Sometimes learning a foreign language can be a lonely endeavor. This is especially true if you are not taking a class with other beginning language students. Maybe you are shy, or sometimes family and friends are just not interested in learning a new language or have other obligations to spend their time. This can often create frustrations for beginners who desperately want to learn the language they are studying.
Let's look at some options that are certainly on the table:
1. You can search for others who are just beginning that language and try to establish routine meetings or chats. In large cities, there could be many people just starting out learning a language and, like you, need someone to interact with using that language. What a better way than to meet up? There are internet sites that let you do just that: Meetup.com, livemocha.com, and Google Hangouts just to name a few. If you find someone local, see if they are up for meeting in a well lit public location -- maybe for coffee (café). You don't have to date the person, just talk with them using what you already know in the language you are learning and see where the conversation takes you! Local community colleges, universities, community centers, and libraries are also very good places to post announcements seeking people to meet up with and share your love of a new language.
2. Read stories out loud. Recently, scientists discovered that seeing and listening have much more to do with each other in terms of learning a language than ever thought! You can read the article here. Find easy stories, short stories, or children's stories in your new language and start reading them in a normal speaking voice. If you are self-conscious, I recommend doing this activity behind a locked door. The combination of seeing and hearing yourself speak each word on the page can improve your diction and rhythm of the language. In time, you will see that speaking the language is easier than it was before. In fact, I always recommend to brand new students to read everything out loud in the new language. You can always go back over the text to concentrate on the meanings of the words, but give it a shot at least once.
3. Like option number 1 above, seek out conversation groups for beginners in your new language. Most major cities will have them if it is a common enough language. Again, check out community colleges, coffee shops, libraries, post offices, community centers and universities to see if there are groups in your area for beginners. Each group may be different in what they do with their time together. There are a couple of groups in Phoenix that get together once a week or twice a month and do mock interviews with each other, come prepared to discuss short stories, poems or new articles written in that language. Some groups may get together just for coffee, dinner, or an outing, an event or activity ("movie night" is a common theme). There is a lot you can do in a group. You can feel less intimidated than if you are one on one with another person whose speaking ability might be a bit better than your own. In groups, you may find more than one in your same situation. Check them out. They are a great option.
4. Larger cities may have parks or central locations where native people who speak your new language hang out with family and friends. Do a walk through and walk up to people greeting them with a pleasant "hello!" and a bright smile. You'd be bit surprised to know they may welcome a small chat with you in their language.
5. The internet these days has improved by leaps and bounds since the early 2000's and even the 90's. Skype is an excellent option for those with a webcam and/or microphone to find chat rooms for beginners and start speaking your new language. Other sites may have similar webcam chat rooms that allow you to visit and see people from all across the world. Try to find a native speaker of your new language. They may welcome the help with their English in exchange for help with their language.
6. Find music you love in your new language. Music is a magical means to connect you to a new level with a language. Hearing, seeing the words, singing along with the artist, and jamming to the beat can really increase your motivation with the language, but help with diction, rhythm, and self-confidence in producing the language in normal conversations. The key here is to sing along with the music. That is the only way to improve your speaking that language. The more you can imitate the singer and how they sing the words, the more your own speech will improve.
The bottom line is it comes down to getting yourself out there and speaking your new language. Find opportunities in life to use your language skills that you have. Native speakers will be tickled that you are trying to communicate to them in their language and will often go out of their way to help you succeed. Even if that doesn't happen, you will have given it a try and helped yourself to more practice.
Every language learner must begin at the beginning. They may have advanced skills with their own native language, but their new language skills are still at the infancy stage. Don't get frustrated by that at all. Everyone has to be there at some point. This just happens to be your moment to be at the skill level you are at. The important thing to remember is that you will not remain at that level forever. If you work hard at it each day, you will improve. If you choose to give up, you will not improve. I say, if you're going to try learning a language, why not take the path of working hard at it and improving a little bit than giving up and wasting all of that time and effort. Once you're at the bottom, you can only go up, my friend!
¡Hasta luego!
~Keith
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