Did you find boredom when learning a new language? Many people think that memorizing a new language and their vocabulary lists can be frustrating and feel like a daunting task. It’s not their fault to think that way! Because when we are learning something new, we get so caught up in the concept of making progress that we forget that ‘fun’ is also the main part of progress. So fear not! Here I am to help you avoid getting bored and exhausted from your learning routine.
In this article, I am sharing some secret weapons that make learning more interesting and fun, no matter your age. Trust me, guys, it can be a fun and exciting journey, whether you are a curious kid or an adventurous adult.
Little Linguistics: Language Fun For Kids
Kids automatically learn different languages, don’t they? Surround them with language speakers and they’ll just pick it up easily. They are like sponges, soaking up everything around them. Here are some fun and engaging ways to help them learn languages.
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Sing Along
Music is a magical language that easily sticks in our minds, especially for kids. So why not use it as a language-learning tool? Find catchy songs in the new language your kids are learning and sing along with them. It helps them to learn new words and phrases while grooving to interactive songs. If there is some action or dance with music, it will be a plus point to improve pronunciation and turn language learning into a fun activity. I recommend you create a foreign music playlist for your kids on Spotify so that it will always be available anywhere and at any time.
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Get Creative With Interactive Games
Don’t feel like working when learning a new language. The more fun you have, the better you’ll remember what you learn. Make it fun by playing language-learning games like Scrabble, Pictionary, or crosswords. This will help your kids to learn faster by using vocabulary from the new language. These types of games are also available online so you can simply download them, choose the language your kids are learning, and have fun with them.
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Watch Cartoons And Anime
Watching kid’s movies or cartoons is another fun way to learn a new language. Watch dubbed cartoons or movies with subtitles on, easily available on Netflix and Hulu, because it will be fun and effective as you can hear the same words spoken in the language your kids are learning as you are reading on screen. This will not only improve their vocabulary but also their listening skills. You can even rewind them to watch or listen to the key lines you are learning repeatedly. They are specifically designed for kids so that they are easy enough to understand the language even if you are not yet aware of that language.
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Adventure Of Storytime
Reading stories with a twist that is in your target language is a fantastic way to improve your kid’s comprehension and reading skills. Opt for storybooks with engaging plots and playful illustrations or you can choose your child’s favorite comic book and read along with them. In this way, they can connect with the new words and concepts. Also, this will be a great way to pass the leisure time and stay motivated from reading books. As a parent, you can act out the scenes from the stories that can enhance the power of learning a new language while fueling their inner creativity.
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The World Around You
Learning a new language might seem lethargy at first. But what if you could turn your everyday household items into a giant learning adventure? Think of it as a language treasure hunt! Use colorful sticky notes and label everyday objects in your house. Isn’t it useful? Yeah! Every time your kids see the sticky notes it will act as a little reminder and automatically boost their memory. It is fun, interactive, and most importantly a very effective way to learn a new language, because the more you see and interact with the language the faster you’ll learn.
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Cooking Up Fun
Cooking is a creative way to practice a new language while having fun with your kids and enhancing their taste buds. Use it as a learning tool! Explore the country’s cuisine with your little one where the target language is spoken. Find easy recipes online or step-by-step culinary videos for kid-friendly dishes. Involve your kids in the preparation process and learn the names of the ingredients and verbs related to cooking in the new language. Repeat the words with them so that they memorize them quickly by heart and understand the culture behind the yummy cuisine.
Effective Language Learning Ways For Busy Grown-Ups
Do adults learn languages like children? As adults, we all know how busy we are in our daily routine. But hey! That doesn’t mean that we are unable to learn something new and creative. Adulting is no problem, guys. There are plenty of options for learning a new language. Here are some creative ways for adults to learn new languages.
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Pocket Power
There is enough time while brushing your teeth, waiting in line, or stuck in traffic to learn some new words or vocabulary from a new language. So what are you waiting for? Go get some stunning language learning apps that perfectly fit into your busy life. All you have to do is just invest in good learning apps like Duolingo and FluentU and download them to gamify the process. These apps have some addictive games, multimedia flashcards, and personalized quizzes that will blow your mind and enhance your language learning skills.
