It sounds
like a meaningless joke. But sometimes, a joke includes some truth. “Being
born” and “growing up” are the best ways. However, we can try a second or a
third way to study a foreign language.
Overseas
study might be a good way. But it might be expensive. If you want to work in a
country, you need a working visa. Furthermore, it might be a big decision. You
have to say goodbye to your family and friends for a while. I studied overseas
when I was young. It changed my life in many different ways.
Having a boyfriend or a girlfriend who is a
native speaker from the country is another good way. Actually, I have never
experienced that. I heard that it is a very effective way to study a language.
But if you already have a partner, you should give up on this study method.
Studying should not disrupt your happy life.
One-on-one lessons are also a good way to
study. But they could be expensive. We have to pay a lot of money to good
teachers.
Taking a class is a good way at a reasonable
price. If you loved classes in school when you were a student, you would also
love taking a language class. If you hated school, I am not sure you would love
a language class.
The above ways are my recommended language
studying methods. I, at least, have tried almost all these ways in my life. I
am sure they are effective.
The following method I actually tried too. I
found it was also effective and fun.
Repeatedly watching foreign TV dramas is my
recommended language studying method.
First, you should find a foreign drama series
you like.
You should watch that drama in the foreign
language with no subtitles. You will find it difficult to understand the story.
But if you are studying the language, you can guess the story. I think the most
important key to studying a foreign language is guessing. If you are not a
native speaker, it is impossible to fully understand all the lines in a drama.
But you can guess.
Second, watch the same drama with subtitles in
the foreign language. The subtitles will help you understand the story. That
process links pronunciation and letters.
Third, watch the same drama with subtitles in
your mother tongue. I am sure you can now understand the full story. You will
find places you misunderstood or had listening problems. The translators needed
to make subtitles with fewer words. Sometimes they needed to omit the original
lines. You will find some original content this way.
Finally, watch the same drama dubbed in your
mother tongue. This is the most fun option. You can fully enjoy the drama. I
think the best translators and best voice actors cooperate in the drama. It
might be an artistic masterpiece.
I recommend this method to you because most of
my readers are theatrical people. We practice the same story and the same
scenes again and again. I think you will like this method.
But I also have a warning for you. Watching a
drama repeatedly is one of the effective ways to study a foreign language. But
I also recommend other standard listening, writing, and speaking methods. This
is just an additional way to study.
Furthermore, this learning method has risks.
In general, the conversations in a TV drama might happen in emergent
situations. Or the conversation might be acceptable between people in a close
relationship. You can’t use these words to people you meet in everyday
situations. It could be rude.
For example, the phrase “shut up” is very
common in English dramas. But one of my American teachers said, “I have never
said that phrase to my family nor my friends.”
“Damare” means “shut up” in Japanese.
Actually, I have never used that word in my life. But in TV dramas, the
characters use the word very often.
Reality and dramas are different. But still,
the watching dramas method might be one way to enjoy studying a foreign
language.
If you are studying a foreign language, please
try it.
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Picture by Pinkari
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