Language Learning Tips For Studying Abroad

Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash

By Rebecca Isjwara

Planning to study in Germany? Join DAAD’s Webinar Series ‘Study in Germany‘ and get a chance to chat with representatives of 15 German higher education institutions live! For registration and details about this event, click here!

Ingin kuliah di Jerman? Ikuti Webinar "Study in Germany" dan dapatkan kesempatan untuk berbicara langsung dengan representatif dari 15 universitas dan institusi pendidikan Jerman! Untuk registrasi dan informasi lebih lanjut mengenai Webinar ini, klik di sini!

We’ve all been there: we say we want to pick up a foreign language to prepare for studying abroad, but easily navigate our way around our lives with our usual lingo and before you know it, six months have gone by. Now that we're only at the two-month mark of 2018, it’s probably about time you take a look back at your new year’s resolution and spot that “learn a new language” goal untouched and unscathed. We get it—using a language you’re not accustomed to is hard! How could learning it be easier? Here are 5 ways to get you started:

1. Set a goal

As is with every new skill or habit you are trying to embed into your life, it is important for you to set aside a goal that gives you a target to strive towards. For example, you might want to take a proficiency test in the targeted language in six months. Or you can opt for a more casual goal, such as aiming to watch a movie without subtitles in a year, or finish reading a children’s book in two months. Whatever it may be, starting with the end in mind is always a good first step.

2. Schedule time to learn

Now that you have a goal to work towards, you can reverse-engineer your study plans and work out how much time you have to learn the language. Serious learners might want to spend more than ten hours per week on acquiring the language, whilst a more casual learner would opt for 3-5 hours per week. It is important that you allot enough time to make it work around your schedule—it’s quite impossible to allot 20 hours a week when you’re trying to balance your part-time job and other current obligations. (Well, unless you sacrifice either sleep or your social life, and honestly, we recommend neither).

Also read: Scholarships to study in Germany and List of Universities in Germany

Baca juga: Daftar beasiswa untuk Kuliah ke Jerman dan Daftar universitas di Jerman

3. Sign up for a class

When starting off to pick up the language, it is easier to have someone teach and explain how the language structure works and also to guide you when learning how to pronounce and read each letter or syllable. Don’t have the time or the budget to sign up for a physical class? No worries, you can always turn to free courses provided online (such as those on Coursera or edX) and learn the same stretch. Want a simpler option? Duolingo has your back.

4. Watch a TV show or movie in that language

Watching a video is always the easiest way to accustom your ears to the new language. TV shows and movies are especially useful as the body language and visual cues can help you discern what is going on. The conversations that carry out throughout the show could also help you pick up common phrases such as “thank you” or “please”, and it is definitely easier to learn from watching people on TV rather than reading a literary or academic text on paper.

5. Get a language exchange buddy

Want to make friends and learn at the same time? This tip’s for you! Language exchange buddy schemes are common in a lot of areas, and they exist virtually, too! These schemes partner two friends with two different language expertises and different desired languages. For example, if you are fluent in Indonesian and you’d like to learn Dutch, you’d most likely be partnered up with someone who is fluent in Dutch and wishes to learn Indonesian.

Are you Indonesian students planning to study in Germany with LPDP Scholarship? Click here for information about LPDP Scholarship.

Apakah kamu mahasiswa Indonesia yang ingin kuliah di Jerman dengan beasiswa LPDP? Klik di sini untuk informasi mengenai program beasiswa LPDP.