Speaking in tongues

This time you mean it. You’re really going to do it: learn a language. But where do you even start?

If you’ve lived in Belgium for any length of time, you’ll know that osmosis will only get you so far, though if you read enough labels on your purchases from the supermarket you may pick up a reasonable amount of words. But vocabulary is not all there is: trying to get by without grammar is similar to building a house without cement. Not recommended.

However, living here is a major advantage when in combination with other study options. You have easy access to native speakers (though you’ll need to be determined, since they usually switch to English as soon as they can) and your target language is all around you: on billboards, on TV, in the conversations of people on the bus.  All of this can help reinforce what you are learning.

Self-study

Motivation is particularly important for self-study, though it’s essential for all modes of learning. Set some achievable, measurable goals. “I will speak Dutch fluently in six months­” is likely to be both overly ambitious and difficult to test. “I will strike up conversation with two French-speaking neighbours in September” is much easier to check off a list.

And make a list, too, of all the ways in which your life will be enriched when you have mastered the language. Blu-tack it somewhere where you will see it often, and return to it when you are feeling discouraged.

If you are going for this option, make sure you get a good textbook. For French, you can't do better than the Grammaire Progressive du Francais series, although it's possible you will find it a bit dry without something else to complement it. For a solid, well-rounded approach to virtually any language, the Colloquial series is good, and available in a pack which include CDs, for listening practice.

There is a wide array of online resources: websites such as www.bbc.co.uk/languages, and http://radiolingua.com/ which has all sorts of coffee-break length podcasts. There are plenty of apps for iPhone and iPad, too, as well as games for the Nintendo DS. You may find that varying your study patterns as much as possible helps with both learning and motivation, which feed each other.

Meet-ups and language exchanges

On meetup.com, you’ll find all sorts of groups where you will have a chance to try out other languages.  Often, because of the nature of Brussels, you’ll be mixing French, Dutch and English, at least, but that can be fun, and can help improve your confidence. It might also lead to friendships with native Belgians who may be happy to let you speak French or Dutch to them over coffee on other occasions.  On the other hand, it’s quite likely that you will end up talking to people whose language skills are no more developed than yours, and that may be frustrating.

Immersion

If you have the opportunity to do an immersion course, take it. You’ll usually have classes in the morning or in the afternoon, and if you can spend some time outside of those hours revising what you’ve learned, you’ll progress fast. This is arguably the method with the best return on investment.

Group classes

Whether at language schools or with a private tutor, you have the option of learning by yourself or with a group. A group lesson is likely to cost less, but there are other advantages too: activities can be more varied, and you have more potential conversation partners. It also lacks the intensity of a one-to-one class: it’s easier to hide at the back of the class or decide you don’t feel like it today – which can sometimes seem welcome if you’ve had a particularly hard day at work, though in the long-term it will not help you to progress.

One-to-one tuition

Most of us do not have the discipline to keep up self-study long term with no feedback.

With private tuition, you don't have to have a lesson every week, if time or funds don't allow it: even knowing that you will have a monthly "check-up" and opportunity to ask questions can be enough.

Some tutors also offer lessons by Skype, which is perhaps more feasible on a dark November evening than trekking out in the rain. Flexibility is, without a doubt, the greatest advantage of private tuition: not just in terms of time and place, but in method and pacing. A good tutor will be able to advise you on learning materials, and will adapt to your learning style, concentrate on your areas of concern, and answer each question as it comes up. You will need to trust them, though, if they tell you that you aren’t yet ready for the complete explanation, or that something you would prefer to skip is actually essential.

Some tutors advertise in magazines such as The Bulletin, or on websites such as www.language-school-teachers.com, an excellent worldwide resource.

Word of mouth is useful for finding a good tutor, too. You may know someone who is taking lessons; it’s even more likely that there will be someone in your wider network who can help.

Language Schools

Brussels is awash with language schools of all shapes and sizes, some more reputable than others. But bear in mind that often the same tutors who teach at language schools take private students too, so you’ll essentially be getting the same service, and paying a lot more for it. If you are going down this route, find others, for example via LinkedIn, to tell you about their experiences, and choose accordingly.

Homework

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking an hour’s lesson a week ought to do the trick.  Imagine if you didn’t clean your teeth in between visits to the dentist: how painful would those visits be? So if you are having regular lessons, make sure that at least a couple of times a week you open your book and read over the vocabulary, or even better do the exercises set by your tutor if you have asked for some.

Life is busy for many of us, so don’t set unrealistic goals – even ten minutes twice a week will mean that you progress faster and maximise your investment in the lessons.  (For most people, “little and often” is better than one big chunk the night before you see your tutor.) 

You’ll also find it more fun if you marry language learning with other interests: perhaps you can read celebrity gossip in Dutch, or maybe you have a hobby which is the subject of a French magazine. Films on DVD are also a great resource: beginners can set the subtitles to their own language and intermediates to the target language. And if you want to learn a new skill  - cooking, or playing an instrument, for example – and you have some basics in the language already, why not seek out local courses?

Yes, there is hard work involved, but language learning doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it shouldn’t be.

Claire Handscombe’s e-book Conquering Babel: A Practical Guide to Learning a Language is available on Amazon www.tinyurl.com/conqueringbabeleu for €3.44