Most people express the desire to learn a language but feel that they don't have the time. What they don't realize is that they can start learning a new language right away in their everyday actions with just a few tweaks in their routine!
Mobile Phones
A tool which most people use daily is their cell phone. Most smart phones today allow you to change the language setting. Simply change the setting to whatever language you want to learn, and a world of new vocabulary is literally at your fingertips!
Navigation
GPS systems are another great tool for language learning! By simply setting the language to something new, you create a little tutor who will teach you new words! This tool is great for pronouncation learning and practice. If you're worried about the possibility of getting lost, practice this tip on a routine route.
Movies and Television
Watching movies and TV shows in another language are a great way to learn not only new vocabulary and pronunciation, but intonation as well. Intonation is especially important when learning language as the pitch of words and sentences are associated with meaning. Each language has it's own pitch range, so it's important to become associated with the range of the language of your choice. Furthermore, since you are seeing the actions take place along with the words while watching movies and television shows, these forms of media tend to accelerate the language learning process.
Labels
Next time you are doing laundry or pouring yourself a bowl of cereal, take a moment to check out the different languages that the labels are written in. Note that languages will vary depending on what country you live in - for example, here in Canada, labels are always written in both English and French. Also, depending on the product you are looking at, there may be more than two languages on the label. Compare word for word, and you will have a great little translation dictionary right in front of you!
Music
Music is a great tool for language learning! Not only does it encompass new vocabulary and pronunciation, it also incorporates the popular sounds of a culture. Furthermore, depending what music you are listening to, you may be exposed to the slang and/or colloquial terms and phrases used in a certain culture. This is important to learn as it exposes you to the target language you are learning from a native speaker's point of view.
Speaking of music, don't forget to check out Viva la Dolce's Music Mondays, where new Italian music is discussed on the blog, along with translated lyrics, to help you in your language learning journey!
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