Write More to Master a Foreign Language

Learning a new language? Don’t kid yourself – becoming proficient at a new language is hard! It takes hours of communication with others to reach a level of fluency. However, unless you have someone in your household attempting to learn the same language at the same time, practicing can be a challenge. Instead, use these writing tips from Paper Mate® to help you master the challenge!

Use Flashcards

Long used and proven to produce results, flashcards help your mind associate words for quick retention. Skip kitchen utensils, family tree words, and zoo animals – you can learn those terms when you get more comfortable with the language. Instead, select the 100 most common words. Hand-write the foreign word on one side. This not only helps to get the cards completed but also to help build your familiarity with the foreign terms. On the reverse side, you can use Paper Mate Flair Pens to sketch out an image of the term or write its English equivalent.

Write Sentences

Once you gain a level of confidence with what you’ve studied on the flashcards, move on to writing basic sentences. Begin by stringing together words as they’d make sense in English. Build a list of 4-5 sentences and then work to structure them as they should be in the foreign tongue. Use different colour Paper Mate InkJoy Gel Pens to denote the different parts of speech. Now write and write and write. The repetition will build a level of certainty that will enable you to write other sentences. Make sure your sentences make sense – if they are out of order on paper, they’re going to be out of order when spoken!

Buy a Pocket Dictionary

Having a pocket dictionary on hand always helps when you’re in a tough spot. Clip a Paper Mate InkJoy Mini ST on your dictionary and make note of words that come up in conversations, on road signs or advertisements, or in menus. Revisit your notes when you return home and use the new words for an updated set of flashcards and sentences.

Watch and Listen

Foreign language television programming and newspapers are great ways to pick up new words. Use the newspaper in the same way as the dictionary. Note or underline unfamiliar words that come up often and come back to them during your study sessions. Same goes for tv and movies.

Practice More

Think you’ve mastered the 100 most common words? Move onto a list of common phrases or words often used together. Graduate from writing sentences to writing paragraphs. Read magazines, books, and newspapers. Make more notes in your dictionary. Keep in mind that consistency is key to mastering a new language!

It involves lots of commitment and practice but learning a foreign language can open doors to a different world! What are you waiting for? Grab a pocket dictionary, a Paper Mate InkJoy Mini ST, and hit the streets of Paris!