What's it like learning English as a second language.
Learning English is one of the most important skills you can learn on your life. My parents knew this, my teachers knew this. I was fortunate enough and I was enrolled in an English medium school. When I was a child, there was an interview.
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The principal asked me questions in English, but I wouldn't reply. I still remember vividly that my mother gave me a stern look and tapped me on my head. But I wouldn't budge. My lips were sealed. The principal allowed me and my mother to have a private conversation, and in broken English I spoke to my principal.
Fast forward a few years, I think in English, I write in English and I speak in English. My grasp on my mother tongue gets weaker and weaker. Now I become self conscious about my mother tongue.
By now I've stopped watching and TV series in Hindi, and continue watching TV series like friends, and how I met your mother. But still there's this tingling irritation in the back of my head about my mother tongue.
English has given me the opportunity to connect with a number of people from different nationalities, and I'm extremely grateful for that.
But for those of you who are bilingual , spend some time on your mother tongue too. It will give you both cognitive benefits and spiritual benefits. It's been said that when you start speaking in a different language your personality changes, how awesome is that?
How to learn a second language.
1. Learn the most common words.
I've started a series on Steemit called...
In that I mention the most common words in my language and how to speak it. Start small but be consistent
2. Speak it.
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This is a no brainer. But just do it. Find a partner and create a conversation. If you're talking to someone who is well versed with the language, you will learn a lot in a short amount of time.
3. Use various apps!
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There are a number of apps, but my favorite is Duolingo. It breaks the language into various sections!
4. Talk to yourself in the second language.
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Personally this is what I've been doing, for quite a while. It's second nature to think in English ( for me) but to think in another language, that requires a bit of work. If you stay doing this the results will come fast and the effect will last longer.
5. Test yourself.
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You need to be accountable for your efforts. You can either create various tasks yourself or use apps such a Duolingo.
6 Don't give up.
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Learning a second language is hard. But always be motivated and keep your eyes on the prize. Introspect and ask yourself that why do you want to learn the language. When you have a pre determined goal, nothing can stop you.
I hope you enjoyed my personal story and the guide on how to learn a second language. I personally can speak 3 languages, ( English, Marathi, and Hindi). It's very common in India to speak 3 languages. Hindi is the official language so people learn it.
So let me know, which language do you want to learn, how many languages do you speak, and whether linguistics have had an effect on your life!
Do Let me know your comments and suggestion in the comment section!
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