Use short-cuts to understand instantly what you read or hear

What you need is a quick way to understand what you read and hear in your second language. By that, I mean that you need a quick way, even a 'cheat's way', to understand that language. As instantaneous as you can make it.

You DON'T want to have to look up words in a dictionary. That slows you down too much, and you'll never get all the exposure that you need.

So here are some ideas:

• Already be familiar with the content (Alice in Wonderland)
• Have books in both languages side by side (Heinrich Schliemann)
• Read on screen with a pop-up translating application running (perapera, maybe)
• Have illustrative support (manga, anime, subtitles)
• Read the whole book over
• Read another book from the same series (Magic Tree House)
• Read another book by the same author (same style)
• Read the target language while listening to the story in English (experimental)

 

Dig and delve

Learning a language takes time, no question about it. And so it is going to take time to notice much improvement, unless . . .

 

Unless you cheat a little. Unless you help yourself out. 

So lend yourself a helping sleight-of-hand. Turn yourself into an instant expert. (Well, not ‘instant’ exactly. But certainly short-order.)

Here’s how to do it:

Reduce your target. Focus in on a subset of the whole, but not by dealing with limited vocabulary to do with ‘shopping’, or ‘visiting the doctor’. And not by focusing on a single grammar point (as in “today we’ll do the present perfect”).

What I mean is this: take one subject area, or biography (for nonfiction) or a well-known story (fiction) and get to know it inside-out.

Pick some famous story of which there are various versions for adults and children, and for which cartoons, movies and musicals have been produced. The more, the merrier. Collect ‘em.

Begin by getting to know it in your own language first. Then go over the easiest 2^nd language version. Then read, listen, watch, sing and dance along to each version. The content will remain familiar, but the grammar that is used in each case will vary subtly.

Try Heidi, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Dracula, Little House on the Prairie or whatever your fancy.