, with their help, you may well learn the language on your own, or simply use these methods as an additional way to "pull up" the knowledge gained in the courses.

So, let's look at the most creative ways to learn a foreign language.

Sticker method

If you have just embarked on the path of mastering a foreign language, then the sticker method is perfect for you. It helps build basic vocabulary. Its essence lies in the fact that you stick stickers with foreign words on those objects in the apartment that they mean. For example, on a flower pot there will be an inscription “flower”, and on a table - “table”, and so on. Thus, each time you approach the refrigerator, you will see that it is a “fridge”, and in the end, “firmly” remember this. “This memorization method is similar in its mechanism to how young children acquire language. They hear that everyone around them calls a certain object a "spoon", and in the end they remember it, "the specialist notes.

Keeping a diary

Many foreign teachers believe that one of the most effective ways to learn a foreign language is to regularly write stories about your life at the level that you are now capable of. Of course, this method requires a certain base - both vocabulary and grammatical. At the same time, experts believe that diary entries help expand vocabulary, as well as develop spontaneity of speech, we often do not have enough office in a foreign language. “When we compose stories about our life, and not just read stories from a textbook, we include emotions, which are the best helper of working memory and motivation - the right words are immediately remembered, there is an interest in finding new words and expressions, etc. ", - the expert comments.

Foreign teachers recommend keeping such a diary every day or at least 3-4 times a week, creating short stories (half a page-page) on different topics from their life - vacation, mood, dreams, problems at work, etc.

Analysis of your favorite songs

Psychologists are sure that the most effective method of memorization is the use of several information channels at once (auditory, visual and verbal). However, just reading words and looking at pictures with their designations is rather boring. It is much more efficient to use your favorite songs. The bottom line is that you first listen to the song, then translate, and then sing out loud. Thus, you kill three birds with one stone: learn to perceive a foreign speech by ear, memorize fixed expressions, words, as well as articulation when pronouncing them. And of course, this method adds an emotional component - you must agree that if you, for example, are a fan of the song “Despasito”, you will be happy to translate it, simultaneously wondering how you sang “all these vulgarities” without embarrassment.

Immersion in context

Neuroscientists have done a lot of research into how the brain responds to different words. So, they found that one of the neurosynals, called N400, changes depending on whether words and their combinations have meaning. That being said, the N400 appeared to be relatively weak in terms of expected word combinations such as "coffee and cream". But as the non-standard combination (for example, "coffee and dung") grows, the neurosignal grows. It also turned out that this signal changes depending on the level of language proficiency. The better people understand the foreign language, the closer their N400 pattern is to the native speaker pattern.

The knowledge gained suggests that one of the most effective methods of language learning is immersion in context, which allows you to learn as many unusual words and combinations as possible.

There are many ways to do this. So, for example, it is helpful to install the language you are learning on your smartphone. It is also effective to regularly watch films, TV series in the original language - first with subtitles, and then without. You can also learn as many words and phrases as possible by listening to podcasts or simply talking to native speakers of the target language. Remember: the more you are immersed in the language environment, the more your brain assimilates the unfamiliar context, “embedding” it into its verbal template.

Mnemonics

This technique is based on research by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who observed that people remember words better when they can associate them with personal experience. That is why, to memorize words, it is useful to use a mnemonic memory technique based on coming up with associations to memorized words based on close sound. For example, the English word "tooth" is easy to remember by imagining a game card with a tooth drawn on it. In addition to expanding your vocabulary, this technique also greatly enhances your creativity.

As you can see, there are many interesting methods for learning a foreign language. Choose one or those that suit you - and improve your level.