There are so many ways to learn another language without spending money! From watching TV, reading books, and singing songs, to talking to yourself…, the paths of learning a new language are endless. But in this article, you will read about the top 6 best ways to learn a new language going solo!
Now if it’s not obvious, the best way to learn a new language is to be “in it”…, meaning to be around people who speak it all the time or, to live in a place where that language is spoken. However, I know that this can be and is a challenge for a lot of people, myself included…, and so these next few ways and tips are the best things you could do to learn a language by yourself without spending extra money.
[Disclaimer: some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that I earn a small commission if you choose to buy from my links. It won’t cost you anything extra, but I thank you for the support!)
Understand Letters and Sounds
First, you need to understand how the letters/symbols and sounds work. If you cannot read and understand how the words should sound, you will have a very hard time speaking and understanding others because you cannot recognize the words.
TIP: Learn the sounds of individual letters or symbols first and then learn how to pronounce them together as words. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT because in a lot of languages…, if you don’t pronounce the words right, it can mean very different things and you can end up in a very bad situation or say something you did not mean to say.
Learn the Lyrics
Find an artist or band that sings in the language you are trying to learn and learn the lyrics to be able to sing along. This helps you learn in so many ways: it helps you with vocabulary, with your listening skills, with pronunciation, and it can also help with speed and a steady flow when you are learning to speak.
In my case…, I wanted to learn the CNCO songs because I was “obsessed” with them and their music…. fangirl much? Below are some pictures of some famous singers who sing in Spanish, like Prince Royce and Karol G.
TIP: make sure it’s an artist you actually like so you will listen and have a consistent and constant interest in their songs.
Listen To Podcasts or Audiobooks
Podcasts and audiobooks can be great to work on your accent and comprehension of what people will say to you. It also helps a lot with vocabulary. And plus this is something you can do anywhere, much like with the music tip. I’ve included the links to these books so you can go listen to them to learn!
Read
Read books or magazines in the language you want to learn. This gets you familiar with the words and the grammar structure. It will also increase your vocabulary. Did you know that many Spanish words are similar to English? The big difference is in the pronunciation.
The Chronicles of Narnia Series in Spanish
The Lord of the Rings Series in English
TIP: If you already don’t like to read in your own language, you might get frustrated reading something you don’t understand. However, if you do like to read, just like with music, make sure its a book you will like. A good way to do this is to just get a book you have already read in your native language and get it in the language you are trying to learn.
Watch Movies
This is probably one of my favorite methods. Watching movies or shows train you to understand native speakers and improves general comprehension and speaking. And this is something that does not take much effort at all!
If you are first starting out… I would suggest choosing a movie or show you have already seen in your native language, so that you already know what is happening or what has been said, and you can follow along easier without subtitles. However, if the movie is not originally in that language it will be voiced over, so the accent will be very simplistic and the vocabulary used will be a little more formal.
Want to take it a step further and you really get a more native accent? Watch a movie or show that is originally made in that language. This is much better because when they speak they have stronger and more natural accents and they use slang. You will be able to communicate better with natives, and the flow of the way they speak is much more natural. The main reason you would want to watch something in its original language is to better understand natives and to speak better. When learning Spanish for example, telenovelas are a great option.
TIP: For the best results, watch without subtitles; because all you will do the whole time is read. The point of watching TV is to learn to listen and understand. If you want to read, read a book not subtitles. With the sound and body language you will get an overall understanding of what is going on without any words o the screen.
Learn the Vocabulary
The previous tips are probably the more likable ones because they involve doing things people already like to do, but eventually, you have to do the more “study-like” practice and learning. Learn some vocabulary that you use daily. This helps with getting familiar with words.. and helps you to be able to speak and understand because they are words you will easily remember… words you use every day. Here’s a book that will help you quickly increase your vocabulary, based on the fact that many Spanish words are similar to English: Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish.
Next, build a list of unconjugated verbs ( if conjugation is a part of your language). If your language has conjugations the endings of your verbs might change based on who is speaking, the tense, the mood, the number, the gender, or the aspect. Make sure the words on your list are not conjugated so you know at least what that verb means without complicating things too much. Get this book to add 501 Spanish Verbs to your vocabulary.
TIP: Start by building a list or making flashcards with nouns and pronouns ( I, she, he, them, book, banana, etc). Add your most used verbs. If you want you can use a Quizlet for that. On Quizlet, you can make flashcards and they have tests, study games, and quizzes you can do to learn.
Talk To Yourself
A really effective way to get fluent and for your words to flow better is to talk to yourself, yes talk to yourself. Talking to yourself helps you to put sentences and words together. It helps you to recognize words faster without looking at anything or having someone else tell you. It will also help you develop speed. It’s kind of like if you can teach it, you know it. If you can speak it to yourself (correctly), you can speak to others.
So as I said, there are so many ways to learn a language. But when I started my “Language Journey” I wanted to do so without spending any extra money for the sole sake of learning a new language. So those are my tips and ways to do so. I hope this helps anyone seeking amazing ways to learn a language they have a strong desire to learn.
¡NOS VEMOS!
