How to Activate Your Knowledge of a Foreign Language, Essay Example

Any foreign language learner is bound to face a question: now that I have mastered the grammar and fundamental vocabulary, what should I do to become an active speaker? I have been asking myself the same question after almost five years of learning German. I have come to develop methods of activating the knowledge of a foreign language which I am willing to share.

First of all, read what is interesting for you in the chosen language. Any textbook will offer you a standard set of topics usually ranging from clothes, problems of the young, and landmarks of Germany (in my case) to global environmental issues. Why not break the bounds and read what is interesting for you, be it political news, horoscopes, or theatre reviews? After all, you are learning the language to talk about yourself – be ready!

Second, keep a diary. To feel the language better, you have to start thinking in it. Try and translate your feelings – not only the words of your native language – in it. Keeping a daily record of your events and feelings in the chosen language can help you a lot. Apart from language acquisition benefits, you will enjoy the psychological comfort from committing your thoughts to paper.

Thirdly, do tests. If you enjoy occasional and unpretentious psychological tests, why not do them in the chosen language? It is universal truth that a person is mostly interested in oneself, and the results of the test formulated in the foreign language will stick in your mind providing it with essential language clichés.

Finally, watch, listen and speak! This recommendation does not sparkle with originality but is surely worthwhile. The more you immerse in the language, the better the results will be. Everything will be of help here: films, chats, songs, correspondence with native speakers etc.

And, of course, the main recipe is truly enjoying your learning process!