Top tips for learning a new language

In pre-COVID times, Alex Sanford travelled internationally for work, and always tried to learn some basics of the primary language for whatever country he visited.

The Canaan, N.S., man thought it would be a fun challenge to learn a language a little more deeply, and Spanish seemed like a good choice. It’s one of the most common languages, it’s used in several countries, it’s considered one of the easier languages to learn as a native English speaker and he also has some co-workers who speak Spanish, which may be helpful for practice down the road.

Although Sanford didn’t get to start learning Spanish while travelling, with more time during COVID, he took the newfound time to start digging into the language more deeply.

Now, Sanford spends time every day using the Duolingo app, completing two or three lessons and keeping up his over 150-day streak.

“I’m mostly learning just for fun at this point, and for a challenge,” says Sanford. “I would love to at least get the basics, but also build a foundation so that if I want to achieve more proficiency down the road I won’t be starting from scratch.”

Like Sanford, Kerri Leier, from Hantsport, N.S., takes 10 minutes every day to learn Gaelic. She, too, uses Duolingo, which she says is great for reading, responding and translating.

“I would eventually like to be fluent enough that, if I visited Southwest Ireland, I could speak it and respond to it,” she says. Plus, as a teacher, she knows she can’t teach in Ireland without it, so learning the language is something that’s been on her bucket list to learn for quite some time.

APPS OR TEACHERS?

Like Sanford and Leier, many people have been motivated to use their extra time during COVID to learn a new language, primarily by using apps to guide them.

Krista Bittenbender Royal, armed with a master’s in applied linguistics, has been teaching language learners in various contexts for almost 20 years.

Although she doesn’t use language apps herself, she has family members who do, and she thinks it’s a good free resource.

“I like that it tracks progress and gamifies the learning experience to make it fun,” says the Kentville, N.S., woman. “I don’t think this app is particularly useful for promoting natural production, but as a tool to learn new vocabulary, phrases and structures, it’s good.”

If you can pair the app with additional input, like audio or text, and have some interaction with someone else in the target language, that combination would be more effective than using the app alone, adds Bittenbender Royal.

In terms of additional apps or programs, Rocket languages (online) is available at many libraries for free. Babbel and Rosetta Stone are perennial favourites but are pricey, she adds. There are also many language videos available through YouTube.

Instead of using an app, Katie Keddy of Woodville, N.S., has been spending time with Spanish tutor Gabriela Lencina-Jaldo to learn Spanish, as many employees on their family farm are from Mexico. She would like to have some basic skills to converse with them.

“It’s a stark difference learning a new language as an adult compared to when I learned

French as a child in immersion,” says Keddy.

EASIER TO LEARN AS A CHILD?

When it comes to whether it is more difficult to learn a second language as an adult, Bittenbender Royal says the jury is still out when it comes to the research.

The Critical Period Hypothesis, developed in the 1960s, suggested that younger learners could pick up a new language easier, but there have been many subsequent studies that put that claim into question, she says.

Experience learning new things, being organized about learning and having good fluency in one’s first language are all assets for learning that adults have, explains Bittenbender Royal. Motivation and time are critical elements, too.

An adult who is a good selfdirected learner, has a strong motivation and dedicates the time can make huge gains, she adds.

The one area that seems to be most affected by age is pronunciation, but Bittenbender Royal encourages people to make comprehensibility the goal, not perfect pronunciation.

TOP TIPS FOR LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE

When beginning to learn a new language, Elizabeth Huether, a volunteer English language tutor based in Summerside with the Prince Edward Island Association of Newcomers to Canada, says to set realistic goals for your

learning. Know why you are learning a new language.

Determine if your goal is just for daily conversation or to write a proficiency test, says Xin Tong, who teaches Chinese in the Mount Pearl, N.L., area.

PRACTISE DAILY

Then, practise daily, or at least regularly or frequently, says Bittenbender Royal. Make a schedule based on your goal, adds Tong.

“Who can’t find 15 minutes a day? Consistency wins always,” says Suzanne Milner of Windsor, N.S., who is using Duolingo to learn Italian for dreams of future travel or as a means of conversing with international students she hosts.

USE SEVERAL TECHNIQUES

Read, listen and do productive tasks, too, says Bittenbender Royal. Write new words down in a vocabulary log — by hand is best for memory, she says — and say new words or phrases out loud.

“Just thinking isn’t the same as actually vocalizing the words and phrases,” she says.

Consider using your body to act out a word so the movement is associated with the word.

