Apply These 8 Secret Techniques To Practice A Language in Your Daily Routine

3 years ago, I traveled to Barcelona for a vacation. I thought...YES! Now I will finally have a chance to speak Spanish with the locals. I will be able to put in use all those hours of Spanish studies and finally speak my favourite language of all.

Guess what happened at soon as I arrived there? While I was attempting to speak Spanish and mixing it up with a bit of Italian and English, I came to realize that everything I have learned was almost forgotten !!!

I love learning languages.

With Italian, English, Bengali, French, and now Spanish in my knowledge, it is hard to keep up especially when you don't get to speak all of them all the time...well almost. Out of the 5 languages I know, I use Italian, English, Bengali, and French on a regular basis, but Spanish so not often, and it will be a pity for me to forget such a beautiful language.

So if you are like me, a polyglot who loves learning languages, but sometimes doesn't have the time to sit down and refresh basic concepts, here are 8 techniques that you can apply to incorporate the language you are learning or learned into your daily routine.

1. Buy a book

2. Watch your favourite TV shows and if needed to use subtitles

3. Find YouTubers that speak the language you are learning on a topic you enjoy

4. Stick 30min to 1 hour a day to read articles

5. Listen to podcasts

6. Listen to music ( and I often do this by listening to Spanish songs)

7. Find a buddy to practice as much as you can. It doesn't have to be a paid partner that you find through those online language platforms. It could be your friend, your spouse, or a colleague.

8. Watch the news. Only 10-15 minutes a day should be enough

Learning a language is really not that hard. It is mostly about memorizing some grammar, some vocabulary and there you go. The most challenging part is practicing it.

If you can build a system of habits, for instance, just using few minutes of your time to practice a language, it will pay off in the long run.

The techniques I have listed are some of the things I do to practice Spanish and I can tell you it has been so much better. I am able to better understand what I watch or listen to and can probably have a conversation.

Hopefully by the time I go back to Barcelona again, I will have fully mastered the language. #uncaféporfavor #barcelona #hola

"Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom."

-Roger Bacon