1. HAVE CLEAR GOALS CREATE A STUDY PLAN
You realize that you can’t learn German overnight. That is why it is important that you start off with a recapitulation of what German learning involves and break down the learning material into smaller, manageable bits. Make a list of topics that you need to work on and decide at which stage of the learning process you are going to deal with them. Make sure that you remain realistic and do not place high demands on yourself. Creating a study plan helps you keep your progress in check and manage your time better. Jotting down your reasons for learning German and taking a look at them once in a while ensures that you stay motivated.
2. WORK GERMAN LEARNING INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
There are days when you feel like learning German and go at it hammer and tongs for hours on end. But there are also days when you can’t bring yourself to open your German textbook and learn for even 15 minutes. It is always better to learn for a shorter period of time on a daily basis. Your German language skills will get better if you learn for one hour a day than ten hours once a week
3. KEEP DISTRACTIONS AT BAY
Life can get so busy, so it is no surprise that you find yourself distracted by a million things. You have just sat down to learn a little German,and your mobile phone starts ringing. Your best friend wants to know if you have time to go to the movies on Sunday. You have to make learning German your top priority for the next few months. Pick a time to learn German and stick to it.
4. ALWAYS LEARN GERMAN NOUNS WITH THE ARTICLES
The German language has a strange feature that English does not have. Every German noun has a grammatical gender. A German noun is either masculine, feminine or neutral. Unfortunately, there are not enough rules to identify the gender of a noun. You have to memorize the gender every time you learn a new noun. It is not good enough you know that the word for tree in German is Baum but don’t remember if the article it takes is der,die or das.It is also a good idea to learn the plural form of the nouns straightaway.
5. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GERMAN
Start by labelling things around the house in German. Be creative and add phrases that describe what a device does or is.Before you realise it,you will start memorizing those words as you walk around in your house.It is a great way to bring language learning into your home and make it an integral part of your life.
6. MNEMONICS IN GERMAN LEARNING
Mnemonics can prove to be a powerful tool for memorizing words in a foreign language. They help you remember information more easily. The idea here is to associate new information with something quite familiar. If you have already started learning German, you may remember the word “Hund “(dog) by associating it with an animal that hunts.
7. HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANT STUFF
Marking words and phrases in a reading text makes complete sense. You will be constantly reminded of what is important in the text,and it is more likely to stick in your memory. But you have got to try not to overdo it.
8. WATCH MOVIES AND SERIES IN GERMAN
Who does not enjoy watching Netflix ? Now you can integrate German language learning into your TV watching routine. Watch your favorite TV show or series in German. The subtitles can be set to your first language. This will help you pick up vocabulary without putting in any extra work. You are training your listening comprehension and pronunciation at the same time. You will also be getting a hang of the spoken form of the language.
9. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT MISTAKES
Making mistakes is part of language learning.Everyone,from total beginners to advanced learners to native speakers makes mistakes. What is most important is communication. By paying attention to your mistakes, you can learn from them and reduce the chances of making more. Think about an embarrassing mistake you made last time you were speaking German. Chances are you will never make that mistake again, because embarrassment is a powerful memory tool.
10. FIND OUT HOW YOU LEARN BEST
Each one of us has varying language learning skills and what works for one might not work for another.Some people learn better through translation. Many prefer enrolling in a course where there is a teacher and a textbook. Those who try with phrase books and CDs are not lower in number either. Develop your own method for learning German and stick to it
The author Arun Anand is a language coach and currently teaches German at Le Maple Academy in Trivandrum in Kerala,India. He can be contacted at [email protected]
