Hi again! In the spirit of last week, I thought to look at another medium that is useful for learning languages. In fact, I can think of two friends (just off the top of my head) who became fluent in English this way!
There’s sound reason for it; television has both visual AND aural components – pictures and sounds together. This means that it’s possible to understand what’s happening even without knowing the language. As you see the same situations repeated and hear the same sounds used over and over, you are gradually able to piece it together and understand the language. Then, with perhaps just a bit of study or practice, you can speak it as well.
Let the fun begin
Depending on where you live and the language you want to learn, you have several options for putting this tip into practice. Perhaps an example is best.
When I want to watch TV in Norwegian, I don’t have to go any further than NRK Nett-TV. NRK is a major broadcaster in Norway, so they have lots of different programs I can check out. I either watch them or just listen to them while I do other things, depending on how deep I want to go. If I were actively studying Norwegian, I’d always watch, in order to make the most of the “input” (as exposure to a language is commonly called).
If you can find TV online in Norwegian, then it’s undoubtedly available for other languages. Here’s a site that will keep you busy for a while: http://www.worldlanguagestv.co.uk/languages/
You can easily find other resources simply by searching for “Foreign Language TV” – I used Google in this case.
As for frequency, I recommend watching something every day. As a rule, the more exposed you get to the language you want to learn, the better; remember that your goal with this technique is to remove your native language from the equation. Doing this helps you think in the language, essential for being able to express yourself naturally. I’m not saying to never use materials in your own language to learn another or anything – you have to be realistic – but you should minimize it as much as you can, and as soon as possible.
By the way, if you’re learning Norwegian and are America, you should check out Norsk Attraksjon on NRK Nett-TV – the episode is called Førpremiere. You’ll laugh
That’s all for this week.
Please give me some feedback on these tips! And include your thoughts and even your own tips in the comments. Remember, if you send me a tip, and I use it, you can also request that I include a link to wherever you want with whatever text you like (within reason, obviously).
Fun Language Learning Tip – Watch TV in Your Target Language
There’s sound reason for it; television has both visual AND aural components – pictures and sounds together. This means that it’s possible to understand what’s happening even without knowing the language. As you see the same situations repeated and hear the same sounds used over and over, you are gradually able to piece it together and understand the language. Then, with perhaps just a bit of study or practice, you can speak it as well.
Let the fun begin
Depending on where you live and the language you want to learn, you have several options for putting this tip into practice. Perhaps an example is best.
When I want to watch TV in Norwegian, I don’t have to go any further than NRK Nett-TV. NRK is a major broadcaster in Norway, so they have lots of different programs I can check out. I either watch them or just listen to them while I do other things, depending on how deep I want to go. If I were actively studying Norwegian, I’d always watch, in order to make the most of the “input” (as exposure to a language is commonly called).
If you can find TV online in Norwegian, then it’s undoubtedly available for other languages. Here’s a site that will keep you busy for a while: http://www.worldlanguagestv.co.uk/languages/
You can easily find other resources simply by searching for “Foreign Language TV” – I used Google in this case.
As for frequency, I recommend watching something every day. As a rule, the more exposed you get to the language you want to learn, the better; remember that your goal with this technique is to remove your native language from the equation. Doing this helps you think in the language, essential for being able to express yourself naturally. I’m not saying to never use materials in your own language to learn another or anything – you have to be realistic – but you should minimize it as much as you can, and as soon as possible.
By the way, if you’re learning Norwegian and are America, you should check out Norsk Attraksjon on NRK Nett-TV – the episode is called Førpremiere. You’ll laugh
That’s all for this week.
Please give me some feedback on these tips! And include your thoughts and even your own tips in the comments. Remember, if you send me a tip, and I use it, you can also request that I include a link to wherever you want with whatever text you like (within reason, obviously).