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Tips for studying
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Tips on Studying a Foreign Language
Though many students may feel they have a mental
block or even lack the aptitude foe learning foreign
languages, most can learn a second language IF they are
wiling to put in the necessary time. Here are some
practical suggestions for studying effectively, overcoming
anxiety, and learning the grammar and skills necessary
for success in college foreign languages classes.
1. STUDY EVERY DAY. A foreign language course is different
from any other course you take. Language learning is
cumulative: you cannot put it off until the weekend.
Study 1 or 2 hours for every class hour if you
want an A or B.
2. DISTRIBUTE YOUR STUDY TIME in 15-to-30 minute periods
throughout the day. Focus on a different task each time:
vocabulary now, grammar next, 10 minutes learning new
grammar…so you’ll at least have looked at it all.
Approximately 80% of your study time should be spent
in recitation or practice, including practice in the
language lab.
3. ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN CLASS WITHOUT FAIL—even
if you are not well prepared. Class time is your primary
opportunity for practice. Learn the grammar and vocabulary
outside of class in order to make the most of class time.
Spend a few minutes “warming up” before each class by
speaking or reading the language.
4. MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE IN THE CLASS. Get to know
your classmates so you will feel you are among friends.
Visit your instructor during office hours to get acquainted;
explain your goals and apprehensions about the course.
5. LEARN ENGLISH GRAMMAR IF YOU DON’T ALREADY KNOW IT. Grammar
is the skeleton of a language, its basic structure: you must
learn it. Review a simplified English grammar text. Compare new
grammatical structures in your foreign language to the English
equivalents.
6. PRACTICE FOR TESTS by doing what you will have to do on the
text. If the text will require you to write, then study by
writing—including spelling and accents. If you will be asked to
listen, then practice listening. Ask for practice questions; make
up your own test questions. Invent variations on patterns and
forms. Over-learn: stay beyond the point of recognition to mastery.
7. DEVELOP A GOOD ATTITUDE. Have a clear personal reason for taking
the class. Set personal goals for what you want to learn. Leave
perfectionism at the door; give yourself permission to make
mistakes and learn from them.
8. GET HELP IF YOU NEED IT. Talk with your teacher. Form study
groups among class members. Use tutoring services. Don’t wait!
READING and WRITING a foreign language are analytical skills. You may be
good at these if you are a logical person who attends to detail. Train
yourself through practice to notice and remember details such as accents
and gender agreement.
READING SKILLS TIPS:
First read the vocabulary list for the assignment. Next, read the
questions over the reading. Then read all the way through a new passage
two or three times, guessing at meaning from context. Avoid word-by-word
translation. Isolate new vocabulary and study it separately. DON’T write between the
lines! Make flash cards. Carry them with you and recite them several times
during the day at odd moments. Over-learn them until they are automatic.
Isolate new grammatical forms and study them separately. Write the pattern
on a flash card and memorize it. Write out and label a model sentence. When you
encounter the form while reading, pause and recite the pattern to recognize
the form.
WRITING SKILLS TIPS:
Pay attention to detail: notice accents, order of letters, etc. Compare
letter-by-letter different forms (singular, plural, gender, etc.). Write
out conjugations of verbs, declensions of pro-nouns, etc. and check your
endings. Memorize irregular verbs.
To master spelling, have a friend dictate 10 words to you. Write them
out and immediately have your friend spell them correctly aloud while you
look carefully and point at each letter. Repeat until you get all the words right.
Write (in your own simple foreign vocabulary words) a story you have just read.
LISTENING and SPEAKING are performance skills. You may do well at these if
you are naturally gregarious. Students in foreign language classes often
have difficulty hearing and speaking because they are anxious about making
mistakes. Give yourself permission to be spontaneous and to take risks.
LISTENING SKILLS TIPS:
Study out loud! Mimic the sounds of the language. Don’t mumble. Although
most people feel embarrassed making strange sounds, the language will soon
feel more familiar to you.
When called on in class, say something, even if it’s wrong: you’ll learn
from it. If you need a moment to think, repeat the questions. If you don’t
know the answer, say in your foreign language, “I don’t know” or “help!”
Practice with a foreign student who wants your help to learn English or with
another class member.
Written By:
Jo Ann Cope Powell, PhD.
UTLC 1972-2002
www.utexas.edu/students/utlc/lrnres/handouts
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