I have been learning foreign languages since I was 11 years old. Nearly 20 years later I don't think I'll stop; how can you stop learning a foreign or even your own language when new words are born nearly every day? Though I am no longer studying languages avidly at school or University, I am well aware that I still need to refresh my vocabulary and check I don't forget grammar. With two decades of language learning under my belt, I've learnt the hard and easy way what does and doesn't work and often it's the most unusual methods that are the most effective.
There is a saying in English "needs must"; when you need to do something for whatever reason, even if you thought you couldn't, you push through and overcome these fears when you absolutely have to. I found this out when I got lost down some back streets of Madrid with no clue of where to go to find my hotel. At this point I'd never had a single Spanish lesson and had only picked up a few words from hearing other people talk. When I'd considered doing an evening class. Although I had little clue how to say "I'm lost" or "Can you please give me directions?" it would seem that looking foreign, panicked and clueless meant my position was already explained when I approached a stranger. All I then had to do was concentrate on pronouncing the hotel's street name in my best Spanish accent (remembering thank goodness that the V of Via is actually pronounced as a B) and I then focused on trying to understand the instructions I was given.
Then there was the night I learnt how wine could vastly improve your language skills. I was in Rome studying Italian with a group of other international students. United by one thing and one thing only, this foreign language we were learning, we nervously but bravely decided to go out to dinner one evening, all 20 of us.
Logistically it was a nightmare; we hadn't made a reservation and unsurprisingly very few restaurants had room for 20 hungry people from all corners of the globe speaking bad Italian. We paused in a bar for a drink near Piazza Navona, where I was grateful for a glass of delicious red wine to silence my rumbling stomach, if only briefly. One of our group then did a tour of the nearby restaurants and managed to find us a table in one close by. I swiftly swallowed the last of my wine, a little too swiftly perhaps. Ten minutes later I was sat in a busy restaurant with another glass of wine in my hand, and then another and another. As the wine flowed surprisingly so did my grasp of the Italian language. I didn't have to pause to search for words, I found a way around to say what I wanted if I couldn't think of the right word and I found listening to people easier and more natural. Sadly I don't think it was because red wine has magical language learning powers; it's more to do with the fact that the alcohol made me more relaxed and increased my confidence. These are two very useful personal qualities to have when learning another language. Of course, the following morning my success and newfound vocabulary was overshadowed by a terrible hangover so I decided from then onwards to try boost my confidence and feel more relaxed by more natural methods and to limit my red wine intake.
In terms of reading and listening to a foreign language and letting my ears and eyes adjust to a different looking and sounding series of words, I long ago made a conscious decision to read and listen to things I would enjoy; Italian Vogue, French hip-hop, German action movies, my favourite English novels in any of these languages. These were actually enjoyable ways to immerse myself in a foreign language without even realising it.
And finally I must disclose why even though I studied three languages at University equally in terms of time and effort, I had a considerably better knowledge and understanding of German. It's because I fell in love with a German guy, albeit briefly. Having an intense relationship with someone who speaks another language is one guaranteed way to improve your language skills very quickly. In no other scenario is the need and desire to communicate so strong, apart from maybe getting lost down a dark alleyway in Madrid!
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Fiona Kitchen is a homeschooling mother of two, interested in sustainable living and doing her bit to save our planet.
Her children enjoy learning five languages and she runs http://www.xilfee.eu for homestay host families and language schools worldwide enabling teachers of languages and students to meet in a safe environment.
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