BrainMatters • Spring/Summer 2022 • 13
Establish a sustainable, daily habit.
Even 15 minutes a day is fine if you can do it reliably. Dr. Meltzer suggests using a
mobile app, as this lets you fit your learning into little bits of free time throughout the
day. Several apps are available to download, such as Duolingo, Memrise and Quizlet.
TIPS TO HELP YOU LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE
Dr. Meltzer is an expert in the field of neurolinguistics and has studied over a dozen languages. Below are
some of his tips for learning a new language.
Focus on vocabulary first.
"The biggest obstacle to learning a new language is memorizing large amounts
of vocabulary. In my experience, people often get scared off by reading about
advanced grammar when they are just starting the language. Once you know 1,000
vocabulary words, the grammar will not seem so daunting," says Dr. Meltzer.
Digital flashcard apps, like the ones listed above, are very helpful for this.
Watch and read familiar media in the language you want to learn.
A helpful way to learn is to watch movies and TV shows in your target language,
and adding subtitles in the same language helps even more. Similarly, it's helpful to
read books that you've already read before in English, or at least books for which
you have a translation to check.
Do what you can!
While you need to practice speaking a language with others in order to master it,
it is not always easy to find an opportunity to do so.
"Fortunately, you can make plenty of progress on your own in the beginning. Focus
on what you can do, like learning passive listening and reading skills, and practice
your speaking when possible," says Dr. Meltzer.
