1. If you don’t know even the smallest bit of the language you want to learn, my advice is to sign up for a beginner course for 1 to 3 months. This way, you’ll be able to consolidate the basics of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation with the help of a specialist.

2. If this possibility doesn’t exist, look for someone willing to correctly explain the basics, eventually someone who has gone to a beginner course.

3. Discipline is the key of learning. Anyone can learn a new language. That’s why you need to do a serious research on your books and video/audio material or any other material that can help you learn by yourself. Don’t start buying 100 books and Cd’s. Only buy a few materials. You will need:
     -a good text book – with explanation of grammar and vocabulary;

     -a copy book attached to the text book;

     -audio resources for learning the correct pronunciation;

     -an exercise book which must have the correct answers at the end(use this after you have advanced from beginner);

     -discipline and motivation;

4. After you have purchased your materials, get to work. Be disciplined and take all the steps described in the book. Make a regular thing  out of learning the new words after each lesson.

5. Here are some advices for learning the words, the hardest process in learning a new language:

a)     Do not associate nouns with words from your mother’s tongue – the most common method – instead associate them with the objects they describe; imagine the object and attach the word to it, so the brain won’t have to analyse the words from both languages, but will associate the objects with the words faster and thus the process is easier;

b)     The same goes for verbs – but here you have to be careful with the way the language perceives certain terms; get used to the usual phrases;

c)     Write sentences with adverbs, particles and other word classes and memorize them in the sentences; this way it will be much more easier to learn them;

6. After a 6 month period or a year, sign up for one month to a course that will evaluate and help you correct what you have learned wrong.

7. Communicate as much as you can in the respective language. This will help you get more fluent.

8. If possible, watch movies and listen to news or music in the respective language and try to recognize the words you know.

9. Search for on-line resources to get an explanation of what you don’t understand.

10. Use a dictionary. 

These are some advices that are guaranteed to make learning a new language much easier.

Even if you do not speak a word of Norwegian, it only takes a few minutes to learn some basic phrases that will help you communicate. Natives will appreciate even the smallest attempts to speak their language.

 Steps  

1. Use the “hey” (pronounced chi) for good and “ha det” (ha-da) to say goodbye. For a very formal farewell, use “farvel.
2. Present yourself saying “Mitt navn” (meet na-ven), which means “My Name Is” and then say your name
3. To say please, use “vær to snill” (lime or snil) and “Takk” (TEAC) to thank.
4. Say “ja” (ia) for yes and “Mrs.” (NII) for no or just nod your head.
5. Say “hvur (vur) which means” where “- that if you are looking for something.
6. Use the “grime villa (villa i) for” I want “(for example when you are in a store).

 Tips  

• Bring your book with a basic knowledge of Norwegian. You can search for words that do not know and can show if you do not know how to pronounce.
• Be adventurous. The best way you learn is to enjoy the spirit of this country.
• Norwegians do not use very often the name.

 Warning  

• Be modest and reserved. Norwegians shake hands, so do not hug and kiss not unless you are very close.

• More articles like this, How To and Tips articles written with a lot of professionalism you can find them by clicking here.

First stop is Swansea University, the main education centre in the city. Swansea University runs many Welsh speaking courses, and information about these can be found by clicking here. There are lessons for absolute beginners, intermediate speakers and even advanced conversation classes if you just want to brush up, so don’t worry about how good your classmates will be – there is bound to be a course that’s just right for you! Usually there is a small sign-up charge, but there may be concessions available, so don’t forget to ask.

Classes are not just limited to the university – there are some that run from Gower College and smaller groups in different suburbs, so there’s probably one that’s very local to you.

If you’re not keen on the idea of classes, you could pick up a self-learning tool. Swansea Central Library has many books about different languages. They have some Welsh books and learning tools that you can use to pick up some of the language.

If you want to teach your children Welsh, there are Welsh-medium schools in the area. These can be so beneficial because usually the children are totally fluent by the time they leave, which is beneficial for their careers and everyday life.

Of course, you should have fun learning Welsh! So why not meet some Welsh-speaking friends? That way, you can socialise, have fun and learn Welsh all at the same time.

However you choose to learn Welsh, good luck! (Pob lwc!)

1#: Euro language – German is spoken in many of the smaller countries of Europe due to historical reasons. Although English is the main language that you are likely to have in common with people, many older people have a better grasp of German.

2#: Make new friends - Knowing any language will open up a whole new world of friends to make, and German is no exception. German-speaking people are generally very friendly and eager to help out.

3#: German music – There are many famous and wonderful German bands and singers for you to enjoy. One of the most famous is Rammstein, but if hard rock isn’t your cup of tea, there are many more such as Roger Cicero (jazz), Ich+Ich (pop) or Wise Guys (a capella) to enjoy.