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Learn Through Podcasting
Podcasts are amazing because they can be available anytime and you can listen while exercising, doing chores, or commuting. So immerse yourself in the language with some educational and creative podcasts. These podcasts often include interviews with native speakers or invite two people to communicate in the language you are learning. In this way, it will become easy for you to converse in the target language naturally. There are many podcasts with different languages on various topics like culture, travel, or current news. You can find the topics you enjoy, then you will never get tired while learning a new language.
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Find Yourself A Language Buddy
Learning with a partner becomes more fun and motivating. You can find some local communities near you that focus on learning new languages. Many communities organize events where you can meet native speakers and make new friends while learning languages. If you don’t have any friends to communicate with in your target language, then find an online exchange partner, either while playing online games or joining an online community for language exchange. Apps like Tandem and Hello Talk provide you with native speakers to communicate with them via text, video calls, or voice chats.
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Do Creative/Content Writing
Get creative with writing! Writing is awesome for practicing language skills and discovering new words to add to your vocabulary. It is the most effective way to absorb information. But how about getting even more creative? You can write poems, short stories, or articles with pen and paper or write content online on various platforms. You can develop writing skills while using your imagination to express yourself in the new language. Learning something new and improving your writing skills is a fun way.
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Do Your Hobbies In Target Language
Try to do the stuff that you like the most in new languages. This might be a little bit advanced for you, but whatever hobbies you have in your native language, try to do them in another language. For example, if you love yoga or exercise and see yoga tutorials or exercise-related content on YouTube, look it up in your target language. If you love reading novels, pick a book in the language you are learning and start reading. It helps to improve your grammar and pronunciation. This will be the most natural way to connect with your goal in your everyday life.
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Try Laddering
Do you know what laddering is? Let me tell you about this interesting method! Laddering is when you use one language that you’ve already learned to learn another language. For example, if you are learning German then you might use it to learn another language. In this way, you will get to learn the similarities and differences between these languages. It will broaden your mind and enhance the power of your language skills to understand better. So it is cool to use learned language as a tool to learn something new.
Child vs Adult: Difference In Learning A New Language
Kids have unlimited potential and very limited capabilities. They like new sounds, so whenever they hear them, they can learn any native language. So the brain of the child is very flexible. The brains of adults develop knowledge based on input whether we are trying to anticipate good information or thinking something bad. Kids have no prior knowledge of anything; everything is new to them. So the brain of the child is a blank board, you can easily emboss anything you want on their brain. On the other hand, adults have prior knowledge but are not as flexible as kids.
The adults, when they see the stuff around, for example, a tree, a car, a house, or a sun, know what the objects are (at least in their native language) or the language they are learning without even consulting a grammar book. But the kids didn’t recognize the object until someone had told them. Adults know how to read because they have a rich vocabulary in their native language. They can download a podcast and listen to them while kids are not going to do that. The adults have various learning strategies that kids don’t have.
The Evolution Of Attitude
Research has claimed that children are very much attracted to new things. But the adults become more set in their way. In other ways, adults, when learning new languages, consider it undesirable, stupid, or inconvenient. Remember, when you consider a new language stupid, or you don’t like it or have a negative attitude towards it, then you’re not able to learn anything. Kids have no negative thoughts towards new things, which is why they learn faster than adults. They don’t worry “How will I learn this language?” It just happens, the language comes in. Practice makes perfect! Try to maintain a positive attitude toward learning by bringing in content of interest as much as possible, like from YouTube or other social platforms.
Language Learning Is Fun
Learning a new language is just like a rewarding adventure. With a little creativity and these fantastic tips, you can embark on the journey of language discovery and all the amazing experiences come with enthusiasm and joy. So what are you waiting for? Don’t you have a dream of walking through the Parisian streets and ordering a croissant in perfect French? Or want to impress your abuela (grandmother) with your amazing Spanish skills? So let’s start exploring the world and celebrate your progress even a little bit. Remember one word at a time!