How to practice a language every day in New York
Monday, 23rd March 2009
Have you noticed how many languages you hear during the day in New York without even making an effort?
It’s not always possible to get away to the country itself and speak with the natives there, but here in the city there are plenty of opportunities to practice.
From the beginning of the day to the end we have the wonderful opportunity to listen to other languages being spoken around us, and not only listen but join in too. Try one or some of the following to practice what you have learnt already:
1) The radio. We all wake up to a broadcast of some kind, but try a station with a difference. Completely by chance my station of preference gives me English during the week, French on Saturdays and Greek on Sundays. While a lot of that goes straight over my head (especially if it’s early), it’s a nice way to start the day, and helps to improve listening skills a lot.
2) The deli. We all know that many of the workers in the deli we frequent for lunch are not native English speakers, so this is the perfect opportunity to try a few words and listen for the response. Around my office I have 3 delis I like to go to, each one with a different main language. On Mondays I practice Spanish; Tuesdays there’s Chinese (OK, I don’t speak Chinese but it’s a nice chance to hear a few words); Wednesdays I go to the sushi bar and listen for the shouted いらっしゃいませ (irashaimase- welcome) as I come in, and squeezing out a mumbled ありがとう (arigato- thank you) as I leave.
3) Meet- ups. Did you know that every hour of every day there’s a meet-up organized in New York City? The selection is endless, so you will certainly find other people with similar language interests as yours, ready and willing to spend an hour or so chatting with you in your language of choice, and helping you on your path to linguistic excellence.
4) Evening classes. If you’re not already taking one this is an ideal way to get to grips with a language. You can find short ‘survival’ courses to give you an insight before heading off on vacation, or something longer and more in-depth, which will help you reach a good level in no time. Evening classes in Spanish or French are popular, and not only will you learn to speak the language, you’ll also meet new people too.
5) Podcasts. How much time per day or per week do you spend daydreaming, waiting for something or someone? Walking to work, on the subway, during your lunch break- these are all moments you could be immersing yourself in a language- through a podcast. There are plenty on the market nowadays to suit every language learner, whether a beginner in Spanish or someone looking for advanced German.
6) Special events. Just flicking through Time Out this week I came across a wide range of activities which were focused on language learning, from French movies at the Alliance Française to Italian cooking classes in downtown, to Korean art at the Met. Some of these might not have a high language content, but they will get you together with other like- minded people who will be interested in practicing with you, and the cultural aspect is also closely linked to the linguistic.
So, no matter the language you have decided to study, there are always ways to hear it spoken, and practice it yourself.
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Tags: english, spanish, french, german, italian, learning, evening class, languages, language, course, new york, language learning
Posted by Augusta under Attitudes to Language Learning,
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