Learn to Speak a New Language: Twenty Fun Activities
One of my favorite topics in teaching and learning languages is fun. You have to have fun to learn to speak a new language. It’s absolutely critical.
I can’t think of very many topics where you can do so many things you enjoy. You get to learn to speak a new language while you’re doing things that you love. It would be difficult to find any other subject where you can do things that you enjoy and learn new languages at the same time.
While it is vital to have fun, it is important to understand that humor is something that does not translate easily. You can be presented with something and know and understand every single word and phrase, yet have no idea why it is funny in the other language. Humor is often so entirely different because it is strongly driven by culture. One must have a deep understanding of the culture of the target language to understand in some cases why something is humorous.
Below are twenty activities that are fun and rewarding and can engage you in the target language and culture while you learn to speak a new language. As we are all unique creatures, with different tastes, lives and current circumstances, it is unlikely that you will find all of them useful to you at this time. The activities can all be adapted to fit into your life.
Sabbatical: Just because you did not study abroad when you were a student does not close the door on this experience for you. There are private language schools all over the world that offer conversation classes in increments as short as a week. You learn to speak a new language part of the day at the school and have the rest of the day to experience the country and people. They also help with accommodation as well and can set you up with a living situation that is right for you.
Travel: If the first idea is not realistic, maybe a shorter trip will help you leave. Work on your communication journals and cards to be ready to be your own guide, speaking the target language the entire time.
Community: Search for the target language in your community. This might be a neighbor, a store, a customer service employee, a restaurant, a church service or a group right outside your door. In my experience, people are often pleased that you are making an effort to speak their language. They will happily provide you with the type of input that you need to build your skills. It is a great way to get to know people and learn to speak a new language at the same time.
English Language Exchange: In the U.K., people teaching conversational English are not required to have university degrees, just a qualification that can be earned in as little as a month face-to-face or online. While many countries require the four-year degree to teach English there, getting a simple certificate can open doors to teach English abroad. Even without the qualification, you can offer your native English in exchange for your target language. I know of people from all walks of life who used this as a break from intense careers, a chance to travel abroad, or a way to change their Tuesday nights at home in front of the television into an active learning experience talking to someone online on the other side of the world.
Cooking: Learning about food is an essential element of learning a language. There are sites with recipes, completely in the target language, all over the place. Food Network has localized sites that offer recipes customized for different countries. Follow the recipes and cook. You will learn a lot of words and vocabulary, as well as learn about the food in the target culture.
Dinner Club: Do you have friends who are also learning the same new language? Do you have people to organize a language exchange? Organize pot-luck evenings where you are all sharing your target language and dishes, or divide the evening into the two (or more) target languages.
Money Jar: This can be done on your own or in a group. To do Money Jar on your own, reward yourself for your successful fluency practice sessions by placing money in a jar. It is great to see the money add up, helping to finance the previously mentioned activities.
Money Jar works nicely in groups as well. Anytime people revert to their native language, they put money in the jar. The money can be used to fund your group activities.
Word Games: Word games are so much fun, and a great way to learn languages. They can be done in groups, or be done alone. Scrabble can be played alone (you play against yourself, building words) or with a group. The same can be said for Boggle. Scattegories can be played in groups. You can also time yourself, brainstorming words in as many categories as possible if you do this on your own. Hangman is another fun one.
Shopping: The internet has made so many things possible. Shopping online at target language stores immerses you in new language, new ideas, new products and new experiences.
Facebook Groups: There are people all over the world on Facebook. Many of them want to learn languages. You can participate in language exchange, or simply read their feeds to get authentic input from the target language.
Date and/or Fall in Love: Love can be found in many places. Perhaps the right one for you is from another country. Even if that is not the case, it is always fun to meet new people. There are so many possibilities to talk to people you would never encounter in your day-to-day life now, thanks to the internet. There are traditional dating sites, as well as speed dating sites where you can chat with people from all over the world.
Hired Help: Make your life easier and learn a language at the same time. There are people that are available on an hourly basis to cook, clean, be a personal assistant, tutor, garden, teach exercise classes, or set up a computer for you. Hire them and communicate in the target language.
Night Class: Sign up for a night class in your target language. Regardless of the experience (it can vary), you will likely gain access to a group of people with the same goal that you can connect and share resources with.
Volunteer: The situations in which I have been able to use my language skills to help people have been some of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have been able to help parents and teachers communicate, help people get help in an emergency and help people who are lost find their way, to name a few. Much of this has been through having the language skills to be able to interpret between two languages, which takes some time to develop. However, helping is not limited to people who are fluent in more than one language. Everyone has special skills and qualities to offer others. Generosity, computer skills, cooking and accounting are just a few examples. Offer what you have to an organization with a mission aligned with your beliefs.
New Skills/Life Improvement: There are people all over sites like YouTube sharing their knowledge and skills. Want to lose some weight and learn Spanish? Check out Batuka. Want to learn to play the guitar and learn a new language at the same time? Listen to history lectures? There are countless tutorials and podcasts available online that can provide immersive experiences in a new language and teach new skills at the same time. The best part is that they can be repeated as often as necessary to provide deep comprehension of the language and content.
Spirituality and Religion: Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, there are activities online in many languages to support your beliefs, or teach you about the beliefs of others. Podcasts, literature and videos all provide input in the target language on this topic. Even if your leanings are more aligned with things like vision boards, there are apps to create your own in your target language.
Reading: As we discussed, deep reading is a great way to build skills in a language. Reading does not have to be content that you find difficult. You can read celebrity blogs, trashy magazines, cookbooks, comic books, user comments on blog posts or TV program listings, to mention a few. This can also mean rereading your favorites, or the classics, in the target language, if that is what you enjoy.
Audiobooks: This is great for advanced learners, and a great way to turn downtime into active learning. Listen to your favorites in the target language, or listen to new ones when your skills are more advanced.
Music Playlists: As you learn about the target language and culture, you will likely learn about its music. Create playlists to listen to while exercising or cleaning. The more often you listen to the songs, the more words you will understand.
Television and Film: Re-watch your favorites dubbed in the target language. Subtitle your shows that you watch in English in the target language. Watch movies and shows from the target language.
Looking for more ways to facilitate your language learning? Go here: http://reallifelanguage.com/reallifelanguageblog/2017/03/18/italki-language-classroom/