How to maintain a language

Learning a foreign language is a slow process that requires effort and dedication. We can have successfully finished all the courses, for example, of English, of a language school but in reality the learning of a language never ends. Once we know all the grammatical structures and have a sufficient vocabulary we will have to continue working to maintain the language, since if we do not practice them with certain assiduity the learned foreign languages ​​are forgotten little by little so that we are losing the investment in time and effort that we made at the time to learn that language. Below we give you a series of tips that will help you maintain a language :

Steps to follow:

one

To practice listening, try occasionally to watch a movie or television in the language. With the Dual option of television it will be easy to find a program that interests you.

two

Internet also offers you the possibility of accessing audiovisual content in the language you are interested in practicing . Almost all radio and television channels offer their content for free through the network.

3

Read books in the language you want to keep . To not leave, it is best to choose books of topics that interest you.

4

If the books that interest you are very difficult and you have a hard time following them, you can read a translation of the book in your language and then read the book in the language you want to practice.

5

A system that works very well and that serves to practice all linguistic skills (except oral) is to select a text not very long (about 400 words) in the language you want to practice, translate it into your language and then retranslate it to the original version with the help of a dictionary. Finally correct your translation with the original version of the text.

6

Practicing oral expression is what will require more commitment on your part: you can sign up for conversation groups, trips to practice the language . On the internet you can also find tools to practice oral expression.

Tips
  • If you need to maintain or recover a language based on labor issues, you should choose content, both written and audiovisual, that are related to your work.
  • The optimum level of maintenance can be obtained with about 2 hours per week of dedication.