Not only a language teacher can prepare a language class – You can do it too!
- Beth Kate Wong
- Feb 15, 2020
- 3 min read
How will you learn a foreign language? Have you ever thought why the teacher was not teaching what I wanted? His/her style did not suit me but you know? You do not have to pay for a lesson you do not like ! You can actually prepare your own language class even you do not speak the language.
As this new decade begins, like a lot of you, I have set a goal for myself to achieve in 2020 - I will be able to speak in Japanese like an N3 level. As I have learnt Japanese a little bit before and gave up in the middle, I would say that I’m a little bit more than a beginner. Tip: It’s important to know what your level is and able to evaluate your strength and weakness in learning a language.
A different language is a different vision of life.
Four steps to get fluent - this is how I put myself in a day of Japanese with a focus of practicing speaking.
Step 1: Talk with a native speaker – 1 hour
I have taken a lesson on italki with a native Japanese teacher once or twice a week. I did this because I would like to practice what I have learned with a professional teacher. During the class, I tried to speak Japanese only and the teacher typed new phrases and words I learned through Skype, so I don’t worry about missing any key points of the class.
Tip: there are so many online platforms, language exchange activities and free resources for you to practice speaking. You can choose the best one for yourselves.
Step 2: Write a piece in Japanese – 1 hour or more (depends on the length of writing)
I wrote a summary of what have talked in the lesson after the class (see the picture below).
Why? Because it can consolidate what you have learnt and you can remember easier. Another good point is that practice writing allows you space and time to process grammar rules and look up the dictionary.
Tip: You have to speak and make grammar mistakes in order to become fluent in a language.
Step 3: Watch a Japanese animation – 1 hour (Don’t get addicted in the day of learning!)
Find something you’re interested in to watch in Japanese and get used to the flow of Japanese. Natsume's Book of Friends is the best animation I have ever watched - I won’t elaborate the story here but I will write another article for this. Of course, you can find whatever you like as long as it is in the target language you would like to learn, in this case, I found a Japanese animation.
Tip: it seems an effortless step but very effective. A sense of language does not come without “listening” it.
Step 4: Find a video to practice shadowing – 1 hour
If the video you watched in step 3 is suitable, you can use the same video to do shadowing.
Or, I would go for a YouTube channel, 日本語の森 (Japanese forest), which is a Japanese learning channel. The good thing about this channel is that they provide Japanese subtitle and they slow down their speed of speaking in Japanese. Another good thing about the video I watched, #10 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !!, it is a solo speech so you won’t feel confused while you do shadowing.
How I do shadowing:
1. Watch the whole video once, #10 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !!
2. Watch it again. Stop and repeat what she said sentence by sentence.
3. Play the whole video and follow her speech without stopping the video.
Tip: It is time consuming, but you will absorb and get used to how a language is spoken effectively by shadowing
To round up, this is how you can prepare your own language class for my Japanese learning with a very low budge. Of course, this intensive class is not for everyday practice. These 4 steps are good when you have a whole day free because it is quite tiring. You can also take out the steps you do not want and insert another step that fit you. On top of that, you can apply it to other languages as well.
As I've mentioned this is an intensive class, you may ask a less intensive, casual class. I will share more on different language learning tips next article.
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