10 Steps to Becoming Fluent in a Language in Six Months or Less

By “Daily Life Rio”

I found this blog post entitled "10 Steps to Becoming Fluent in a Language in Six Months or Less"...

Deciding whether or not to read it felt a lot like the feeling you have before you step on the scale after Christmas vacation...

So, just as I would jump on the scale on January 2nd, I read the article.  I am a sucker for (self) punishment. People who know more than three languages (meaning, most Europeans) intimidate the hell out of me.  I admire them.  I feel inadequate!

This article was written by a women who casually mentions that in addition to English, she "learned Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese as a child, picked up French in high school, and have recently became conversant in Spanish as I travel through South America."

I assume she has some great tips.

Here is her list of recommendations in bold, some of her comments in regular type and how I stacked up in italics...

1. Immerse yourself
Yes, if you don't count hanging out with almost exclusively "expats" the entire time I've been in Brazil, I have immersed myself... does the rest of the time count... oh and PS I still watch English TV with  Portuguese subtitles... I'm giving myself a check!

2. Forget translating: think like a baby!
...Just start talking, even if it seems like babbling. Resisting the urge to translate everything into your native language can be the single fastest shortcut to fluency...  I must say this is far more easy for me when I am ALONE - meaning not with people I know.  Although this experience has been good for hacking down that nasty ego, it's still there somewhere...
Half a check...

3. How do you say?
Besides common greetings, the one phrase you should memorize and always have at the ready is the phrase is “How do you say that / what is that called?”

CHECK! Though I don't always remember afterwards...

4. Write it
Ok thanks to my drill sargeant teachers, I actually think I can write in Portuguese better than I can speak or understand it... which would be lovely if I could communicate via msn messenger for the rest of my life, but... (and I don't even have msn messenger, imagine that...)

I should get two checks for this one... I am doing better than I thought...

5. Use cognates and draw links
Ever noticed how some words appear exactly the same across various languages? These are called “cognates.” Unlocking the usage of cognates instantly gives you several hundred more words to your vocabulary. For example, most words ending in “ion” in the Latin languages are the same in English.

This is definitely my strong suit.  I will give you one solid example that might help you if you are learning Portuguese...

"Moustache" is "Bigode" in Portuguese.  Which sounds kind of like "big orgy" - which reminds me of my favorite orgy loving moustached man, "GUNTHER".  As a side note if you do not know who Gunther is, stop reading this right now, quickly run to the washroom and relieve yourself so that you do not pee your pants when watching his video, and click here.  This is also related to learning languages because I personally feel that Gunter does not understand the words to his English songs he sings. Listen carefully. How else could he possibly keep a straight face. I would have to say that Tutti Frutti Summer Love is my official fave...

This is Gunther.  If you are meeting him for the first time, your life will officially change.  You're welcome.

Ok back to Portuguese... I think it is safe to say I demonstrate proficiency in this area...

6. Local TV, movies, music
Watch movies, listen to music, sing songs, and browse newspapers and magazines. It’s fun and helps improve your pronunciation and comprehension.

I have really tried with this one, I watched about a week of Cirandra de Pedra or whatever it's called but then got busy and frankly found it boring.  I want to find something I like and am actually entertained by so that I learn.  Any suggestions??

Half a check...

7. Non-verbal cues
Beyond words, observe locals when they talk. Be it the Gaelic shrug or a slight tilt of the head, combining body language with a new tongue helps you communicate better.

Check.  I grew up in a community with a lot of Italians...

8. Get emotional
Emotive experiences often etch impressions onto our memory. Make full use of embarrassing / funny / angry experiences by linking them to the new language.

Check...(sigh)

9. A world of friends / then going solo.
While inpidual classes can be highly beneficial for unsurpassed attention, group classes with friends can greatly aid learning. Having a friend to practice with helps you get better, and you can also learn from the different mistakes different people make.

I did the group class thing for 2 months and it was very helpful.  I need to make more Brazilian friends though! Half a check...

10. Practice at every opportunity before and after you travel.
Do my 5 Portuguese classes before I moved here count? Oh and did I mention I am going home this summer?

No check mark on this one!

TALLY TIME:  8 out of ten.
Which leads me to my number one tip on learning a foreign language: CONFIDENCE is the most important thing.  Just try. You will learn the most this way, and people will help you by correcting you (this takes confidence too...)

** Is learning Portuguese worth it?

Well, it depends.

If you are moving to Brazil, then yes, in my opinion.  Worth it, and totally necessary.

Portuguese is the 7th most spoken language in the world (French is number ten and Japanese is 11...) Italian? Number 24.

What can I say, it's up to you.  But when people wrinkle their noses when I say I'm trying to learn the language and ask if it's really necessary, yes, for me, it is.  You will have to decide for yourself if it is for you!