5 ways to keep up on a second language

5 ways to keep up on a second language


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SALT LAKE CITY — Many people in Utah speak a second language. According to [statistics listed on the website](<http://www.edcutah.org/files/Section6_LanguageSkills_09.pdf >) for the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, 77 percent of students attending BYU speak a second language and collectively, residents of Utah speak 90 percent of the world’s written languages.

Keeping up a second language can be hard. While living abroad, it's easier to stay fresh when it comes to language skills. When not used, a second language can slip from proficiency to stagnancy relatively quickly. For most, traveling to a foreign country every few months to brush up on language skills isn’t a possibility, so here are a few suggestions to help maintain fluency in a second language.

Practice with friends

When a person starts the journey of language proficiency, usually he or she is excited and driven. After fluency is achieved, typically by living in a foreign country, it may be hard to find time to practice second language skills at home. One of the best ways to keep up fluency is to practice with friends as often as possible.

Start a social group for fluent speakers. Make a rule that the language of practice is to be spoken exclusively at meetings. Several groups exists in Utah to help link people wanting to practice foreign language skills in social settings.

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Use it in public

For those who speak Spanish as a second language, this is relatively easy. Buy food at local mercados and order in Spanish. For other who speak less common languages, it may be harder to find places in Utah to use language skills in public. Ethnic restaurants can be a great place to brush up on a second language. Make a set day every month to eat at a restaurant where the language you are practicing is spoken natively.

Using a second language in public not only gives the speaker a chance to practice vocabulary and grammar, but also creates an opportunity for a "sink or swim" type scenario. When learning a new language in a foreign country, there is usually little chance to fall back on English. Find a public place where it becomes hard to resort to English in the event a word or phrase is forgotten.

Use it in the home

Speaking a second language can be hard to do in a house where that language isn’t spoke by all members of the family. Due to the nature of LDS missions and study abroad language acquisition opportunities, some households may have a husband who speaks French and a wife who speaks Spanish. Find ways to meld the two (or three or four) languages in the home. This can take creativity.

If prayers are offered in the home, take turns praying out loud in each second language. This also gives children a chance to hear the languages spoken. Take time each week to teach family members words and phrases in each different language spoken in the home. Children are adept at picking up on language skills at an early age. Try to bring them into the pursuit of maintaining a second language.

Make a phone call

If you are starving to speak your second language and can’t find anyone local who wants to practice, set up a time each week or month to call a friend or acquaintance in the country where your language is spoken. Speaking a second language on the phone is different than speaking it in person. It takes more concentration and focus.

Using a video phone system like Skype is also an effective way to talk to friends in foreign countries. It will keep you connected and give you the chance to see a little bit of the culture of the native country.

Plan a week to immerse yourself in your second language
  • Eat at restaurants from your language's country
  • Speak only your second language whenever possible
  • Where clothes from your language's country
  • Invite friends over to learn more about the culture of your language

Read out loud

Reading out loud in a second language is one of the best ways to keep things fresh. If possible, try to read out loud once a day for a small amount of time from a text written in your second language. Reading helps to solidify grammar and pronunciation.

Try reading a few classic novels or plays from the country from which your second language originates. Readings texts from foreign countries gives the reader insight into culture and traditions. If French is your second language, read a few pages of the original text of Les Miserables out loud every day. Reading KSL Español is a great resource for local news in Spanish.

Learning a second language takes time and practice. Keeping it fresh and staying fluent takes equally as much effort. If years of hard work are slipping through your fingers, try out some of these tips and freshen up your second language skills.

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UtahLifestyle
Robynn Garfield

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