Page 22 - Journeys B1+ (Student Book)

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C. Read the passage about language learning and then answer the questions.

How to learn
a language

Are you thinking of taking up a new language? Do you want to learn Greek so you can travel there on
your next holiday? Or Chinese, as it’s the most-spoken language in the world? Or Dothraki so you can
understand the characters in Game of Thrones? Whatever your motivation, here are four ideas for different
ways you can learn. Which one suits you best?

1. An immersive experience 4. Go to a language exchange
If you’ve got the time and money, travelling If you live in a bigger city, there might be cafés
somewhere to learn the language is a particularly offering free language exchange evenings, which
good idea. When you’re there, you’ll get to interact typically happen every week. It’s an opportunity for
with lots of proficient speakers of the language: people to meet and chat in a different language,
in shops, at the bus stop and on the street. You’ll and you usually spend half the time speaking in
have much more practice than if you stay home. one language before switching to the other. This
way of learning a language is fun but slightly less
2. Use an app
efficient. There might not be any speakers of the
There are lots of online resources to help you learn target language in your area, especially if you’re
a language nowadays. It’s quick and free to learning a less common language.
download an app to your phone so that you can
learn in your free time. The really good thing about
language learning apps is that there is a great Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to know
deal of repetition, which helps you to memorise that learning a language takes practice, but there
new words and structure. are lots of things you can do to keep progressing.
For example, if you’re learning furniture vocabulary,
3. Take lessons online
you can choose ten keywords and write them
Lots of teachers around the world offer one-to- on sticky notes. Then, stick them to the correct
one tuition in a language, and this means you piece of furniture in your house. This works as well
can take the lessons to fit in with your timetable. for learning useful phrases: try sticking the phrase
Want to learn Japanese at 6.00 am? Or, 10.00 pm? “What are you doing later?” on your bathroom
Chances are there’s a teacher somewhere who mirror. Every morning, ask yourself the question
can help you. In a one-to-one lesson, the teacher and answer out loud. Nowhere near as good as
focuses on you and your needs for the whole hour. the immersive experience, but a lot better than
This is far easier than trying to learn on your own. doing nothing!
It’s also great if you want your mistakes corrected,
especially in areas like your use of different tenses
or pronunciation.

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