“These active strategies get us using different modalities that aren’t just receptive and help build stronger neural connections,” explains Bittenbender Royal.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF JUST ENOUGH

Choose activities that are

appropriate to your level, says Tong.

Beyond this, you need to know your level and aim to get input (reading, listening) that is just above it, adds Bittenbender Royal.

“You want to understand most of it, but not all. For words and phrases that are new, use context clues to guess and infer meaning. This kind of active learning is better for acquisition,” she says.

Be careful not to look up every unfamiliar word or answer without making an educated guess first, suggests Bittenbender Royal.

“You want your brain to be making connections. Just looking up a word doesn’t have as much impact.”

USE WHAT YOU LOVE

Learn a language through things you like to do, says Chunyan Zhu, who offers private Chinese language lessons to school-aged children in St. John’s, N.L.

If you love music, you may try to pick up some Chinese through listening to pop songs; if you love watching movies, you may try to pick up some language from watching some Chinese movies, she says.

FIND SOMEONE WITH WHOM TO PRACTISE

Make some friends who are native speakers and have conversations with them as often as possible, says Tong.

Learning by spending time immersed in a new language for short periods of time, such as in classes or in friendly conversation, is very helpful, adds Huether. Tutors and friends help us grow in feeling comfortable using the new language and will correct our mistakes with kindness.

Practising speaking a new language in a safe place is the way to increase your confidence in using it, she says.

Bittenbender Royal agrees, adding that finding another learner at a similar level or someone fluent in the language, or anywhere in between, is a big help. The goal is for you to actually use the language to talk about something or complete a task.

“Oral language development precedes everything else and while Duolingo and other apps will give some support there, nothing replaces a real situation and a partner that’s working at language, too,” says Laun Shoemaker, a Grade 4 French Immersion teacher Beachy Cove, N.L.

By speaking the language, you’ll get feedback, explains Bittenbender Royal.

“This doesn’t mean corrective feedback per se, but if someone looks confused, you may need to rethink what you’ve just said and try to say it another way,” she said.

If working with another learner, choose some activities or exercises to work through together. The negotiation of meaning that happens when interacting in the language is extremely helpful for learning. This interaction doesn’t have to be in-person — virtual works, too.

Overall, the goal is to find any excuse to use your new language skills and have fun, says Bittenbender Royal.

Try to be comfortable taking lots of linguistic risks. Too often, she says, people are too hesitant to use their new skills, which only holds them back.

“You will make mistakes, but that is part of the learning process,” she adds.

And, as Huether says, have patience with yourself while learning.

Gambarimasu!

ARIES

(March 21 to April 19)

Lots of possibilities begin to open up by midweek. Some seem more appealing than others. But wait for more facts to emerge later on before you consider which to choose.

TAURUS

(April 20 to May 20)

Bravo to the determined Bovine. While others might give up, you continue to search for answers. Expect your Taurean tenacity to begin paying off by week’s end.

GEMINI

(May 21 to June 20)

You might want to consider stepping back from the task at hand for a while. This could help you get a better perspective on what you’ve done and what still needs to be done.

CANCER

(June 21 to July 22)

Your keen Cancerian insight should help you determine whether a new offer is solid or just more fluff ‘n’ stuff. The clues are all there, waiting for you to find them.

LEO

(July 23 to Aug. 22)

Being ignored is difficult for any proud Leo or Leona. But pushing yourself back into the spotlight might be unwise. Instead, let things work themselves out at their own pace.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)

Trying to uncover a colleague’s secret under the pretext of showing concern is ill-advised. Control your curiosity in order to avoid raising resentment in the workplace.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)

Expect to hear good news about a loved one. Also, be prepared for some changes in several family relationships that could develop from this lucky turn of events.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)

Some surprises are expected to accompany a number of changes that will continue through part of next week. At least one could involve a romantic situation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)

You might be upset by some of your critics. But most of your associates continue to have faith in your ability to get the job done, and done well. CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)

A workplace goal that suddenly seems out of reach is no problem for the sure-footed Goat, who moves steadily forward despite any obstacles placed in his or her way.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

Uncertainty about who is right and who isn’t might keep you from making a clearcut decision. Wait until you know more about what you’re being asked to decide.

PISCES

(Feb. 19 to March 20)

Be careful to keep your emotions in check when dealing with a demanding personal situation. You need to set an example of strength for others to follow.

You have an extraordinary ability to rally people to do their best. You would be a treasure as a teacher.

BORN THIS WEEK