Take something you already love to do and add a foreign language to it!
Languages are essential to life as they allow us to interact, communicate, build relationships and share ideas with one another. However, what happens in a pandemic, when human contact, interaction, travel and everyday events are restricted or even in some cases, prohibited? This will cause speaking foreign languages and everyday interactions to decline and we might even find ourselves speaking less of our favourite languages than we usually do.
"[You can] not only successfully maintain your language skills, but to also improve them during the COVID-19 pandemic[!]"
Here are my top tips and tricks to not only successfully maintain your language skills, but to also improve them during the COVID-19 pandemic because at the moment, we do not always have the liberty to travel or the freedom to converse with family and friends in a foreign language face-to-face. Some of the options below may be simple but they are affective in helping maintain our language skills and fluency on a daily basis.
Stay Connected! Speak to friends or family on the phone or through video calls:
Nowadays, some may feel that we are inundated with technology options and some of the new developments can be overwhelming or even confusing. However, I honestly believe that during this pandemic, the ability to phone or video call friends and family is a blessing. This not only brings a feeling of comfort and closeness in a time where we are encouraged to spend time apart, but also provides us with endless opportunities to practice speaking in a variety of languages.
So go ahead! Spend more time connecting with friends or family abroad through video call or phone - some options won’t even cost a penny. It will not only bring you closer to your loved ones but will also help improve confidence and your fluency in speaking a foreign language.
Make more time to explore foreign Films and Television:
We do not always have to opt for an adventure at the cinema when we want to watch foreign films. With more of us spending time at home, films and tv shows are a fantastic way to keep up with languages. There are many film platforms nowadays that allow us to enjoy a vast number of foreign television and films on demand and if these subscription platforms aren’t for you- just change the language options on your favourite DVD. In this way, you can relive old favourites and well-loved classics, and also appreciate them in a new light- in a different language. YouTube is also a great option to access documentaries (like "Orte, die man nicht besuchen sollte" or "Wie Tiere schlafen"), shows (like Dark, Freud, or Criminal Germany on Netflix) or even movies (or parts of them at least) in different languages. Personally, this is one of my favourite ways to improve my German language ability. I am often fascinated by documentaries, especially those covering themes such as cooking, sport, food and animals, and all in German too. I find this very helpful as it helps me learn about topics that I am generally interested in but through a different language option. It is also a great way to learn about foreign culture – especially when a holiday may not be an option for everyone at the moment. Foreign News or TV shows are a super way of also watching the latest news and trends in another language. It is something that is easy to do. I often watch a quick show in German on my lunch break as no matter how busy I am, documentaries and shows in another language help me learn without any fuss.
Let’s Get Cooking! Cooking your favourite dishes with a cultural twist.
A very good friend of mine once gave me a recipe book to improve my culinary skills. The book is great as it has a wonderful collection of simple recipes that I can cook, even during a busy, working week.
The recipe book however is all in German, so it not only tests my cooking skills (which thanks to lockdown has seen a major improvement) but also my German reading and understanding ability. My favourite dish to make is Gemüsepfanne mit Reis and following a recipe in a foreign language helps me to not only make an everyday necessity, but to also strengthen my German vocabulary. Why not try out your favourite recipe but see if they have a different or similar version of it in France or in Spain or in Germany for example? There are plenty of recipes online that are tried, tested and translated.
Enjoy the end of the day with your favourite novel (but in a different language)
I absolutely adore reading and sometimes,I struggle to find the time during a hectic, busy week to make the most of one of my favourite novels. However, when I do find the time, on a quiet Sunday afternoon for example, reading some of my favourite stories in German (or in another language) is a great way to keep learning with minimal effort. Recently, I found an old copy of “The Further Adventures of an Idiot Abroad” by Karl Pilkington – in German. This was a show that I used to enjoy and found hilarious when I was younger but reading it in German is far more interesting. I love how I can take something familiar and use it to further improve my language ability. It still makes me laugh and I continue to find the way in which British humour and sarcasm is translated into German thought-provoking. So next time you find yourself wanting to escape into another book, why not try one of your favourite novels in a different language?
"Why not try one of your favourite novels in a different language?"
Sometimes, all it takes to improve our foreign language skills is to take something we already love to do and instead, add language to it. This way, you still make it fun, interesting and engaging. It’s simply a way to learn without the extra hard work.
