“Use It Or Lose It”: How to Keep Your Language Skills Sharp
We’ve all heard the saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Meaning: if you don’t practice a skill often enough, your ability to do the skill will diminish over time, or even disappear altogether.
Language learning, like all skills, requires continuous practice. It can take years to build a strong foundation, learn the grammar, the vocabulary, the nuances that help you sound like a native speaker. Mastery is not a destination; it’s the entire process. Because you don’t just gain fluency in a language and then never have to think about it again. It’s a lifelong endeavour.
If, like me, you learned a second language in a very controlled environment (university) with external accountability (professors) and ample opportunity for trial and error (conversation labs, presentations, assignments), then you know that going from a rigid, intensive learning environment to a self-led journey can be a shock to the system. Being 100% responsible for the upkeep of your own language skills can be daunting, but learning to self-correct, honing discipline to practice even without external rewards, and finding useful resources are essential steps to success.
So, what can you do to keep your language skills sharp? Here’s three tips to NOT lose them:
Sign up for a language course: Do a bit of research. Does your city offer courses in your language? Maybe it’s a conversation class, maybe it’s a private tutor. Maybe it’s formal, or maybe just a group that gets coffee every Tuesday. Something that can bridge the gap, to help you self-correct, teach you everyday terms or trickier grammar rules and ultimately help get you using the language routinely. This is especially useful if you are in an area where your language is not widely spoken. I recently completed my second round of courses with a local German language group, which was the perfect place to hone my grammar and vocabulary, and meet new friends.
Visit an event or join a club: The Winnipeg chapter of the German-Canadian Congress hosts a monthly German Breakfast, where new and repeat attendees get together to chat (in German and in English) over a yummy traditional breakfast spread. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a number of these, and it’s a great way to flex your spontaneous speaking skills, and build a habitual outlet for practice. Maybe your city has a club for your language. No matter the size of the group, regular meetings can help keep you accountable and get you out of your comfort zone.
Read, write, listen: Thanks to technology, you are likely to find a number of resources within your reach. Look for different types of media in your language (free sites do exist) and consume them as often as you can. Alongside reading books, you can write short entries in your language — if you’re feeling adventurous and are open to pretty frank critique, you can post them to forums like Reddit, or you can ask a friend for feedback. Then there’s audio resources; for me, German news outlets, podcasts, and audiobooks are a good go-to. Draw on what’s available to ensure you have plenty to practice with. Variety is key!
These methods have worked for me so far, but I’m always looking out for new and exciting opportunities to sharpen my language skills. Searching for new avenues to practice helps keep the language learning journey interesting, allows me to meet and build relationships with members of the German community, and most importantly, prepares me to provide top-quality services to my clients.
Want to work together? I’m only a click away!
-Angela