4#: Business meister – German is a language of business. Many of the famous world brands such as Siemens and Volkswagen come from Germany. Knowing German well will open up business opportunities and allow you to command respect from businessmen, who although generally know English well, will feel more comfortable conversing in their mother tongue.

5#: Visit a wonderful Land – There are 3 countries in which German is the language of everyday life – Germany, Austria and Switzerland (where French is also spoken.) These are some of the most beautiful countries in the world and are best explored through the language of the locals.

If you’re searching for a language to learn, German could be the one for you!

But why should you learn French? Well, here are the top 5 reasons to learn, in no particular order.

1#: French cuisine – The French are very serious about their food, and many traditional French recipes are delicious. Forget frog’s legs and escargot – there is much more to French cooking than the stereotypical. Knowing French will open up a world of delicious food and drink.

2#: Make friends you wouldn’t otherwise - Although many French people will have a good standard of English, they generally much prefer to speak their native language. If you can engage with people in their mother tongue, they will be much more receptive to you.

3#: Explore France for real - Although any average Joe can go to Paris and speak English (much to many a Frenchman’s distaste) a whole new world opens up to you if you can speak la langue. Some more rural areas may have fewer English speakers, and if you can speak French, you can experience these quaint towns just like the natives would.

4#: It’s used as a measure of language skills by many – “No matter your other language achievement, you will be judged by your French” stated Barry Farber. Perhaps slight hyperbole, but it’s true that French is a very good second or third (or fourth?!) language to learn.

5#: It’s spoken in many countries - French is not just confined to France. It is an official language in 30 countries, and there are millions of native speakers worldwide, from the obvious France to as far-flung places as Togo.

What more could anyone ask for? If you’re searching for a language to learn, French could be the one for you!

However, there is much more to languages than just reading out of a textbook. Languages have many fun uses and here are just a few. These tips are aimed at native English speakers, but can be applied by anyone.

* You can make new friends. This is a big one. Contrary to what some foolish people would have you believe, not everyone in the world can speak English. And even those who do can sometimes not speak it well. So if you speak another language well, you have the chance to reach out and make friends with people you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get to know.

* You can find love (or please your lover.) Knowing another language widens your dating pool and you could find the person of your dreams. From experience, being in love with someone who speaks another language is immense fun, as you can use different and special terms from each language in your conversations with each other.

* You can keep your mind sharp. Learning languages has been shown to exercise the brain and can even prevent conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

* It’s a productive hobby to have and “studying languages” sounds a lot more interesting listed as one of your hobbies than “watching TV” or similar.

* It can look good on your CV. As long as you speak a language to a decent standard, it will look attractive to some employers if you can speak more than one language, especially if it’s a company with international business to attend to. In some countries, it’s almost essential to speak another language to find a job.

* You can enjoy TV, film and music from other cultures. Although these can be enjoyed without understanding everything or by using translations/subtitles, it’s hugely enjoyable to listen to something and fully understand it in its original form.

So whatever language you choose to learn, know that if you keep motivated and learning, it will bring you much enjoyment in return for your efforts.

This is the wicked circle. Always starting with the first unit, chapter 1, you never make progress. It is always better to go to higher levels instead of staying in the lowest one. Your friends who started few years ago will now be several levels above you and you won’t be motivated to go further, thinking you can never make it to where they are.

Reasons

Basically, there are two categories of these beginners: those who never finish a course and those who never continue. Those who never finish a course have plenty of excuses, but never a real reason. What usually happens is that they skip one or two lectures. They know they will be behind others and are too scared they’ve missed to much and are not willing to come back. They may think they will be humiliated not knowing the right answers.

The other group is less common and more complicated. Their reasons may be: bad teacher, sparing partner doesn’t want to continue, feeling that the language is too difficult or no genuine motivation at the start.

What to do?

1. It’s good to have a frined who would attend the course with you and won’t let you skip the lessons.
2. Have a goal. If you set yourself a goal (fluently speaking with the locals on your holiday, passing an exam, getting vetter job).
3. Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter that you miss some lectures and don’t always know the right answers. 
4. Enjoy the classes, make friends with the others in the class. It will motivate you to come back.

What do you do?

Image via Wikipedia

Instead of reading and memorizing rules, people shall watch movies, read books, talk to people, listen to music and write as much as they can.

Why are these activities so important and why are they more useful then learning vocabulary? Because if you learn vocabulary by heart without ever using it, and unless you have really exceptional memory, you will forget all the words sooner or later. However, if you go one step further and use every word in several sentences several times the word stay fixed in your head. It’s better to write the few sentences and read them once in a while (in public transport for example) but if you just repeat it in your head, it’s still very good.

