Things to Avoid While Studying a Language

In one of our previous blog posts, we talked about things you can do to learn a language more quickly. Here in this post, we are going to talk about the things you need to avoid while you are studying your chosen language. These points apply to your situation, regardless of the language you are studying.

Taking a Long Break

Try to avoid taking a long break when you are learning a new language. You would tend to forget the things you have already learned before your break. Also, you would need more effort in understanding the topics you have covered previously. You would in turn spend more time trying to review what you have already studied instead of moving forward to new topics. If you wish to take a break from studying, two to three days is a good length of time for this. Anything longer than that can hamper your learning process.

Doing Little or No Practice

Similar to other fields of study, learning a language consists of theory and practice. It is important to understand the rules in sentence construction and grammar of the language. However, if you do not practice what you have learned, it may take you a longer time to speak the language. In addition, there is a high possibility for you to forget the theoretical aspects of the language if you do not actually use them.

Find time to talk to your language teacher in your chosen language. You may also converse with yourself in the language when you are alone. You can also look for a person who speaks the language, make friends, and talk to him or her.

Having Negative Feelings While Studying

Once in a while, you may feel frustrated while studying a new language. Feelings such as this may come especially when you can not understand something you have been trying to learn for quite some time. Frequent mistakes can also cause disappointment and mental exhaustion.

You can nonetheless overcome these negative feelings. Talk to a confidant and express how you feel. Focus on the true reason why you are feeling those negative things. Take a step back from your studies and do something else for an hour or two. Afterwards, try to go back to your studies and maintain a positive outlook towards it.

Not Using a Book About the Language

If you rely solely on conversation, you might commit mistakes you would not be aware of. Reading at least one book about the language ensures that you know the basic and more complex rules involved in speaking the language. Textbooks also have exercises and additional pointers to help you develop your skills.