By Krystian Aparta
They say that children learn languages the best.
But that doesn’t mean that adults should give up. We asked some of the
polyglots in TED’s Open Translation
Project to share their secrets to mastering a
foreign language. Their best
strategies distill into seven basic principles:
- Get
real. Decide on a simple, attainable goal to
start with so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. German translator Judith Matz suggests: “Pick up 50 words of a language
and start using them on people — and then slowly start picking up
grammar.”
- Make
language-learning a lifestyle change. Elisabeth
Buffard, who in her 27 years of
teaching English has always seen consistency as what separates the most
successful students from the rest. Find a language habit that you can
follow even when you’re tired, sick or madly in love.
- Play
house with the language. The
more you invite a foreign language into your daily life, the more your
brain will consider it something useful and worth caring about. “Use every
opportunity to get exposed to the new language,” says Russian translator Olga
Dmitrochenkova. Label every object in
your house in this language, read kids’ books written in it, watch
subtitled TED and TEDx talks, or live-narrate parts of your day to an
imaginary foreign friend.
- Let
technology help you out. Dmitrochenkova has a
great idea: “A funny thing like resetting the language on your phone can
help you learn new words right away,” she says. Ditto for changing the
language on your browser. Or you can seek out more structured learning
opportunities online. Dutch translator Els De Keyser recommendsDuolinguo for its gamified approach to grammar, and Anki for memorizing
vocabulary with its “intelligent” flashcards.
- Think
about language-learning as a gateway to new experiences. To Spanish translator Sebastián
Betti, learning a language has
always been about focusing on the experiences that the new language would
open up, from “visiting theme parks, attending air shows, enjoying cowboy
poetry and folk-rock festivals, to learning about photo-essay techniques.”
In other words, he thinks of fun things that he wanted to do anyway, and
makes them into a language-learning opportunity. Many of our translators
shared this advice. Italian and French translator Anna Minoli learned English by watching undubbed
versions of her favorite movies, while Croatian translator Ivan Stamenković suddenly realized he could speak English in
fifth grade, after years of watching the Cartoon Network without
subtitles. So the next time you need a vegan carrot cake recipe, find one
in the language you’re trying to learn.
- Make
new friends. Interacting in the new
language is key — it will teach you to intuitively express your thoughts,
instead of mentally translating each sentence before you say it. Find
native speakers near you. Or search for foreign penpals or set up a
language tandem online, where two volunteers help one another practice
their respective languages.
- Do not worry about making mistakes. One of the most common barriers to conversing in a new language is the fear of making mistakes. But native speakers are like doting parents: any attempt from you to communicate in their language is objective proof that you are a gifted genius. They’ll appreciate your effort and even help you. Nervous about holding a conversation with a peer? Try testing your language skills with someone a little younger. “I was stoked when I was chatting with an Italian toddler and realized we had the same level of Italian,” recalls German translator Judith Matz. And be patient. The more you speak, the closer you’ll get to the elusive ideal of “native-like fluency.” And to talking to people your own age.