An express course before travel abroad – is it any good?
Your goal is to gain reliable language basics essential for getting around the foreign country and to do so in limited time. If you use the right (and sometimes a little offbeat) methods, you will manage it.
- Listen a lot: you need to get used to the authentic speech, otherwise you won´t understand what people say to you.
- Learn like children do: repeat words after a CD. Every language uses a unique set of sounds. 'Our E' may not be 'their E'. If you want others to understand you, don´t underrate the correct pronunciation.
- Don´t hesitate to use mnemonics to remember new words, try to describe pictures and say everything aloud. The more senses you involve in learning, the stronger the imprint of new information in your memory you get.
- The basics of syntax: It is very useful to know a bunch of phrases by heart. It´s like building from concrete panels – fast and simple. However, in a specific situation, you might need to build up a brick house. All you need to know are a few simple building procedures.