8 Ways to Improve Your Foreign Language Skills in a Short Amount of Time
If the intended Foreign Language is not your native tongue, you may be required to take a competency test as part of your application to study abroad. These assessments may appear simple, but learning to write and speak in a new language in a sophisticated and eloquent manner is not easy. You’ll need to put in a lot of consistent effort to learn a new language to succeed, but several quick fixes can help you improve your test performance on short notice.
Here are some easy techniques to boost your Foreign Language skills if the exam is only a few weeks away.
- Watch films in a foreign language
While watching Netflix series won’t necessarily increase your debating abilities or formal register, it will help you better grasp the language, get acquainted with colloquial, conversational forms of Foreign Language, and indirectly develop a feel for it. You might also try to pick out words that sound informal and look them up in a dictionary. Of course, there are a plethora of documentaries available on the internet. Exposure to a foreign language for the duration of a film may assist you in actually thinking in that language.
2. Immerse yourself in news in a foreign language.
Make an effort to read a variety of foreign language publications, including broadsheets, magazines, and tabloids. This collection of news sources will not only keep you updated on current events but also help you build your vocabulary. Another benefit is that you better understanding of how words are spelled and how they are used in different contexts.
3. List useful vocabulary words.
Start compiling a collection of useful terms and phrases in your notebook or on your computer. Memorize every time you hear or see an unfamiliar word. Don’t just look for the term itself; look for synonyms and phrases where it’s utilized. After all, while you may know what words like “precedence” and “tantalizing” imply, do you know how to apply them correctly?
4. Have conversations in target Foreign Language.
You should also make good use of the foreign language and practice your speaking skills. If you’re lucky, you may be able to find native speakers who can help, but if not, try meeting someone who is also learning the same language, which is also your target language. Another option is to speak to yourself within the mirror or record yourself. It may be a little uncomfortable to hear your voice at first, but you may hear errors that you never knew existed.
5. Have Foreign-language chats.
As beneficial as listening and reading exercises are, you must also interact with the Foreign Language and improve your speaking skills. If you’re lucky, you’ll be friends with a few native speakers who can assist you, but if not, attempt to meet up with someone else who is studying the same foreign language as you. Another option is to write yourself down or chat with yourself in front of the mirror.
6. Practice, practice, and practice some more.
Let’s face it: academic words aren’t going to fall from the sky and into your head. Even if your Foreign Language skills are excellent, don’t become complacent and disregard difficult variables such as exam time pressure. Regardless of how much time you have left before your big day, you must practice. Try to come up with a term for the day and then use it as often as possible. Don’t waste time on incredibly precise words you’ll never use if you do this. Instead, concentrate on conversational Foreign Language, as this is more likely to be useful in the exam.
7. Curiosity does not necessarily lead to the death of the cat.
You should ask and answer a lot of questions if you want to improve quickly. Don’t just read sentences. Inquire as to why they are used in a particular way, if different constructions are conceivable, and don’t believe everything you learn on the internet. Of course, it’s easy to accept the first solution that comes up on Google, but if you show some inquiry, you’ll reap more benefits.
8. Remember to have fun while you’re learning.
If learning a foreign language is a chore, it will become tedious, and you will not perform as well. This is why it is so important to stay motivated and enjoy the process of learning a new language. Find ways to have fun while learning, such as playing word games with friends to improve your critical thinking skills.
Learning a new language is a lifelong activity and you can’t expect to start from scratch and write an academic paper in a week. However, if you start with a good foundation, you can quickly achieve great results if you put in the effort. Particularly for language tests, you should be well-versed in the types of questions that will be asked, the formats that will be used, and how to approach the various assignments. Rather than hastily attempting to catch up with everything at once, try to stay focused and enhance select aspects.