• Watching movies - watching movies helps in several ways.
  
  • First – you get to understand some bits of the culture, you see the humour, the ambiance of the environment.
  • Second – you see the people speaking and you can read their lips to better understand.
  • Third – even if you don’t understand every word, you can figure out the whole meaning and don’t miss the whole point of the movie.
  • Four – if you watch a movie several times, you get to understand better and you can memorize some expressions or phrases.

• Reading books – replaces the grammar by showing good language style and structure.
  • At the start, you don’t have to read difficult books, there are usually simplified versions or multilingual books. (Warning: multilingual books entice to read the mother tongue version!)
  • You get wider vocabulary (Tip: write down only the words that appear more often, you find interesting or are essential for understanding the point of the article or book! Do not try to translate every single word because you will not concentrate on the book itself and will miss the whole point of it.)
  • Never read with a dictionary in your hand! It distracts you.

• Speaking – is the best way to practice what you have learned. 
  • Local people appreciate it if you make at least some effort. It does not matter you don’t say everything correctly. On the contrary, sometimes it sounds cute if you don’t pronounce perfectly. (But watch out, sometimes miss pronouncing changes the whole meaning of the phrase – you surely know the joke about Italian guy in Malta:-) ).
  • Sometimes, speaking common language sounds much better then formal “book” language. People don’t speak formal language in everyday lives.
  • Getting in touch with local people also allows you to understand the culture and make new friends.

• Listening to music – with simple texts, you can easily learn the vocabulary by humming the melody and you can explore new styles.

• Writing – helps practising what you have learned. 
  • The best way is to get a pen friend. There are some specialised web sites where you may meet people who wants to learn your language and whose language you want to learn as well. 
  • You can also start your blog and write your ideas in foreign language. It does not matter it’s not absolutely correct. The more you learn the better texts you will write and then you will be also able to correct what you have written before.

Good luck!

The world’s most spoken languages by number of native speakers(1) are Mandarin (about 873,000,000 speakers), English (508,350,000 speakers), Hindi (497,000,000 speakers),  Spanish (438,300,000 speaker) and Portuguese (335,500,000 speakers). There are also disputes that Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages.

On the other hand, English is clearly spoken as a second language by majority of the Earth’s population. Given the economic situation, most practical languages to learn (tip no. 1) are English, Mandarin, Hindi, Russian and Spanish. French is well recommended for cultural and diplomatic reasons and France is very well known for it’s Days of Francophonie.

Now when we know what to learn, we shall talk about when to learn it (tip no. 2). The best age to learn a language is early childhood. As a child learns to speak his mother tongue, he can easily learn any other language. When we grow older, we need more logic and learning becomes more difficult. It is said that learning a language before 30 years is easy, then it becomes hurdle. But still, people can learn to ski at the age of 60, so why shall we not start to learn a Portuguese at 42?

Of course, the way different age groups are though a languages is not the same. But one thing is usually common for all of them. It’s called motivation (tip no. 3). Learning new things is not easy, however when you set yourself a goal you will learn more easily. How would you feel if your girlfriend has to order pancakes every time you are in Paris? Going step by step, chapter by chapter, allows you to see your progress and as you advance, you are able to use the language in more situations.

Always have a reliable sparing partner (tip no. 4). You know how you feel when you have to go to a gym on your own. It’s almost the same with language course. You can help each other, support each other and always have a drink afterwards. There are things you can be looking forward to. But select well, you don’t want your friend to demotivate you but to motivate and support you.

How to start (tip no. 5)? There are basically two ways. The easy way and the hard way. Let’s start with the hard way, which means you go on your own to foreign country and you try to survive. The easier, more practical and more expensive, option is to sign up to a language course abroad, to stay there and absorb the culture. The slower and easier way is to attend a language school at your home country. Still, you shall choose a good teacher (native speaker is always recommended, classes at least twice a week as well; tip no. 6). Another way, which helps to understand the language and the culture is to go once a year to the foreign country for a couple of days and speak as much as you can.

What is the most important thing then? SPEAKING!!! (tip no. 7 – 10). Do not worry about the grammar, about the pronunciation or the vocabulary. Just try to communicate as much as you can. Talk to local people (native speakers), talk to other students, think in the language, chat, write, ask directions, listen to music, watch movies, taste typical dishes. This way, the language will get in all your senses under your skin. You will live it, you will enjoy it and you will learn it.

Remember: you are not studying the language, you are learning it. So don’t worry, people will understand and just speak, speak and sing

Source of numbers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_spoken_languages_of_the_world