Learning a new language - how to get started

You want to learn German? Welcome to an exciting adventure.
 
Learning a new language is not just a matter of memorizing vocabulary and grammar. A good learning strategy and regular routine can greatly accelerate and improve your learning experience. Not every strategy is right for everyone. So, try out what best suits your learning style.

​​Before you jump into your first lesson, it is a good idea to think about how to organize your learning materials. The easiest way to do this is to start a binder or create a folder on your computer where you can collect all notes, worksheets, and handouts related to a lesson. Then you can easily refer to and review your materials whenever you have to because they’re all in one place. ​

Keeping a language learning journal might be a good idea as well. After each class or lesson, reflect on what you have learned and write down your thoughts about it. Here are possible questions you can answer for yourself: 

• ​What was new?
• What did I already know?
• Which mistakes do I make again and again? What is the reason?
• What questions do I still have about the things I learned?
• Which learning strategies do I use and do they work?
• How can I integrate what I have learned into daily life?

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One way to build your vocabulary is to group new words by topic, e.g. Essen und Trinken (food and drink), Familie (family), Meine Wohnung (my apartment), etc. and create a mindmap. ​A mind map is a diagram with which you can present knowledge and ideas in an organized way. There is one main concept in the center, around which you then arrange your knowledge in the form of keywords, pictures or illustrations. You can create a mindmap on paper or digitally on a PC, tablet or smartphone.

When you learn a new language, you learn new words and new grammar concepts. A useful strategy is to look for patterns within these new grammatical structures and create your own tables, charts, or diagrams to represent these new  patterns in a way that makes sense to you.  

Apply what you have learned immediately. There are many ways to integrate what you have learned into your everyday life: Write your shopping list in German, name the furniture in your house or the groceries in your fridge, write the names of items on sticky notes and label the furniture in your house, write your text messages in German, write a diary in German and describe in simple short sentences what you did the day before. It is not important to be perfect, but to integrate what you have learned into your daily life right away and use it.

And don't forget speaking. The best way to learn to speak a new language is to speak it. Practice those new and unfamiliar sounds and speaking patterns every day. At first, it might seem strange to hear yourself speak in a different language, but the more you do it, the faster you will get used to it. If you don't have anyone to speak to, talk to yourself. Here are some tips:

• Read a text from your textbook and record it with your cellphone. Then listen to it. How is your pronunciation? Are you satisfied? Is there anything you would like to do better? 
• Narrate your day, record yourself on your cell phone and describe what you are doing: Es ist sechs Uhr morgens und ich stehe gerade auf. Es ist acht Uhr und ich esse Frühstück. Zum Frühstück esse ich ... 
• Have conversations with yourself: One day record questions with your cellphone, and the next day answer those questions. 

Remember, it is not about perfection, but about establishing a new routine. Try different things, find out what works for you and what doesn't. Speak German a lot and have fun with it. 

Viel Spaß