Strategies for Helping Students Learn a Foreign Language

Strategies for Helping Students Learn a Foreign Language:
"STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE"

The way in which students prepare for and approach course work will impact their success. Below are some suggestions to enhance the learning of a foreign language.

Review the course syllabus before or on the first day of class. Skim over textbook chapters to get a better understanding of the course material and the pace at which it will be covered. Lay out an initial study plan with consideration for extra review and practice time.

Talk with your instructor about the availability of self-paced learning opportunities through the use of guided self-instruction manuals, audiotapes available in a language lab, individualized tutoring, and computer assisted instruction to augment your learning.

Practice and rehearsal will be an important aspect of the learning process. To enhance memory and learning of vocabulary, make flash cards and practice learning new words on a daily basis. To increase your motivation to study, arrange to work at least once or twice a week with another classmate. Having a "study buddy" can make studying more enjoyable, give you the opportunity to practice communicating orally in the foreign language, and help you assess your learning progress. Developing and taking practice tests similar in format to the classroom tests will help you learn and review class material as well as enhance your test taking skills.

Talk with your instructor about the possibility of getting handouts that correspond with oral information presented in class so that you can see the spoken words and phrases through their written representation.

Ask your instructor for help in pointing out the patterns and redundancies of the foreign language by highlighting the relationship between more frequent root words to less familiar derivatives. Gaining an understanding about the ways in which the structure of the foreign language relates to the structure of your native language can also be helpful.

Use an audio tape to tape record classes. By reviewing the audio tape, you allow yourself additional exposure to the sounds and structure of the foreign language. Additionally, by reviewing the information presented in lecture, you can check your notes for accuracy and completeness.

There is some evidence that, for students who are at risk for having difficulty learning a foreign language, first taking a course in linguistics in their native language can better prepare them to learn a foreign language.

To stimulate your interest and excitement about learning a foreign language, seek out opportunities to immerse yourself in the foreign language and culture (e.g., rent a movie in the foreign language, talk with native speakers of the foreign language, and visit exhibits/festivals that celebrate the countries in which the people speak the foreign language.