Learning a new language can seem like a very expensive and slow task for some people. So today my goal is to show that there are options that can make this process easier and more fun.
Introducing books, movies or series into the routine of learning a new language is an excellent strategy for those looking to be fluent. There are several resources that facilitate the teaching-learning process – among them is reading books or magazines and watching foreign films. Making use of these resources makes studying more dynamic, fun and even less tiring. However, the secret to making these strategies work and seeing progress is habit.
In the book Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent, shares the “five pillars of brain health”. A healthy brain contributes to faster and more efficient learning and the interesting thing is that the habit of reading appears more than once as a tip to support these five pillars. Sanjay recommends reading a book before going to bed to relax and get a good night's sleep and also a book that is outside of his professional interests to learn something new and strengthen his brain.
So why not do that with a book in the language you want to be fluent in?
Any foreign language student wants to achieve fluency; agility and naturalness in understanding and practicing speaking, listening, reading and writing in a new language. Reading is fundamental for children's development when they are learning to read and write. In learning a new language this is no different.
The benefits of reading are:
Expand vocabulary;
Serve as a reference for writing, as reading and writing skills go hand in hand;
Provide mastery of grammar;
Immersion in the language while reading, as reading is an activity that cannot be done at the same time as others (it can have background music but only instrumental).
The tip then is:
Talk to your teacher and ask for book recomendations according to your level. There are books written for different levels of understanding;
Make reading a habit. Read every day for 15 minutes, when you wake up or before bed for example, as Gupta says;
Don't give up if you don't understand some words. It is natural for this to happen in extensive reading in another language. If you can understand the context, continue reading;
If you don't know a certain word or expression, write it down and do a search; when it reappears at another point in the book, you will already know what it means.
Now you must be asking:
If reading is so important and provides so many benefits, why should I introduce foreign films into my study routine?
Movies and series are very rich strategies when it comes to stimulating the ear and learning about phonics. Languages, in general, are very complex when it comes to pronunciation. So, watching movies puts you in contact with real situations, thus improving your listening and speaking in this language.
Here are some benefits of watching movies in a foreign language:
Learning different ways of saying something or expressing yourself on a daily basis;
Learning exactly when to use a specific word and in what situation or context to use it;
Improve listening skills;
Hearing new terms or expressions (and understanding them in context) makes you learn to use them correctly in conversation and increases your vocabulary.
Glorick encourages you to make learning enjoyable, both in sessions with teachers and afterwards. Have fun watching movies, do series marathons and get into the habit of reading before bed. Above all, acquire habits that reinforce your contact with the language and make it part of your daily life.