Lingopie: How to get started as a beginner

Learning a new language can seem like an impossible task to many of us. Like many other activities, such as working out, losing weight, creating a new habit, starting to learn a language demands mental focus, persistence and motivation. There are two main struggles for most language learners: getting started and practicing what you've learned. Our hope is that his article will help you understand how to use Lingopie wisely, in order to overcome both of these hurdles on your path to successful language learning.  

Why the beginning is so tough

In a world where time is such a valuable resource, starting to learn a new language may be a tough commitment for many people. Out of 24 hours, we work and sleep around 2/3 of the day, which leaves us with only 1/3 available for other activities. But, these are not really 8 free hours, as we have other commitments and arrangements. We might find ourselves free maybe only for 2-3 hours a day, which most of us prefer to spend doing something we like, such as binging TV, meeting friends, playing video games, etc.

How to start | 5 tips for beginners

Here are a few tips that will help you overcome the mental block of starting to learn a new language.

1. Schedule time in the day that is dedicated to language learning.
2. Find a partner to learn with. This will help you feel like you're not alone, and you can always motivate each other when feeling lazy.
3. Make sure to find a fun way to learn. Different people find different ways that are beneficial for them, find your own!
4. Look for native speakers to talk with. It might be a bit intimidating, but you can learn a lot by talking to people who use the language on a daily basis.
5. Set goals such as "in a month from now, I'll know a hundred words."

How can Lingopie help?

Lingopie is a language learning platform that uses real TV shows and movies, combined with various study features including video tools.

The main advantage of Lingopie is the fact that it is a fun way to learn. Lingopie takes something nearly everyone loves to do, binge-watching TV, and combines it with language learning. This makes the getting started part much easier to overcome and much easier to stick with, giving Lingopie an advantage over other language learning methods.

You can read more about Lingopie tools here.

How to use Lingopie the best way

In order to best use Lingopie, here are a few steps we recommend for a new user:

1. Scroll down Lingopie's dashboard and choose the category 'Beginner-friendly'. This category consists of shows that have a more basic language, slower dialogue between characters, and simpler topics.
2. Find a show that catches your interest. If you start a show that you find interesting, you are more likely to come back to watch it, which means you are more likely to create a language learning habit.
3. Adjust the video playback speed. Trying to follow along with the spoken dialogue of a conversation when you're just starting is not an easy task. Adjusting the video playback speed slows down the speed of the video, and allows you to concentrate on the words and the way they are pronounced.
4. Click on the subtitles whenever you're curious about a particular word! The instant subtitle translations give you an amazing opportunity to get any word, phrase, or slang translated in context.  Each word is then saved to your word list automatically so you can easily review them later with the Lingopie flashcards. So don't be afraid - click, click, click!
5. Review your flashcards! Flashcards on Lingopie are not just normal flashcards because every word comes with a short video clip of the word 'in context' from the TV show you were watching. This will help you learn and remember the word because it will create a deeper contextual association and spark your memory.  The goal is to help your brain remember where this word was mentioned and how is related to a bigger picture, from the TV show, movie, or music video.

Stay motivated, keep learning

One of the biggest obstacles to language learning is persistence. Many people begin highly motivated, but then give up pretty quickly.  Here's how you can use Lingopie to stay motivated and enthusiastic about learning:

1. Start Binge-Watching! We all know that feeling when you get sucked into a great show and just can't stop watching. It’s already 12:30 am and you tell yourself, "Just one more episode..." With Lingopie, you can binge-watch and use that time as a driver to keep learning.  Focus on choosing shows that you find interesting, the more addicted you get, the more you learn.
2. Find a friend to study with. This can motivate you more to succeed because you can talk about TV shows and movies together. Try to find someone in your circle who you can meet up with and chat about what you are learning and watching.
3. Be a part of a community. You are not alone! Like you, there are many others who learn languages for different purposes. Join communities like this one. Find a great TV show or movie on Lingopie and watch it together.  The Lingopie community is all about engaging with others about great TV shows, movies, and music for the sake of language learning.
4. Find someone to speak with! Learning and memorizing vocabulary is just not enough. You need to also review what you've learned as much as possible. Try to find a native speaker to talk to, as this will help you increase your conversational skills drastically. With Lingopie, you'll have a ton to talk about: pop culture, local food, great stories, famous actors and so much more.
5. Plan a trip to a place where the native language is the one you're learning. That way you're gonna have a target, and also you'll be able to check how your acquired language abilities come to life. When you're not traveling, the best way to connect to the language, people, and culture is simply to watch and engage with TV shows and movies on Lingopie.

Let the journey begin

Learning a new language can be challenging, but when you make language learning fun and engaging, it becomes much simpler, and you'll have much better results. Remember to not give up and to find ways to enjoy learning.

We invite you to try Lingopie yourself and see that with a little bit of help, very soon you may find yourself making full conversation in a new language.